Black History Month 2023

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and Canadians and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. and Canadian history.

In celebration, Montrose is proud to highlight team members and share what Black History Month means to our team.

Meet some of our amazing team members below.

SPOTLIGHT: Crystal Hunter
Senior Account Representative | CTEH

What does Black History Month mean to you?

Black History Month is especially meaningful to me because it is a time our nation has set aside to acknowledge and highlight the accomplishments of African Americans. It provides a time for my race to exercise our freedom in telling our stories to remind others of our ancestors’ rich history and excellence. Black History Month also demonstrates how much of our country’s greatness comes from the African American culture.

Who has inspired you the most within our organization?

Mr. Cory Davis was the person who inspired me the most within the organization. For fourteen years, I watched Cory grow from a department manager into a flourishing Chief Executive Officer. He was one of the hardest-working individuals I have ever had the privilege of working with. His mentorship and inspiration have inspired me to be a better professional and business person.

How did you find your way to where you are today at MEG?

I found my way to where I am today by working hard, continuing to be a life-learner, and asking leadership for more challenging tasks. My professional goal each year is to be more of an asset to the organization than I was the year before.

What are your favorite parts of your job?

My favorite part of my job is the ability to interact with all the divisions and operations of CTEH. CTEH has A LOT of “moving parts,” and I enjoy knowing exactly what is going on!

SPOTLIGHT: Hemed Mohamed
Senior Marketing Manager | Marketing

What does Black History Month mean to you?

For me, Black History Month is a time of deep reflection and genuine appreciation. It’s a time to acknowledge the hard work and sacrifices that so many people made to give me the rights and opportunities I have today.

It’s a time to recognize how lucky I am. I was born in 1990 — not 1890, not 1790. Whatever sense of happiness and peace I have in my life is a direct result of sheer bravery from generations before.

What do you like best about Montrose?

Tough question, but if I had to pick just one thing, it would be the sense of teamwork. Every day, I feel like part of a team that’s on a real mission. I work alongside world-leading experts focused on making a difference in the world. You can’t help but be inspired by that.

What’s an important lesson you’ve learned, and how has it proven invaluable?

Double the amount of patience and empathy you bring to every conversation you have. The past few years have shown us how quickly life can change and how fragile life can be. Though our colleagues might seem all right on the surface, you never know what challenges and obstacles they’re facing in private.

Remembering that we all have complicated lives helps me build more realistic project timelines and assignments. So, when our team reaches the finish line, we can do so happily, with enough energy and enthusiasm for the next big project.

Which tools or resources would you suggest to someone interested in a similar path to yours?

First, connect with me directly. The marketing profession can seem overwhelming, but like most things, if you take it piece-by-piece, it’s not that scary. I am more than happy to chat with fellow team members who are interested in exploring marketing and communications as a potential career opportunity.

Second, engage a terrific organization called “Creative Mornings.” Their rock star team hosts (free) in-person gatherings for creative professionals in 228 cities across the world. These gatherings, and their resulting networking opportunities, had a huge, positive impact on my career path.

Third, connect with me directly. Seriously, I’m happy to help!

SPOTLIGHT: Anna Pepper
Project Engineer | Environmental Consulting & Engineering

What does Black History Month mean to you?

Black History Month is our opportunity to learn the parts of American History frequently omitted from our middle and high school curriculums for various reasons. Some parts that are difficult to hear are best processed with the context an adult has from life experience. There are wonderful parts that inspire, as well.

How did you find your way to where you are today at MEG?

I was looking for a professional relationship that aligns with my need to be an active part of improving where we live and where teammates are similarly motivated.

What motivations fueled your career path?

My father grew up on a farm in southern Colorado, where he cared for many animals. He indulged my love of animals by tolerating endless rescues of neighborhood strays, a variety of small pets, and long hours of play in our large backyard with a stream at its edge. Although my undergrad is in civil engineering, I was able to blend that love into my work by earning a Masters in Biology. I now apply what I learned to my stormwater designs. Wetlands with endangered species and urban water quality are examples of how my STEM degrees intersect.

What’s an important lesson you’ve learned and how has it proven invaluable?

My mom was from Brooklyn, NY and married a farm boy from Boone, CO. Love is the ultimate collaborator. Also, my parents demonstrated the importance of making decisions based on personal integrity regardless of politics and contemporary opinions. It’s always a good time and place to demonstrate love, kindness, patience, humility and tolerance. I have found it invaluable when navigating complex issues as manager and supervisor and also just being a good friend who can be trusted to do the right thing.

SPOTLIGHT: Sally Cummins
VP of Sales | Montrose Air Quality Services
Diversity Fairness and Inclusion Co-Chair

What does Black History Month mean to you?

I see Black History Month as a time to reflect on the contributions of African American scientists, engineers, inventors, artists, veterans, activists, environmentalists, and others whose stories may have historically gone unnoticed, untold, or even hidden. This month is an occasion to learn more about my own heritage and allow others to better understand, appreciate and relate to mine.

What motivations fueled your career path?

Representation matters. Early in my career I had few role models in my field who were African American or women or family focused leaders or especially all of the above. It made me question if it was possible to have it all. It also brought purpose and a desire to continue to serve in an organization with increasing responsibility to be that representation and be able to help others reach their goals without having to compromise.

What has been helpful to you in navigating and connecting to a larger organization?

Reaching out to people across business lines, finding out what they do and how they help customers. Then doing my best to connect the dots between them and ways we can collaborate to help our clients together and help each other.

What are your favorite parts of your job?

Meeting new people, either within Montrose or externally, working collaboratively across groups and seeing team members succeed and grow.