40 Under 40 superstars

Meet 40 AEC superstars! BD+C editors chose these young professionals from among 275 outstanding entrants in our third annual "40 Under 40" recognition program.

By Maggie Koerth-Baker, Contributing Editor and Jay W. Schneider, Senior Editor -- Building Design & Construction, 1/15/2008 12:00:00 AM

T he 40 remarkable individuals profiled here are some of the brightest stars in the AEC universe—and they're under the age of 40. These young architects, engineers, contractors, designers, and developers stood out among a group of 275 outstanding entrants in our third annual “40 Under 40” competition.

Join us in congratulating the AEC industry's next generation of leadership.

Drew Mucci, 31 
VP, director of law firms market division
HITT Contracting Inc., Fairfax, Va.

EDUCATION

 
BS, Wentworth Institute of Technology

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 
Oversees 30-person law firms market division.
Doubled team's annual revenues in one year, to $83 million. 
Attracted 10 new clients within past year. 
Youngest VP and market sector leader in firm history; promoted from project manager to VP in less than four years. 
During 10-year career (HITT and previous firms), completed 5 million sf of construction (more than $250 million). 

RECENT PROJECTS

DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, Washington, D.C.
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, 
Washington, D.C.

EXTRACURRICULAR

 
Chair, in-house committee producing company operations manual.
Active in firm's continuing education and training program. 
Executive board member, Law Firm Vendors Association. 

OFF THE CLOCK

 
Put himself through college working as a carpenter for a small GC. 
Memorable outing: 18 holes at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Favorite meal: grandmother's gnocchi. 

SECRET LIFE

 
Played Division III basketball at Wentworth (height: 5-8).

David Koren, 37

Associate principal, director of marketing
Perkins Eastman Architects
New York, N.Y.
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
CPSM, AIA
EDUCATION
BFA, NYU
MPhil, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Responsible for firm's overall marketing strategy, leads business development efforts for 10 worldwide offices; firm has doubled in size in past three years. Former director of marketing for Gensler's Northeast region, responsible for $110 million of revenue, 500+ professionals.
Society for Marketing Professional Services Mentor Award (NY chapter, 2003).
EXTRACURRICULAR
Authored Architect's Essentials of Marketing (2004).
Wrote marketing strategy chapter for The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice , 14th Edition (in press).
President, SMPS NY chapter, 2005-06.
Guest lecturer, Columbia University, Parsons the New School for Design, AIA National Conference, and SMPS Northeast Regional Conference.
OFF THE CLOCK
Founded FIGMENT, a participatory arts festival on Governors Island, N.Y.
Attends annual Burning Man event in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.
SECRET LIFE
Professional playwright with two published works.

Kathy Wardle, 32
Senior associate, director of research
Busby Perkins + Will, Vancouver, B.C.
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
LEED AP
EDUCATION
BA, University of Oregon
MES, Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
First non-designer to join firm's senior management team.
Conducts firm's product research and building analysis.
Secured $300,000+ in product sponsorship for firm's award-winning “Sustainable Condo” tour, which has attracted more than 100,000 visitors since 2004.
Co-chaired firm's national Sustainable Design Initiative since 2004.
Formalized firm's commitment to sustainability and created strategic implementation plan (launched 2007).
Oversaw accreditation of 750 new LEED APs within firm by coordinating and overseeing in-house training.
RECENT PROJECTS
Developed USGBC's Playbook for Green Buildings + Neighborhoods (2007)
EXTRACURRICULAR
Chair, Cascadia Region Green Building Council.
Teaches green building design, University of British Columbia.
OFF THE CLOCK
Favorite getaways: Hornby Island and Whistler, B.C.
SECRET LIFE
Makes chocolate truffles.

Peter Weingarten, 37
Associate principal, director of international projects
FXFOWLE Architects
New York, N.Y.
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
AIA, LEED AP
EDUCATION
BArch, Syracuse University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Manages 40-person International Studio, oversees firm's international projects, with a particular focus on work in India and the Middle East.
Leads firm's Team Green, promoting sustainability through in-house education on products, issues, and philosophy.
Helped establish first comprehensive green guidelines for urban high-rise residential developments. First implemented in 2000 by Battery Park City Authority.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Guest jury critic, Syracuse and Columbia Universities, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and New York Institute of Technology.
Taught sustainability courses, Baruch College's Newman Institute (2005).
Board officer, USGBC NY chapter.
Member, Emirates Green Building Council.
Member, AIA New York's Planning and Urban Design Committee.
OFF THE CLOCK
Favorite food: Blue Ribbon fried chicken.
Favorite music: Audioslave.
SECRET LIFE
Almost ditched architecture to pursue Hollywood dream.

Sara M. Snodgrass, 39
CEO
The CFP Group, Nashville, Tenn.
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
AIA
EDUCATION
BA, Auburn University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Named CEO of 28-person firm specializing in medical facility design (January 2007); rose from project architect to CEO in eight years. Revenues for '07 to exceed $5 million, up from $3.9 million in 2005.
Licensed through NCARB in 48 states.
RECENT PROJECTS
St. Cecilia Academy, Nashville
Southwest Surgical Hospital Campus, Hurst, Texas
Alta Vista Regional Hospital, Las Vegas
Facility Master Plan for the Supreme Court of Tennessee, Nashville
EXTRACURRICULAR
Member, Tennessee Board of Licensure of Health Care Facilities.
OFF THE CLOCK
Board member, Williamson Works, a nonprofit that supports economic development in central Tennessee.
Favorite escape: Piloting her 1980-vintage 38-foot Carver Yacht “It's All Good” along the Cumberland River.
Football fan: Tennessee Titans season ticket holder. Fondest Titans memory: “Music City Miracle,” January 8, 2000, when they beat the Buffalo Bills in a wildcard game on a last-play, three-player, 75-yard kickoff return.
SECRET LIFE
Amateur black & white photographer.

