Sergio “Satch” Pecori, P.E., chairman and CEO of Hanson Professional Services Inc., received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor during a May 11 ceremony on Ellis Island. Photo provided by the Ellis Island Honors Society
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2019
Contact: Darrel Berry, Marketing Communications Manager
Hanson Professional Services Inc.
(217) 747-9291
dberry@hanson-inc.com
Hanson’s chairman, CEO receives Ellis Island Medal of Honor
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Sergio “Satch” Pecori, P.E., chairman and CEO of Hanson Professional Services Inc., is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Since 1986, the Ellis Island Honors Society has annually recognized U.S. citizens, both native-born and naturalized, for their accomplishments in their field and inspired service to the United States. Pecori and 90 other Americans received medals during a May 11 ceremony on Ellis Island.
Pecori was the youngest son of blue-collar, non-English-speaking Italian immigrants. He was 14 months old when he emigrated from Trieste, Italy, to Springfield in 1951 with his parents and older brother. After earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1973 and a master’s degree in geotechnical engineering in 1974, both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), he joined Hanson as a resident geotechnical engineer. He celebrated his 45th service anniversary at the firm earlier this year.
Pecori has received several recognitions during his career. In 1999, he was presented with the Distinguished Alumnus Award from UIUC’s College of Civil Engineering. In 2007, he was a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and was given the President’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and Dedication by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. In 2015, he received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service, the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers’ Illinois Award and the Boy Scouts of America Abraham Lincoln Council’s Trailblazer Award. He is a fellow of the Society of American Military Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Council of Engineering Companies and serves on ASCE’s Industry Leaders Council. In 2018, he was inducted into the National Academy of Construction.
Recipients of the 34th Ellis Island Medals of Honor include recording artist Paula Abdul; Ajay Banga, president and CEO of Mastercard Inc.; David Beasley, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program; Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun; CNN medical correspondent and neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta; Muhtar Kent, former chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Co.; Ginni Rometty, chair, president and CEO of IBM; U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff; Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO; and television personality Montel Williams.
Previous medalists include seven U.S. presidents, three world leaders, several Nobel Prize winners and many leaders of industry, education, the arts, sports and government. The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have officially recognized the Ellis Island Medals of Honor, and each year the recipients are listed in the Congressional Record.
To see the full list of 2019 recipients and learn more about the award, visit www.EIHonors.org.
Hanson is a national, employee-owned consulting firm providing engineering, planning and allied services. The firm’s corporate headquarters is located at 1525 S. Sixth St., Springfield, IL 62703. The office may be reached by phone at (217) 788-2450.
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