Why We Closed the Office Last Friday

At Colman Engineering, we believe that developing our people is just as important as developing great engineering solutions. That’s why we closed our office on Friday to attend the 2025 Leadership Legacy Experience—a full-day event at James Madison University, hosted by our friends at Dove Development & Consulting.

We even had a booth in the trade show area and had a blast connecting with other leaders, handing out swag, and talking about the work we do here at Colman. (Also worth noting: the food—catered by JMU—was incredible.)

The event was emceed by Ben Coffman, Deputy Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator for Frederick County, Virginia. A lifelong public servant and cancer survivor, Ben brought heart and authenticity to the day. His commitment to leading with a clear purpose set the tone for what turned out to be an inspiring, energizing, and reflective experience.

The opening keynote came from Wes and Cindy Dove, who walked us through what it means to lead with a clear purpose—especially when leadership feels heavy. They offered practical steps for identifying our own individual purpose and helping our teams align with a shared organizational mission.

Three panel discussions followed, featuring business leaders from across the region. The panels covered:

• Defining Your Clear Purpose as a Team

• Providing Your Team with an Understanding of the Organization’s Clear Purpose

• Helping Each Team Member Connect Personal Purpose with Organizational Purpose

Our very own Nell-Marie Colman, Director of Marketing & Operations, served as a panelist for Panel #2. She’ll be sharing some of her practical tips in a follow-up blog post—stay tuned!

The day closed with a powerful keynote from Mark Cole, CEO of Maxwell Leadership, on The Power of Intentionality & Purpose. He's John Maxwell's right-hand man, and it shows! If you pretend for a moment that Mark is John, you can see the same mannerisms and warmth that John always exudes. Such humility and a down-to-earth, practical approach to teaching leadership.

We’re so grateful to Dove Development for hosting such a meaningful event. We left feeling more connected to each other, more rooted in our purpose, and more committed than ever to engineering for a better world. If you're interested in watching the recordings, you can purchase an all-access pass here.