Clay Vogel, 32
Founder, principal, lead designer
Kazia Design Collaborative
Chicago

EDUCATION

 
BArch, University of Tennessee

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Founded own firm in 2006 at age 31.
Grew firm to five employees in the U.S., 20 abroad in first year; gross annual revenues of $1.2 million.
Overseeing the opening of firm's international office in Tianjin, China.
Won international competition to design the $190 million Haixin Steel headquarters in Taiyuan, China.
Currently in competition to design Shenyang (China) Concert Hall against Zaha Hadid and others.
Nationally recognized BIM expert, speaker.

RECENT PROJECTS

 
Changchun (China) Science and Cultural Museum Complex
Tianjin (China) Urban Planning Museum
Main Street Urban Renewal Project, Las Vegas

OFF THE CLOCK

 
Helped build 18 Habitat for Humanity homes.
Enjoys piecing together complex puzzles.
Backyard BBQ expert, self-proclaimed foodie.
Most unusual meals: jelly fish, bee larva.

SECRET LIFE

 
Played on a middle school team that defeated NFL superstar Randy Moss (John Adams vs. DuPont, Kanawha County, W.Va.).

Brian Cook, 34

 
Division manager, contract manager
Hoar Construction, Houston

EDUCATION

 
BS, Auburn University

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 
Oversees Hoar's 20-person Houston office.
Responsible for more than $200 million in projects.
Helped triple Houston office's revenues in five years.
First assignment as project manager (age 30)—a 12-story, 202-unit hotel project—was awarded the National Excellence in Construction Award from the Associated Builders and Contractors.
Instituted 20-week training program to pump up office's knowledge of change orders, submittal process, and company policies and procedures.

RECENT PROJECTS

 
Sugarland (Texas) Rehabilitation Hospital
Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Sanibel Island, Fla.
Granite Westchase 2, Houston

OFF THE CLOCK

 
Twice bicycled the MS150 charity ride from Houston to Austin (180 miles).
Active in Rebuilding Together, an organization that repairs homes for low-income families.
Favorite meal: Fuddruckers Mushroom Swiss Burger and a chocolate malt.
Avid snowboarder.

SECRET LIFE

 
Training for a marathon he's determined to run before turning 35.

Kevin Tartaglione, 36

 
SVP, COO
Advance Realty Group, Bedminster, N.J.

PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS

 
AIA

EDUCATION

 
BS, MS, The Catholic University of America

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Currently overseeing 10 large residential, mixed-use, and office sites in New Jersey (portfolio value: more than $3 billion).
Responsible for the firm's development activity, from land acquisition through tenant occupancy.
Manages the development treasury function, site due diligence, regulatory approvals, financing, design and construction, marketing, and leasing.
Doubled size of firm's development division to 25 professionals.
Instrumental in firm's repositioning to diversified developer/owner/advisory partner firm, which provides third-party development, asset management, build-to-suit, and tenant advisory services.
Named to the firm's Executive Management Committee.

EXTRACURRICULAR

 
Member, Real Estate Board of New York, NAIOP, SAVE International.

OFF THE CLOCK

 
Coaches son's flag football and T-ball teams.
Favorite book: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven Covey.

SECRET LIFE

 
Learning how to fly fish.

Ian Sinnett, 30

Associate
Perkins+Will, Dallas

PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS

 
AIA, LEED AP

EDUCATION

 
BArch, Kansas State University

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 
Leads 30-person Sustainable Design Initiative group in P+W's Dallas office. Handles education, research, and special projects.
Responsible for LEED training sessions. Oversaw LEED accreditation of 85% of office's technical staff.
Managed $110 million Mountain Vista Medical Center (Mesa, Ariz.), the largest project completed by Dallas office (2007).
Successfully managed a confidential multi-million dollar project just one year out of college.
One of 14 employees (from more than 1,300) chosen for P+W's Leadership Institute.

EXTRACURRICULAR

 
Guest teacher, Sustainable Design for Healthcare class, University of Texas, Arlington.
Helped design affordable, easily built housing for sustainable community in El Lagatillo, Nicaragua.

OFF THE CLOCK

 
Completed American Stroke Association marathon (2004).
Builds his own furniture—chairs, tables, platform beds.

SECRET LIFE 

Trained storm chaser and tornado spotter.

Bradley T. French, 25

 
Project captain, project architect, business development associate
Mekus Studios Ltd., Chicago

EDUCATION

 
BArch, MArch, University of Cincinnati

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 
Promoted from CADD drafter to project captain in less than two years.
Serves as project architect, IT support, 3D graphics designer, business development associate, and BIM expert.
3D design work helped firm win $4.3 million, 13,500-sf sustainable project for Archdiocese of Chicago.
Helped land two national accounts, winning six competitions for Motorola office buildings and integrated branding and securing a contract to create master furniture standards and branding integration for U.S. Cellular.

