Mechanical Engineer Cory Jassen Honored with Cushing Terrell’s 2024 Integrity and Client Service Award
Cushing Terrell’s Great Falls office may be small in terms of employee count, but it’s mighty in terms of talent, integrity, and client service. Last year, Casey Huffman out of Great Falls was named the 2023 Integrity and Client Service (ICS) Award winner and this year, Cory Jassen, hailing from this very same office, has been honored with the award — the highest honor a team member can receive at the firm.
Cory is a mechanical engineer and associate known for his expertise across nearly all markets in which Cushing Terrell provides design services. He’s particularly celebrated for his work on healthcare projects with clients that include Benefis Health System, Bozeman Health, Billings Clinic, Central Montana Medical Center, Glacier Eye Clinic, and Caribou Medical Center. His nomination package was filled with examples of how he lives out the values of the ICS Award — with testimonials from several of these clients as you’ll find below.
The ICS Award, nicknamed “The Geno” after 59-year-tenured Gene Kolstad, is presented in December with a cash prize. Colleagues are nominated from across the firm, and the winner is judged on their excellence in three categories: honesty, compassion, and responsiveness.
The trophy was inspired by one of Gene’s passions: masonry. Hence, the large, traveling trophy features Montana-sourced travertine with an embedded trowel.
Some Background on Cory
Cory grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He worked for a couple years at an energy conservation consulting firm near Hartford, Connecticut, and then as a facility engineer at a biotech company in Massachusetts before moving to Montana with his family and joining Cushing Terrell in 2006. He first worked for our team in Billings and then moved to Great Falls in 2008.
In addition to healthcare facility design, a few of the things Cory specializes in are steam system design and hospital compounding pharmacy design. He’s also an ASHRAE-certified Healthcare Facility Design Professional, currently one of only three engineers in the state of Montana with this certification.
Cory Jassen is pictured with Cushing Terrell team members and leadership, from left to right: 2023 ICS Award-winner Casey Huffman, Great Falls office lead Anthony Houtz, President Greg Matthews, and Principal Marty Byrnes.
A Note From Cushing Terrell President Greg Matthews
Presenting the ICS Award is one of the biggest highlights of my year, and I couldn’t have been happier to make another trip to Great Falls to surprise Cory Jassen this time! Cory is one of those people who leads with quiet confidence and a steady demeanor. He is someone we all trust to handle any project, no matter the complexity. His expertise, sincere care for his clients and their needs and dreams, and his quality of work and problem-solving skills are second to none. Cory, congratulations for earning this prestigious recognition!
What People Say About Cory
“Cory’s compassion is evidenced by his repeat clients, particularly in the Great Falls area. As far as internal clients go, he cares deeply about his coworkers and wants to see them succeed and further their knowledge.”
Allyn Jorgensen
Associate | Mechanical Engineer
Cushing Terrell
“Cory is a remarkable engineer and co-worker, and a pleasure to work with. His vast technical knowledge and problem-solving skills consistently drive our projects to success, particularly in healthcare design. His ability to communicate with customers and work through issues on projects is unique and invaluable. As a co-worker, Cory is incredibly helpful and always willing to lend a hand, making him a great team member and mentor. His professionalism, work ethic, and dedication to excellence and customer satisfaction are the very definition of the ICS Award.”
Kim Beaudry
Mechanical Engineer
Cushing Terrell
“Cory always conducts himself in a forthright fashion. His vigilance and reliability are his engineering trademarks. Because he conducts himself without ego, Cory consistently makes sound and fair decisions on behalf of his teams and his clients. He is an exceptional listener and conscientious engineer who does not jump to conclusions or make assumptions. His methodical approach suggests his ability to listen and process useful solutions with thorough vetting.”
Zoe Smith
Associate | Mechanical Engineer
Cushing Terrell
“Cory is the type of individual you can trust to get things done with confidence. He wants to be involved and asks the proper questions on the owner’s behalf. Cory has a demeanor that is extremely professional yet approachable. He is a good listener and is open to options or ideas on the services he is providing. He is not afraid to put himself out there for the benefit of the team or firm. Personally, he is likeable and just a good person. He treats everyone with respect and is very considerate. All qualities of an ICS Award candidate/winner!”
Tim Miller
Principal | Architect
Cushing Terrell
“His commitment to client service and problem-solving went above and beyond expectations, making him an invaluable asset to the team. I strongly believe Cory’s integrity and outstanding service make him highly deserving of this recognition.”
Austin Gifford
Project Manager
James Talcott Construction, Inc.
“Beyond his professionalism and integrity in business, Cory has been a dedicated member of our school community. He regularly volunteers at school events — whether it’s grilling at the concession stand, assisting with cleanup after music concerts, or chaperoning field trips, Cory is always willing to lend a hand. If there’s an award that recognizes integrity, responsiveness, and honesty, I can’t think of a more deserving candidate than Cory Jassen.”
