Annual Awards Gala

"Brett grew up attending the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event, so when he returned to Mobile after graduating from Troy University, it was just natural that he would be one of the leaders, along with Mark and Kelli Dunn. Mark and Kelli, along with Brett, began the “Dunn with Cancer” Crawfish Boil and they continued to work this annual fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society for over 16 years, only stopping due to Covid restrictions. Over the years that this event took place, Brett spent many hours working with family and friends to put on the Crawfish Boil, which included a live band, raffles, silent auctions, and entertainment for children and adults.  After the Crawfish Boil, they began hosting the “Dunn with Cancer” Memorial Golf Tournament, beginning the early morning with providing breakfast and ending with a very nice contribution to the American Cancer Society - both events donated over $25,000 each year.

Brett has participated & sponsored in all major chamber events, Kids Day & Backpack Giveaway, Gun Raffle (where he won one of the guns and turned around and raffled it off to the employees and contributed the $1,100 back to the Chamber Scholarship program), Thanksgiving Food Drive (which he has made into a very fun inter-office competition), and the Pancake Breakfast at Christmas time. A couple of things that many do not know, he discreetly circles back and provides all the turkeys during the Thanksgiving Food Drive, and he also discreetly sponsors families that are in need during Christmas time each year. This year we will be sponsoring 8 children for Christmas. The employees are very excited that Poly will have a float in this year's Christmas parade as it is our first year to be able to organize this event for the “kids of Polysurveying." Brett not only goes above and beyond for the community, but he also does so for the employees of Polysurveying, his family, his friends, and anyone in need.

Over these past two years, Brett has provided the means for us to set up internship programs thru Alabama Coastal Community College (which is the very FIRST in the state for surveying), Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and Troy University where he is a graduate of. Brett also started a scholarship/endowment fund for the Geospatial/Surveying program at Troy University that will be given away each year to assist with the costs of pursuing careers in this field. I was sitting with Brett when he was asked whose name he wanted to put the scholarship/endowment in and without hesitation he said my grandparents, Sidney and Theresa Orrell, who started Polysurveying. He added it was only fitting this scholarship honor them as they are the foundation of this company.

Brett continues to be a major contributor/sponsor to the Theodore Bobcat Football Program, along with sponsoring every other sport there in some way or another. In fact, he will sponsor just about any school or sport that calls or comes in to give back in any way we can help. As a Theodore Football alumnus, he remembers having to go out to ask and collect sponsors, so he knows the guts it takes as a high schooler (or any age) to go out and ask people you may not know.

Over this past year, Brett challenged the management team to narrow down 4 C.O.R.E. values for the company to present to him. The four values are: Commitment, Community, Innovation, and Integrity. He asked us to explain each one and once we got to “Community” we told them that was probably the easiest one to come up with because that is just “who we are…who Polysurveying is…and that is at his direction and guidance. '"

Nominated by: Ryan Logan and the Polysurveying Team