RECENT PROJECTS

 
Administration Building, Archdiocese of Chicago
Motorola offices, various locations

EXTRACURRICULAR

 
Does pro bono 3D renderings, Web site creation, animations, and Flash presentations for various nonprofit clients.

OFF THE CLOCK

 
Gutted and rehabbed his condo in less than four weeks.
Favorite read: Everyone Poops, by Taro Gomi and Amanda Mayer Stinchecum.
Volunteer, Human Rights Campaign; Children International.

SECRET LIFE

 
Expert “Guitar Hero” and “Dance Dance Revolution” player.

Donald J. Anderson, Jr., 35

 
Commercial and infrastructure division manager
Fugro Consultants LP, Houston

PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS

 
PE, LEED AP

EDUCATION

 
BS, MS, Louisiana State University

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 
Oversees 45-person team (annual revenue: $6+ million).
Supervises all geotechnical services for firm's commercial and infrastructure work in the U.S., Venezuela, Singapore, Russia, and Nigeria.
Projects include aviation, healthcare, hotels, parking garages, and dams.
Expert forensic technical consultant.

EXTRACURRICULAR

 
Author, Cement and Concrete Research journal articles.
Member, ASFE National Professional Practice Committee; helping to update Geotechnical Engineer of Record guidelines.
ASFE Young Leader, 2007.
President-elect, ASCE, Houston chapter.
Winner, 2006 ASCE Texas Daniel W. Mead Prize for a paper on professional ethics.

OFF THE CLOCK

 
Completed 12 marathons, one ultra-marathon (31 miles).
Helps organize annual 5K run benefiting inner-city Catholic schools.

SECRET LIFE

 
Met his wife competing in a triathlon.
Culinary Sherlock Holmes: Can re-create a restaurant meal from memory at home.

Vicki Ford, 33
Principal
Walter P Moore, Houston
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
PE
EDUCATION
BSCE, MS, Clemson University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Project manager specializing in structural renovation of historic buildings and complex 3D structures.
One of the youngest of the firm’s 72 principals.
Appointed to Vision 2014, 12 young leaders helping to chart the firm’s future.
Increased profits by 20% and generated more than $600,000 in extra fees on two projects.  
In-house mentor for younger engineers.
Faculty member for firm’s FastStart program for graduate engineers.
RECENT PROJECTS
Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Palazzo Resort Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
EXTRACURRICULAR
President-elect, Structural Engineers Association of Texas.
OFF THE CLOCK
Member, Preservation Dallas.
Member, Jane Austen Society of North America.
Raises hybrid tea roses. 
SECRET LIFE
Direct descendent of Mary Boleyn, mistress of England’s King Henry VIII, and related to Ann Boleyn, Henry’s second wife.

Jay Bhatt, 38
Senior VP
Autodesk, Waltham, Mass.
EDUCATION
BA, University of Pennsylvania
JD, UCLA
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Leads Autodesk’s AEC Solutions division.
Managed strategic planning and M&A, including acquisition of Revit Technology Corporation in 2002.
Oversaw expansion of Revit product into a complete BIM platform; currently driving development of 2D AutoCAD and 3D BIM products.
Doubled Revit seats in one year, to 200,000.
Has responsibility within Autodesk for mainstream adoption of sustainable design practices in emerging economies (India, China, Brazil, etc.)
Manages 750+ employees worldwide.
His AEC Solutions Division is ranked internally as having the firm’s most engaged employees, and has seen 38% average annual compound growth in last four years.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Member, Technet, a political network of CEOs and senior executives that promotes the growth of technology and innovation economy.
OFF THE CLOCK
Tends the family vegetable garden with his three daughters.
Favorite books: The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson; The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini.
SECRET LIFE
Converted Boston Red Sox fan.

Karie Johnson, 39
Director of virtual construction
Adolfson & Peterson Construction, Plymouth, Minn.
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
AIA
EDUCATION
BArch, University of Minnesota
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Within six months of joining firm, instituted BIM technology, created BIM portfolio from scratch. Currently implementing BIM firm-wide.
Responsible for building firm’s BIM staff, including hiring and training current employees. Goal: create in-house group dedicated to BIM and other construction technologies.
Instrumental in improving firm’s communication, collaboration, and interoperability by implementing firm-wide software programs.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Member, board of directors, AIA Minneapolis.
Co-chair, BIM Breakfast Club (an AIA committee).
Member, Center for Integrated Facility Engineering, Stanford University.
Pursuing BAS degree at the University of Minnesota
OFF THE CLOCK
Loves all things aquatic: scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, and boating.
Favorite book: A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, by Daniel H. Pink.
SECRET LIFE
Can ride a unicycle.

Kevin R. Mitchell, 38
Director of construction services, Special Projects Division
Grunley Construction, Rockville, Md.
EDUCATION
BArch, MSArch, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Promoted to director of construction services in firm’s Special Projects Division within five years.
Manages construction of complex federal projects involving historic preservation and heightened security controls. Project values: $100,000-$70+ million.
Senior project manager on $75 million modernization of U.S. Supreme Court.
2006 GSA and Treasury Department Outstanding Service Award for IRS Headquarters Flood Recovery Project.
Instructor, in-house training program.
RECENT PROJECTS
Supreme Court modernization Phase II, Washington, D.C.
IRS Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Volunteer, craftsmanship judge, Washington Building Congress.
OFF THE CLOCK
Pursuing JD, Concord Law School, Kaplan University.
Shops thrift stores for handcrafted items.
Favorite authors: Douglas Adams, Tom Robbins, Kurt Vonnegut.
SECRET LIFE
Can solve Rubik’s cube in less than three minutes.

