About engel excavating

Ethan Engel grew up around heavy equipment, and he never left.

He started as a laborer in his early teens, became an operator by 18, and worked his way through foreman, superintendent, project management, and executive leadership roles before stepping into his role as President. That career path isn’t just a resume; it’s why he understands every part of this business from the ground up.

Today, Ethan leads Engel Excavating’s strategic growth, estimating, and business development efforts. He’s focused on advancing technology, strengthening internal systems, and building a team that holds itself to a high standard, every day, on every job.

Jackie Walton-Kumbier is our Controller, and with over 15 years in construction, she knows how the numbers connect to the work in the field.

She started in HVAC, moved into earthwork and excavation, and built her expertise across roles in contracts, project administration, and project accounting. That path gave her a deep understanding of how projects actually run and she brings that perspective to everything she does on the financial side.

Today, Jackie is focused on keeping the company sharp: strong financial oversight, tight cost control, and making sure the books reflect how well we work.

Doug Hansen has spent nearly four decades in heavy construction, and he’s done just about every job there is.

He started behind the controls of heavy equipment, building real expertise in excavation, grading, and site development from the ground up. That hands-on foundation shaped everything that came next: a foreman role where he led crews and kept jobsites running right, and eventually project management and estimating, where he brings that same field-level thinking to bids, budgets, and schedules.

Doug is the kind of person who spots problems before they become problems and always shows up with a solution. He leads by example, communicates straight, and has a track record of delivering work safely, on time, and within budget.

Marty started at 19 as a laborer and truck driver and has spent the next 24 years working his way up through every level of the business.

From equipment operator to project manager, Marty built his expertise the right way: in the field, alongside the crews doing the work. That background shapes how he leads today — hands on, dependable, and focused on getting the job done right. At Engel, Marty plays a crucial role in guiding projects, supporting crews, and driving the kind of outcomes the team is proud to put their names on.

Michael Sabel knows what it takes to run complex operations and he has 35 years of experience to back it up. From public works and highway management to construction and automotive service, he’s led large maintenance and construction teams, managed county highway systems, and built a reputation for strong leadership and a relentless focus on operational excellence and public safety.

That breadth of experience gives him a unique perspective on what it takes to deliver infrastructure work at a high level and what it means to be accountable to the communities depending on it.

Jeff Broekman has been working in sewer and water since he was 16 and after 24 years, there isn’t much he hasn’t seen.

He started in the field during summer breaks in high school, joined Advance Construction full-time after graduation, and spent the next 19 years working his way from laborer to Superintendent and Project Manager. That path gave him a deep, hands-on understanding of how underground infrastructure work actually gets done. He later joined Soper Companies as a Foreman, eventually moving into a Project Manager/Estimator role and when Engel acquired Soper, Jeff came with it.

Today, Jeff oversees projects from planning through completion, with a focus on clear communication, strong client relationships, and making sure every job is executed safely and to the highest standard. He holds a Master Plumber Restricted Service License for sewer and water installation outside of buildings — a credential that reflects the depth of expertise he brings to every project.

Jeff is a problem-solver who knows the work from the ground up. That’s what his clients count on and it’s what he delivers every time.

Dawn is our Payroll Administrator and with nearly 40 years of experience it’s something she knows inside and out.

Since joining Engel, she’s managed every aspect of payroll in a union environment: ensuring compliance with union agreements, handling complex calculations, maintaining accurate records, and overseeing all Prevailing Wage reporting. Week in and week out, she keeps everything running accurately and on time, no small feat in an industry where the details really matter. That kind of consistency and precision is something the whole team counts on.

Joe Griffin has spent more than 30 years building the infrastructure people depend on every day — roads, highways, bridges, site development, and underground utilities.

As Project Manager, he oversees every phase of project delivery, from preconstruction planning and risk management through field execution and quality control. He keeps projects moving safely, on schedule, and within budget and he’s got the experience to handle whatever comes up along the way.

Joe also leads Engel’s civil business development efforts, building relationships with clients and industry partners and identifying opportunities to grow. He’s the kind of person who earns trust on both sides of the table — with the team in the field and the clients.

With over five years of IT experience and a software development background from Fox Valley Technical College, Noah manages and supports technology systems across Engel’s office environments and active job sites. He keeps critical systems reliable, secure, and running efficiently — so the rest of the team can stay focused on the work in front of them.

What sets Noah apart is his ability to bridge the gap between technical systems and field operations. Construction moves fast, and the technology supporting it has to keep up. Noah brings the practical, solutions-driven mindset to make that happen, identifying issues before they become problems, streamlining workflows, and finding smarter ways to keep the whole operation running smoothly.

Matt Marcks has been in construction for more than 30 years and he’s done a little bit of everything.
Since starting as a laborer in 1993, Matt has built experience across equipment operation, trucking, material sales, estimating, and project management. That kind of range isn’t common, and it shows in how he approaches the work — practical, grounded, and ready for whatever a project throws at him.

As a Project Manager/Estimator at Engel, Matt brings that hands-on expertise to every job, helping make sure projects come together safely, efficiently, and successfully.

Megan Maul brings years of accounting and administrative experience in construction and trucking to her role as Project Accountant at Engel.

She works closely with our project managers day-to-day, providing the financial and administrative support needed to keep projects organized, on budget, and on track. From accurate job costing to timely reporting and smooth project administration, Megan makes sure the details are handled so the rest of the team can focus on the work.

That kind of behind-the-scenes consistency matters more than most people realize. In construction, the financial side of a project is just as important as what’s happening in the field and Megan brings the attention to detail and team-first approach that keeps everything running the way it should.

Brooke Schernecker is our Safety Director, and safety at Engel Excavating isn’t a checkbox. It’s a culture.

She works side-by-side with crews and leadership to build programs that actually work in the field, practical, proactive, and built around real jobsite conditions. Her focus is on spotting risks early, tightening up processes, and making sure safety is baked into how we operate every day.

Brooke believes every person on our team should feel ownership over safety, confident speaking up, and supported in making the right call, no matter what.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville with five years of construction experience under his belt, Jacob has built a solid foundation in preconstruction and estimating, the detail-driven work that sets every project up to run right.

He specializes in precise quantity takeoffs, HCSS support, and developing thorough scopes of work and project proposals that give the team a clear picture of what it takes to get the job done.

His attention to detail and commitment to accuracy mean that by the time a project moves into the field, the planning is solid, the pricing is competitive, and the team knows what they’re walking into. Jacob brings that same focus to every bid, because getting it right on paper is how you build it right in the field.

Delaney Warden is our HR Specialist, and with eight years of experience, she’s seen just about everything that comes with the territory.

She keeps the engine running behind the scenes, supporting compliance, hiring, onboarding, employee wellness, benefits, policy development, and everything in between.

She’s also deeply invested in the broader HR community. A national SHRM member and active participant in Oshkosh Area SHRM for the past three years, Delaney has served on their Board of Directors, first in Workforce Readiness, and now as Programming Director, where she works to bring meaningful speakers and learning opportunities to HR professionals across the area.

Whether she’s working with a new hire on day one or partnering with leadership on big-picture initiatives, Delaney shows up ready to help.

Garret started in the field, working alongside crews and heavy equipment early in his career, he built a ground-level understanding of construction operations, site conditions, and jobsite safety that most estimators don’t have. That hands-on background gave him something you can’t learn behind a desk and it shapes how he approaches every project.

He carried that perspective into estimating, where he developed real skill in reading plans, performing takeoffs, and evaluating project scope and costs. Understanding what work actually looks like in the field makes him a sharper estimator and a stronger collaborator with the crews doing the work.