Kyle Paulson
Principal
Belt Public Schools
“In the 10 years or so that I’ve known and worked with Cory on projects at Benefis Health, he’s been great to work with due to the support and knowledge he has. It doesn’t matter what the issue, problem, or upgrade is, he’ll have an answer or suggestion to remedy or repair the situation if he’s in the office or in the hills. I look forward to having Cory as the engineer on projects because if I have any questions, they’ll be answered.”
Luke LaBuda
HVAC Technician
Benefis Health Systems
“I have worked with Cory Jassen for the last two years on five different construction projects for the Civic Center in Great Falls. He has been remarkable to work with. I have found his professionalism and character to be second to none. Anytime I have had questions or concerns about any project, he has always been more than willing to answer my questions in terms I can understand. He truly seems to care about how the project will turn out, short term and long term. It is nice to know he is someone who will always have the customer’s best interests in mind.”
Ted Fallat
Facilities Manager
City of Great Falls Civic Center
“Honesty, compassion, and responsiveness exemplify how Cory structures his practice, and how he defines success in a project. Cory doesn’t just use that as a general guideline — he is absolutely committed to those principles from the initial contact with the client through to the completion of the project.”
Anthony Houtz
Associate Principal | Project Manager | Architect
Cushing Terrell
“As Cory’s supervisor, I’ll tell you he is one of our best in all aspects of client service. He checks all the client service boxes. He is proactive, responsive, passionate, organized, hardworking, sincere, and very technically knowledgeable and detailed. Cory has built an excellent reputation in the Great Falls area with contractors who bring us work and with the facility personnel at Benefis Healthcare, among many others.”
Shawn Murray
Principal | Director of Mechanical Engineering
Cushing Terrell
“Cory has a quiet, humble confidence that tells his clients and teammates he’s got the situation under control. That confidence comes from 18+ years of taking the time to understand his clients’ needs, industry standards, and trends. Cory has established himself as an industry leader in healthcare design, landing him on the podium at conferences like ISHE to share his expertise. Cory personifies integrity and client service by taking the time to listen to his clients, understand their desires and constraints, providing the best solutions for their needs, and following through with successful project delivery. Cory exemplifies a trusted advisor to his clients and his peers.”
Tim Johnson
Associate | Director of Sustainability
Cushing Terrell
“Cory is not just responsive, but positive and optimistic. Cory is a prime example of the ICS Award and deserves to be recognized for his dedication to our business and people.”
Jacob Blake
Mechanical Designer
Cushing Terrell
From Cory on Being Honored with the ICS Award
What does the ICS Award represent to you?
It’s the highest level of positive reinforcement letting me know I’ve been doing the right things during my career at Cushing Terrell.
How do you feel about winning the award, and to what do you attribute it?
I’m over the moon; it feels wonderful. I thought about trying to win the award but never really thought that I could or would. To win it based on going about my regular business is very gratifying. I care about helping our clients — it’s one of the foundations of our business. I’m lucky that this has been recognized!
You’re on the selection committee now. What will you be looking for in next year’s ICS Award winner?
It will be fun to join the committee and review the nominees. I know there are many qualified candidates out there but they can’t win if they are aren’t nominated. I’ll be looking for someone who has the traits but might not be an obvious choice at first glance.
Back in 2008, Cushing Terrell constructed a vision statement to help govern firm goals over the following five years. The effort was driven — and much of the language was crafted — by then-principal and project manager/architect Gene Kolstad out of Cushing Terrell’s Billings office. The list of seven goals dealt largely with issues of integrity, character, and client service. With visions of the Academy Awards and Oscar statuettes dancing in their heads, the ratifying committee dreamed up an annual award to present to the Cushing Terrell employee who most exemplified these ideals.
The accompanying trophy, “The Geno” (after Kolstad, who is noted for his commitment to the principles the award celebrates), was inspired by one of Kolstad’s passions: masonry. Hence, the large, heavy, traveling trophy features Montana-sourced travertine (from the original installation at a long-time client, Billings Clinic) with one of Kolstad’s trowels partially embedded — an homage to the Arthurian legend of the sword in the stone. Staff in the Great Falls office built a “mini Fort Knox” (exceptionally secure) traveling case that safely moves the award from recipient-to-recipient each year.
“Half the fun of bestowing the award is discretely delivering the award case, early, to the respective office, and keeping it under wraps,” former committee member (now-retired) Ken Richardson once said.
The Geno is now presented each December to the winner of the Integrity and Client Service (ICS) Award, alongside a cash prize. A selection committee — dubbed “the Posse” — which includes the previous year’s recipient, convenes annually to select the winner. Nominees from across the firm are evaluated in three categories: honesty, compassion, and responsiveness.
Former Great Falls mechanical engineer Gary Morris was the initial recipient at the end of 2010, and the ICS Award has been presented each year since. Last year, Chris Goslin of Cushing Terrell in Boise was the winner.
Read more on the history of the concept of “integrity” on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