Mark J. Ladd, 37
Managing director
Millennium Development Group, Chicago
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
AIA, LEED AP
EDUCATION
BA, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Advanced study, Corpus Christi College, Oxford University
MArch, University of Illinois at Chicago
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Responsible for public-private partnerships with government entities on design/build/leaseback procurements.
Firm’s BIM expert.
Previous experience with Skidmore Owings & Merrill; Graham, Anderson, Probst and White; and Lester B. Knight & Associates.
RECENT PROJECTS
NATO Headquarters, Brussels
Everett M. Dirksen Federal Building renovation, Chicago
EXTRACURRICULAR
Youngest-ever appointee to Illinois State Capital Development Board. Provides agency oversight; initiated ISCD Board’s Design Excellence Program.
Guest critic for student juries, University of Illinois at Chicago.
OFF THE CLOCK
Favorite vacation: ski trip to Zermatt, Switzerland, where combustion engines are forbidden.
SECRET LIFE
Played drums at college parties with ACACIA frat brothers.

Scott Skidelsky, 37
VP and general manager
Turner Construction Corp., Orlando, Fla.
EDUCATION
BS, University of Illinois
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Manages 133-person business unit (Orlando’s largest CM firm), with $250 million in current projects. Total project revenues procured: $2 billion.
Named VP in 2003 at age 33, youngest in the firm’s 104-year history.
Other Turner firsts: youngest officer (age 30); youngest manager (age 27).
RECENT PROJECTS
Sanctuary Downtown condo tower, Orlando, Fla.
Citigroup Citi Center, Jacksonville.
Florida A&M University College of Law, Orlando, Fla.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Member, Society of American Military Engineers; Associated General Contractors of America; and Associated Builders and Contractors.
Lieutenant (ret.), U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps; awarded Navy Achievement Medal for service.
OFF THE CLOCK
Attends all home games of NBA Orlando Magic with wife Julie, son Tyler, and daughter Kalie.
Toured China with the Magic, fall 2007, one of eight Orlando community leaders traveling as team guests.
SECRET LIFE
Home was featured on HGTV show “Designer’s Challenge” (2006).

James O’Reilly, 38
Director of construction, Facilities Services Division
Los Angeles Unified School District,
Los Angeles
EDUCATION
BS, MS, Eastern Michigan University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Oversees 300-person department responsible for all Los Angeles USD facility planning and construction (700,000 students, 1,190 schools).
Manages LAUSD’s $19.3 billion New School Construction Program, the nation’s largest; goal: 145 new schools by 2012.
Opened 10 new schools since promotion to director in September ’06. Expects to open seven more this year. 
Monarch Award from Council of Educational Facility Planners International for Panorama High School; Green Apple Award for LAUSD’s commitment to sustainable and high-performing schools from Collaborative for High Performing Schools.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Member, Construction Management Association of America and Associated General  Contractors of America.
OFF THE CLOCK
Favorite foods (all Middle Eastern): tabbouleh, baba ghannooj, kibbi. 
Favorite movie: “Pulp Fiction” (director: Quentin Tarantino, 1994).
SECRET LIFE
Once had very long hair.
Fourth-generation family member involved in construction.

Wendy Burke, 37
VP, client development
Linbeck, Houston
EDUCATION
BA, Brown University
MBA, NYU Stern School of Business
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Helped double firm’s revenues in two years. Achieved 20% growth from new clients.
Oversees $1.5 billion project backlog.
Firm firsts: youngest VP and corporate officer, fastest promotion to VP.
Founder/chair, Laboratory Innovation and Implementation Council.
Developed firm’s integrated design and delivery business model using BIM.
Teaches six in-house sales and communications classes.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Adjunct professor, management communications, NYU Stern School of Business.
Coordinated two Action Learning projects through externship program, Rice University’s Jones School of Business,.
Coordinator, 2008 Rowlett Distinguished Firm Lecture Series, Texas A&M School of Architecture.
Advisory board member, BioHouston.
Board member, Bio-Medical Technology Club.
OFF THE CLOCK
Tropical gardener (51 oleanders, 36 hibiscuses, assorted birds-of-paradise).
Finished her climb to Peru’s Machu Picchu backwards (she’s afraid of heights).
SECRET LIFE
Handbag junkie, owns 35 purses.

William H. Holly, 38
President
Holly Real Estate, Miami
EDUCATION
BA, Florida State University
BS, Louisiana State University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Founder/owner, Florida commercial real estate firm.
Grew firm from two employees to 40+ in five years; $1 billion-plus in real estate transactions. 
Donates 10% of profits to nonprofits.
Developing Miami’s first green high-rise office building (Miami Green).
Espirito Santo Plaza won Project of the Year and Mixed-use Project of the Year awards from NAIOP (2005).
RECENT PROJECTS
Miami Green, Miami
Espirito Santo Plaza Building, Miami
4000 Ponce de Leon, Miami
EXTRACURRICULAR
Board member, Coral Gables Trust.
Founding shareholder, Florida Gulf Bank, Ft. Myers.
Chair, Vision Coral Gables Campaign, seeking to raise $2 million for new Chamber of Commerce building.
OFF THE CLOCK
Traveled in El Salvador during its civil war.
Best rock & roll band ever: Led Zeppelin.
Volunteer, Ransom Everglades School Board, St. Philip’s Church (Coral Gables), Historical Museum of Southern Florida.
SECRET LIFE
Plays the trombone.

