What We're Grateful For
Growth, new challenges, and the people who make the work meaningful
Across our Mining & Energy team, 2025 brought new projects, expanded capabilities, and a steady stream of complex questions from clients. When we asked people what they were most grateful for this year, the responses focused on opportunity, collaboration, and the teammates who made the work both possible and rewarding.
Joe Petersen
Senior Mining Engineer
"I'm grateful for the people I get to work with."
Joe Petersen joined RESPEC earlier this year as an experienced engineer and quickly saw how strong teamwork shapes the quality of the work. He appreciated how easily colleagues shared context, approached challenging reporting tasks, and worked together to keep client work moving. It made the transition seamless and allowed him to plug into projects quickly. He ends the year thankful for a group that delivers high-quality work through steady collaboration.
Joe's Word for the Year: Growth
"The work-life balance changed everything for me."
Joining RESPEC gave Ahmed Abdelbaki the space to focus on high-quality technical modeling while staying present for his family. He valued having access to the tools and workflows he needed and teammates who were always willing to help him think through modeling questions or explore new approaches. The environment strengthened his ability to deliver clear, early-stage insights for clients. He is heading into 2026 with a stronger foundation, a better understanding of the modeling challenges clients face, and appreciation for a team that helps him keep growing.
Ahmed's Word for the Year: Steady
Ahmed Abdelbaki
Geomechanical Engineer
Dr. Simone Durney
Ecologist
"Being adaptable defined my entire year."
As RESPEC’s new ecologist, Simone Durney spent 2025 building ecological services within mining projects, navigating new terminology, and learning a new industry from the ground up. She spoke about the openness of the teams she worked with and how cross-office collaboration helped her grow her discipline and expand the ways she contributes to client work.
Simone's Word for the Year: Expanding
"Our people made this year what it was."
Whitney Faulkner spent much of 2025 supporting a complex subsidence mitigation effort in West Virginia—work that required steady coordination among homeowners, state partners, and her growing AML team. She appreciated how her group supported one another during demanding phases and how newer engineers stepped into larger roles with confidence. With a stronger team in place and a renewed excitement for the projects they tackle together, she is carrying that mindset into 2026.
Whitney's Word for the Year: Supportive
Whitney Faulkner
Development Manager Abandoned Mine Lands
Alyssa Kendir
Mining Engineer
"I was trusted to grow into more responsibility, and that meant a lot."
Growing her technical depth was a defining part of Alyssa Kendir’s year, especially as she took on more challenging pieces of mine-planning projects. She appreciated having teammates who stepped in during busy cycles and a supervisor who supported her focus on technical development. That environment strengthened her ability to evaluate constraints, communicate options clearly, and contribute to projects that require steady judgment. She ends the year grateful for the trust she was given and for the people who helped her sharpen the skills clients rely on.
Alyssa's Word for the Year: Busy
"This year reminded me how much support matters."
Gabriella Fourie reflected on the sense of belonging she found within the RESPEC proposals group. Taking on more responsibility, learning new processes, and being trusted with complex submissions shaped her year. She appreciated having colleagues who were willing to help, teach, and collaborate during fast-moving deadlines.
Gabriella's Word for the Year: Exhilarating
Gabriella Fourie
Proposal Coordinator
Maggie Sebert
Geomechanical Engineer
"I grew a lot this year, and it wasn't just on my own."
For Maggie Sebert, 2025 was a year of sharpening her technical judgment. She supported several complex subsurface evaluations and appreciated teammates who helped her think through engineering decisions and communicate findings clearly. The experience strengthened the way she approaches data, asks critical questions, and frames recommendations for clients. She finishes the year grateful for opportunities that pushed her skills forward and for colleagues who helped her build confidence on work that requires careful analysis.
Maggie's Word for the Year: Energetic
"Seeing our team grow was one of the highlights of my year."
Joey Mulcahey watched his modeling group double in size this year, creating opportunities to mentor newer engineers and bring them into complex analytical work. He appreciated the camaraderie that emerged as the team began sharing knowledge more openly and collaborating on long-running studies. Working closely with his supervisor, Cody Vining, also pushed him to sharpen his technical judgment and step outside his comfort zone in ways that elevated the group’s work. He ends the year grateful for a team that is growing in both capability and cohesion and enters 2026 ready to keep building on that momentum.
Joey's Word for the Year: Full
Joey Mulcahey
Geomechanical Engineer
Mary Mann
Senior Geothermal Geologist
"I'm grateful for the momentum our geothermal group built this year and the opportunities to support clients in new ways."
Mary Mann saw RESPEC’s geothermal capability expand meaningfully this year. The group's breadth of work and knowledge has grown thanks to stronger collaboration among the reservoir engineering and drilling groups, and a large team providing behind-the-scenes support has helped Mary focus on her client's needs in her area of expertise. The year also gave Mary chances to connect academic research with practical exploration, drilling, and development questions, bringing fresh insights to RESPEC's energy portfolio. She ends the year energized by the activity in the RESPEC geothermal group and looking forward to expanding the group's impact in the coming year.
Mary's Word for the Year: Energized
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