Thurston County engineer wins Washington state’s 2025 Project Manager of the Year 

Thurston County Public Works Senior Civil Engineer Marcus Storvick was named Washington state’s 2025 Project Manager of the Year for spearheading an emergency culvert replacement at Green Cove Creek.

The project evolved into one of Thurston County’s most complex infrastructure rebuilds. 

The County Road Administration Board (CRAB) awarded the recognition to Storvick during the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 5. 

CRAB functions as the statewide authority for county road departments and compels adherence to standards of good practice. The board is constituted of nine members, including county engineers and commissioners, among them is Thurston County Commissioner Carolina Mejia. 

The deterioration and collapse of the Green Cove Creek culvert at Country Club Road triggered an emergency response to stabilize the roadway and protect residents, roadway and utilities. 

According to a 2021 county statement, “the repair was more difficult than predicted.” The project planning weighed emergency access, utilities, environmental considerations, cultural resources, constructability and cost, long-term maintenance costs, impacts to the residents and time constraints.

Storvick implemented a slip lining system in 2021 to maintain water conveyance and later guided engineering for a bridge meeting fish-passage standards. The $9.6 million project moved forward in 2024 with a $6.8 million contract utilizing federal, state and county allocations. 

CRAB Grant Programs Manager Steve Johnson, who once served as an engineer in Thurston County, said the Green Cove Creek project tested Storvick’s ability to coordinate internal divisions and outside agencies. 

“They must also coordinate many, many variables and moving parts, including other county teams, such as right-of-way, survey group, construction teams and accounting,” Johnson said. 

Johnson said the nomination from Thurston County cited Storvick’s leadership for steering the emergency fix into a permanent installation that met Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife requirements under compressed timelines.  

“Marcus’s leadership and skills were instrumental in the success of the Green Cove culvert replacement project. From the onset, he managed the emergency repair efforts, coordinated with a wide range of stakeholders and made critical decisions on the scope and design of the permanent replacement.” 

Storvick voiced appreciation to CRAB, the BOCC and the Thurston County Public Works Department. He also acknowledged Johnson, who worked as his mentor during his early tenure. 

“Not sure if I have to say anything, loss of words, especially touched that Steve Johnson was my mentor when I first joined,” Storvick said. “Thank you, commissioners. Thank you, Public Works leadership, too, for this recognition, and especially CRAB, very honored and humbled.” 

He said the award reflects joint efforts among various county divisions and partner agencies. 

“Knowing that it’s a team effort, couldn’t have done it without all the groups he had mentioned. So just very humble thing. Thank you,” Storvick said.