Diane Vrkic, 33
Global COO, head of the Americas region, Energy and Sustainability Services
Jones Lang LaSalle, San Francisco
EDUCATION
BS, Fordham University
MBA, Stanford University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Promoted to global senior management position in only three years, a first in firm’s history.
Helped launch and currently heads firm’s Energy and Sustainability Services division, responsible for the Americas (2007 revenue: $5 million).
Working on development and standardization in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. 
Hand-picked by CEO to head internal Environmental Sustainability Board.
Co-created firm’s workplace scenario modeling tool that allows clients to analyze the effects of implementing workplace solutions at several properties at one time.
OFF THE CLOCK
Works with venture philanthropy group Full Circle Fund to support nonprofits in education, housing, technology, and environmental sectors.
Volunteer, Women for Women International, providing job skills and business services to women in war-torn countries.
Left medical school to pursue business and entrepreneurial interests.
Enjoys trail running and hiking.
SECRET LIFE
Speaks a dialect of Croatian spoken by fewer than 2,000 people worldwide.

Howard Chen, 32
Associate principal
TVS International, Atlanta
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
AIA, NCARB, LEED AP
EDUCATION
BS, MS, Georgia Institute of Technology
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Associate principal, leads firm’s international studio with projects in Dubai, Libya, China, and Lebanon.
Youngest associate principal in firm’s history.
Lead designer on 88-floor Dubai Towers, part of an $18 billion development and one of the firm’s largest, most complicated projects ever.
Mentors firm’s junior and senior designers in 3D modeling.
Winner, TVS’s 2000 Thomas W. Ventulett Illustration Award.
RECENT PROJECTS
Dubai Towers, United Arab Emirates
CDC Edward R. Roybal Campus Transshipping Facility and Campus Infrastructure, Atlanta
West Hall, McCormick Place Convention Center, Chicago
Suzhou (China) Commercial Street Development/Retail Complex
OFF THE CLOCK
Origami expert, created 40-50 original designs.
Favorite film: “Run, Lola, Run.”
Fluent in Mandarin (born and raised in Taiwan).
SECRET LIFE
Cultivates carnivorous plants, such as the Dionaea muscipula (Venus Fly Trap).

Thomas J. Sherry, 38
Design principal
Hamilton Anderson Associates, Detroit
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
AIA, LEED AP
EDUCATION
BS, MArch University of Michigan
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Manages 40-person team, plans overall design approach for all projects.
Made associate and shareholder in 1999, VP of design in 2002.
Promoted to principal in ’07, first person outside firm’s founders at this level.
Opened firm’s six-person Las Vegas office in 2006; influential in expanding firm’s work on national scale and growing firm to 120 professionals.
Mentors in-house design talent.
RECENT PROJECTS
MGM Grand, Detroit
CityCenter, Blocks B & C (hotel/residential), Las Vegas
EXTRACURRICULAR
Young Architect of the Year (2007), AIA Michigan chapter.
Six-time team leader, University of Michigan Detroit Design Charrette
Volunteer, University of Michigan’s Detroit High School studio. Assists with curriculum development, instruction, and career advocacy.
OFF THE CLOCK
Collects vinyl records (more than 1,000), mostly electric soul from late ’60s and early ’70s.
SECRET LIFE
Juggles bowling pins.

Sean B. Smith, 37
Division VP, partner 
Gresham, Smith & Partners, Nashville, Tenn.
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
PE, SE
EDUCATION
BS, University of Southern California
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Named firm’s youngest partner at 32.
Named VP (at 36) of 60-person, $8.5 million Architecture Consulting Engineering division, which provides MEP, structural, and civil engineering services for healthcare, aviation, corporate, urban design, and other major projects.
Leads several internal task forces responsible for BIM planning, implementation, and benchmarking.
Pilots firmwide BIM education.
Manages pre-qualification of IPD building partners.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Teaches senior-level design at Tennessee Technological University.
Assists in development of Tennessee State University’s master’s of structural engineering program.
Expert in designing for earthquake- and hurricane-prone regions.
OFF THE CLOCK
Training to run 25 half-marathons in 25 states.
SECRET LIFE
Lived through the ’94 Northridge, Calif., earthquake.
Nephew of Larry Smith, one-time football coach at Tulane, Arizona, and USC.

Qi Song (Kent) Yu, 38
Associate principal
Degenkolb Engineers, Portland, Ore.
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
CE
EDUCATION
BS, ME, Tongji University, China
PhD, University of California, San Diego
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Manager of firm’s eight-person Portland, Ore., office (annual revenue: more than $1 million).
Member, Oregon’s Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission.
Member, NSF-funded U.S.-Japan initiative to convert academic research into practical construction applications.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Conducted earthquake reconnaissance for the August 15, 2007, temblor in Peru.
Contributed to Earthquake Engineering (2004), a graduate-level university textbook.
Author of 30+ technical papers on steel movement-resisting frame construction and related subjects.
Taught graduate courses on earthquake engineering at SF State, Portland State.
ASCE Raymond C. Reese Research Prize (2001) for research into damage to steel-frame structures during California’s Northridge earthquake. Results led to rehabilitation methodologies now used worldwide.
OFF THE CLOCK
Avid crabber (Dungeness).
Favorite movie: “Jurassic Park.”
SECRET LIFE
WWE wrestling fan.

Kendall Griffith, 38
Director of operations
Mortenson Construction, Minneapolis
EDUCATION
BS, Iowa State University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Firm’s youngest director of operations, leads 150-person Minneapolis Operating Group.
Responsible for $1.4 billion in projects, the largest volume ever for the office.
Leading two major projects: $367 million Minnesota Twins Ballpark; $288 million University of Minnesota TCF Bank Stadium.
Oversaw expansion of Minneapolis’s Walker Art Center, designed by Herzog & de Meuron.
RECENT PROJECTS
Minnesota Twins Ballpark, Minneapolis
University of Minnesota TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
University of Minnesota McNamara Alumni Center, Minneapolis
EXTRACURRICULAR
Created firm’s mentorship program, focused on development and recruiting.
Member, Associated General Contractors Union Negotiating Committee.
OFF THE CLOCK
Named a United Way Leader in Giving for philanthropic efforts.
Football fan and memorabilia collector.
Has more than 2,500 songs in his iPod.
Favorite food: Nestlé Quik at bedtime.
SECRET LIFE
He was “Cy,” the Iowa State Cyclones mascot (a red & gold cardinal), 1989-90.

Haril Pandya, 35
Senior associate, senior project manager/designer
CBT Architects, Boston
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
AIA
EDUCATION
BS, BArch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Oversees team handling all phases of design on projects up to $500 million.
Develops and implements project strategy; manages implementation of design concepts, architectural drawings, and shop details.
Managed several of CBT’s biggest projects—$500 million mixed-use center in Boston and Blackstone Group projects totaling $135 million.
Owner/principal, Pandya Architects: high-end residential, institutional, corporate, and resort design.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Youngest elected board member, Boston Society of Architects.
Visiting critic, teaching assistant, Boston Architectural Center.
CADD trainer/instructor, Boston University College of Fine Arts.
OFF THE CLOCK
Donated design services and funding for two start-up schools in India.
Lead guitarist for indo-jazz fusion band, Karyshma; also for Red Square Boston.
Produced, directed short film, “Static” (2008): www.firstthursdayfilms.com.
SECRET LIFE
Had short-lived career as a stand-up comic.

Andrea Lamberti, 38
Project director
Rafael Viñoly Architects, New York, N.Y.
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
AIA
EDUCATION
BS, MIT
MArch, Harvard University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Develops and leads new in-house marketing and business initiatives.
Project director, $252 million National Institutes of Health Porter Neuroscience Research Center (Bethesda, Md.) project; lived on-site through completion of Phase 1.
Project director, Columbia University Medical Center’s $1 billion master plan.
Helped implement firm’s use of BIM as a presentation and design tool.
RECENT PROJECTS
University of Arizona Science Center, Tucson, Ariz.
Oslo Opera House
Master Plan, Cairo Stock Exchange and Financial Center
Van Andel Institute for Education and Medical Research, Grand Rapids, Mich.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Lecturer, in-house education programs, 2006-07.
Lecturer, MENSA organization.
OFF THE CLOCK
Fluent in Japanese. Passed the Japanese national language exam Level II.
Favorite reads: 100 Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Márquez; Life of Pi, by Yann Martel.
SECRET LIFE
Climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 1991.

Kurt J. Dannwolf, 36
President
O’Donnell Dannwolf + Partners Architects, Hollywood, Fla.
EDUCATION
BArch, Pratt Institute
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Co-founded 10-person firm in 2004; manages $450 million in projects and oversees firm’s large-scale, mixed-use building projects.
Leading firm’s expansion into markets outside Florida.
Award for Design Excellence (2006) from AIA-Ft. Lauderdale for $23 million ICE on the Ocean, a 60,000-sf mixed-use complex, Melbourne, Fla.
Project Design of the Year (2004) from National Association of Industrial and Office Properties for Miami’s Four Seasons Hotel and Tower, a 2.2-million-sf, $300 million project (while senior designer at Gary E. Handel + Associates).
RECENT PROJECTS
International Convention Center, Madrid
Fernandina (Fla.) Beach Townhouses
San Sebastian Inland Harbor Hotel, St. Augustine, Fla.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Teaches thesis-level architectural design,  Florida Atlantic’s School of Architecture.
OFF THE CLOCK
Favorite author: Kurt Vonnegut.
Favorite film: “Le Mans” (director: Lee H. Katzin, 1971), with Steve McQueen.   
SECRET LIFE
Auto racing enthusiast. Owns a Porsche 911 RS America and a track-ready 944 Turbo.

Marijke Smit, 35
Senior associate
Perkins Eastman, New York, N.Y.
EDUCATION
BA, MS, Columbia University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Leads the firm’s development of strategic plans, needs assessments, and master plans for educational, cultural, government, and private developments.
Founded Perkins Eastman Strategies in 2005 to focus on clients’ pre-development needs.
Created sustainable criteria and guidelines for carbon-neutral projects.
Oversaw team developing needs assessment and architectural program for 1.3 million-sf NYPD training facility.
RECENT PROJECTS
NYC Police Department Academy
Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing
Flushing Commons, Flushing, N.Y.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Amateur archaeologist; searched N.J. Meadowlands for original architectural elements dumped there in the ’60s after demolition of original Penn Station.
Member, Advocates for Privately Owned Public Spaces.
Urbanist with Municipal Art Society of New York.
OFF THE CLOCK
Performed for choreographer George Balanchine at age eight.
Has traveled to Cuba.
SECRET LIFE
Grandma was Salvador Dali’s “Sleeping Venus” in the surrealist pavilion at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.

Kerry Cheung, 39
VP, senior medical planner
HOK, St. Louis
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
AIA, Academy of Architecture for Health
EDUCATION
BArch, University of Kansas
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Manages $2 billion in healthcare work.
Created or worked on master plans for several major healthcare projects.
Helped HOK advance beyond individual healthcare projects and into ongoing, big-picture facility planning by working with CEOs, CFOs, and facilities executives to create long-term building and campus development strategies.
Co-developed case study used to improve patient experience and emergency room efficiency at Detroit’s William Beaumont Hospital (2007).
RECENT PROJECTS
Methodist Hospital-Sugarland and Willowbrook Expansion, Houston
BJC Health Care Campus Integration Project and Center for Advanced Medicine, St. Louis
EXTRACURRICULAR
Mentors younger HOK professionals, particularly women and minorities.
OFF THE CLOCK
Volunteers with More than Carpentry, a ministry that provides carpentry skills training in St. Louis.
SECRET LIFE
Animated film collector, particularly Disney and Pixar flicks. Favorite character: Mulan.

Nayan B. Trivedi, 34
Senior associate
Leslie E. Robertson Associates,
New York, N.Y.
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
PE
EDUCATION
BE, ME, Gujarat University, India
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Promoted to senior associate in 2006.
Splits duties between engineering and marketing.
Credited with helping firm enter new markets; responsible for several hundred million dollars in new projects in India and Dubai in three years.
Worked on the engineering of I.M. Pei’s Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar.
RECENT PROJECTS
Oberoi Skyz Tower, Mumbai, India
Financial Tower, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Hyderabad (India) Office Tower
Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar
EXTRACURRICULAR
VP, past president, Society of Indo-American Engineers and Architects.
U.S. chair, ASCE Spring Seminar Series.
Member, Structural Engineers of New York and NYC Building Codes Committee.
OFF THE CLOCK
Loves: spicy Mexican food, barbecuing for friends in his garden.
SECRET LIFE
While vacationing in Mumbai, met chief architect from Oberoi Construction; landed 60-story Oberoi Skyz Tower project.

Jill Bergman, 38
Associate VP and operations manager
Cannon Design, San Francisco
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
AIA, LEED AP
EDUCATION
MA, BA Clemson University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Founding member, American College of Healthcare Architects.
Opened firm’s San Francisco office in 2004. Grew office from two employees to 15; annual revenue, $3.2 million.
Lead medical planner, $129 million expansion of University of Massachusetts Medical Center.
Lead master plan programmer, $100 million Sierra Vista (Ariz.) regional health facility.
National AIA/Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) graduate fellowship in health facility planning and design.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Past board member, AIA/AAH.
Chair, AAH Fellowships and Scholarships task force.
Organized and moderated national AIA/AAH online healthcare architecture training conferences.
OFF THE CLOCK
Favorite movies: “The Thin Man,” “Pleasantville.”
Past spokesperson, American Heart Association’s Operation Heartbeat.
Volunteer art teacher, LEAP Architects in Schools Program.
SECRET LIFE
Booed off stage—twice—at open-mike comedy nights.

Tom Kaiman, 28
Manager of operations
Walton Construction Co., St. Louis
EDUCATION
BS, Michigan Technological University ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Supervises 40-person team working on 11 projects in three states. Total construction value: more than $100 million.
Project director for all of the firm’s Wal-Mart distribution center projects. Oversees design, estimating and budgeting, construction operations, and startup.
Developed project management protocols and reports that the firm implemented on a national level.
Created internal project management training program.
RECENT PROJECTS
Wal-Mart Mechanized Distribution Center #7024, Sterling, Ill.
Wal-Mart Food Distribution Center #6059, Olney, Ill.
St. Louis Blues Practice Facility,
Hazelwood, Mo.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Completed Southern Illinois University’s “Construction Spanish” program.
Member, National Civil Engineering Honors Society; Young Constructors Forum.
OFF THE CLOCK
Relaxation: Taking Golden Retriever Tatum for walks.
Favorite football team: Any team that beats Ohio State.
Favorite food: pizza.
SECRET LIFE
Played hockey with AHL’s Lowell (Mass.) Lock Monsters (AAA affiliate of NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes).

Ramin Cherafat, 35
Partner, VP of operations
McCownGordon Construction,
Kansas City, Mo.
EDUCATION
BS, Kansas State University
MBA, University of Missouri
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Leads firm’s design-build initiatives.
Helped grow revenues by $192 million during past seven years.
Named VP within four years of joining firm.
Serves on executive management team, helps plan corporate strategy.
Winner, Design-Build Institute of America’s Design-Build Project of the Year Awards (2006) for Johnson County Sunset Drive Office Building, Olathe, Kan.
DBIA Outstanding Service Award (2007).
EXTRACURRICULAR
Past treasurer, vice chair, and chair, Design-Build Institute of America.
Frequent speaker at University of Kansas Masters Program for Architecture, state AIA conferences (Missouri and Kansas), and DBIA National Conferences.
OFF THE CLOCK
Vice chair, CommunityLinc, an organization that provides temporary housing, life skills, and services to homeless families.
Enjoys running and golfing.
Favorite book: Straight from the Gut, by Jack Welch.
SECRET LIFE
Born in Tehran. Came to the U.S. in 1980 to escape Iran’s revolution. Conversant in Farsi.

Edward Hohmann, 38
VP, corporate treasurer
Feinknopf Macioce Schappa Architects, Columbus, Ohio
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
AIA, NCARB, LEED AP
EDUCATION
BA, Yale University
MArch, Ohio State University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Member of firm’s executive team.
Manages projects in the firm’s major disciplines: education, retail, and corporate.
Managed $27 million project—largest in the firm’s history—at Columbus State Community College and completed it early and under budget.
Led Ohio Department of Natural Resources building project, Ohio’s first state-funded LEED-certified project (2006).
EXTRACURRICULAR
1995 Fulbright Award finalist.
Visiting scholar, Krakow (Poland) Polytechnic University (1995-96).
OFF THE CLOCK
Graduate of Leadership Columbus (2006); completed a service project for the Salesian Boys and Girls Club.
Favorite book: In the Heart of the Sea, by Nathaniel Philbrick.
Favorite meal: steak (cooked medium) and a glass of dry red wine.
Completed the Columbus Marathon—his first—in ’07. 
SECRET LIFE
Grew up on a 230-acre farm in
Pataskala, Ohio.

Pietro Perelli-Rocco, 38
Project director
Hines, Milan, Italy
EDUCATION
Honors degree in building engineering, University of Trieste, Italy
MArch, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Oversees 35-person team; responsible for three mixed-use developments accounting for $2.6 billion worth of construction.
Firm liaison with public officials, international equity partners, tenants, and design and Building Teams.
Previously, project manager at Jacobs Engineering, Milan, responsible for facility business sector.
Speaker, Urban Land Institute European Conference (2006).
EXTRACURRICULAR
Member, Institution of Structural Engineers.
Member, Council and Institution of Engineers and Architects, Milan.
OFF THE CLOCK
Won Sailing World Championship in quarter-ton class (Germany, 1994) by one point on last leg. Now sails a Melges 24.
Self-taught woodworker; has built models of sailing boats and a rocking horse for his niece.
Accompanies himself on an accordion made in Castelfidardo, singing ballads from native Trieste in local dialect.
SECRET LIFE
Sailed 15 years for Italy; third in Olympic Class 470 junior world championship (Poland, 1988).

Roger L. Klein, 38
Principal, director of architectural design
Swanke Hayden Connell Architects, New York, N.Y.
(now design principal, RMJM Hillier, Princeton, N.J.)
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
AIA
EDUCATION
BS, MArch, University of Wisconsin
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Joined Swanke Hayden Connell Architects (SHCA) in 2003 as associate principal and architectural design director, appointed principal in 2004.
Oversaw all architectural projects in SHCA’s New York office; managed staff of 125 (annual revenues: $20 million).
Co-managing principal of SHCA’s U.S. practice; contributed to firm’s expansion into Russia and Eastern Europe.
Developed master plans for NYU and Detroit’s Center for Creative Studies.
Principal for the first major office tower in Harlem in 30 years (seeking LEED Silver).
RECENT PROJECTS
Moscow International Business Center tower
NYC Office of Emergency Management, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Harlem Park Office Tower, New York, N.Y.
OFF THE CLOCK
Plays football on the weekends.
Self-taught carpenter and landscaper; has renovated and landscaped family’s 102-year-old Victorian in Maplewood, N.J.
SECRET LIFE
Can moonwalk like Michael Jackson.

Joanna Kwan, 38
Principal
Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd., Vancouver, B.C.
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
PE, PEng, LEED AP
EDUCATION
BASc, MASc, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Named principal of the 300-plus-member firm, one of Canada’s largest consulting engineers, in 2006. First female principal in the firm’s history.
Responsible for 40% of the firm’s International Group business development and production; responsible for growing firm’s U.S. work.
Registered engineer in Canada and U.S.
Specialist in structural design of high-rises and large-scale seismic upgrades.
Manages projects involving variety of construction techniques, including concrete, timber-frame, and structural steel.
RECENT PROJECTS
Tavern Road Mixed Use Development, Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
Sullivan Square at Sunset and Durango, Las Vegas
EXTRACURRICULAR
Mentors younger engineers in the firm’s International Group.
OFF THE CLOCK
Runs weekly nonprofit dance party promoting Argentine tango.
Favorite singer/songwriter: Diana Krall.
SECRET LIFE
Does laundry to relax.

Sadhu Aufochs Johnston, 33
Deputy Chief of Staff, City of Chicago
EDUCATION
BA, Oberlin College
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Chief environmental officer for Mayor Richard M. Daley; coordinates Chicago’s environmental programs, including Climate Action Plan and Zero Waste plan; works with city agencies to promote green initiatives.
Commissioner, Department of Environment, 2005-07; managed 100-person staff responsible for city’s Environmental Action Agenda.
Assistant to Mayor Daley for Green Initiatives, 2003-05.
Founder, executive director, Cleveland Green Building Coalition, 1999-2003.
RECENT PROJECTS
Co-chair, USGBC Chicago chapter organizing committee, 2007 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Guest speaker, U.S. Conference of Mayors, AIA, Greenbuild, and others.
OFF THE CLOCK
Lives eco-deliberate lifestyle with wife and daughter—buys organic foods, shops with canvas bags, etc.
Vermicomposter: maintains a composting bin that uses worms to digest waste.
Can’t live without Earl Gray tea.
SECRET LIFE
Makes furniture using wood from local fallen trees.