We’re pleased to present our Class of 2013 “40 Under 40” honorees. Along with the 280 previous recipients of this honor, dating from 2006, they represent the next generation of leadership in the AEC industry. These superstars range in age from 28 to 39 (as of December 31, 2012), with a median age of 36. They have been chosen by the editors of Building Design+Construction on the basis of three factors: career achievement, service to their professions and communities, and active participation in charitable work.
FIND WINNERS BY DISCIPLINE
This year’s winners will be invited to join their 40 Under 40 peers—as well as up-and-coming professionals nominated by their firms—for three days of career development at our Third Annual BD+C “U40 Leadership Summit” in San Francisco, October 9-11, 2013. For more information, contact BD+C's Events Manager, Judy Brociek, at 847.954.7943 or jbrociek@sgcmail.com.
We'd like to thank our 40 Under 40 sponsors for their support of the awards program and U40 Leadership Summit:
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RIGHT-MINDED BUILDER
CESAR RODRIGUEZ
Procurement & Construction
Service Manager
Make It Right Foundation,
New Orleans
AGE: 32
BA, University of Houston
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
A second-generation contractor, this political science major ran his own small construction/roofing firm and was headed to the Peace Corps when Hurricane Katrina hit.
Signed on with Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation, which builds LEED Platinum-certified, Cradle-to-Cradle-inspired homes for people in need. As of spring 2013 the organization had built 90 homes in the Lower 9th Ward.
Works with product manufacturers and suppliers to determine if their materials meet sustainability criteria. Negotiates on procurement, oversees contractors and subcontractors, and trains local laborers in green construction practices.
Assisting Make It Right outreach projects in New Jersey and Kansas City.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Serves as a media spokesperson for Make It Right.
Conducts numerous site tours for VIPs and major donors to view homes designed by “starchitects” (Thom Mayne, Shigeru Ban, David Adjaye, Frank Gehry).
Coordinates scheduling of volunteer events.
OFF THE CLOCK
Hobbies: running, cooking, motorcycle riding.
Can’t live without: text messages from his eight young nieces.
SECRET LIFE
Building a beach house in Huatulco, Mexico.
MR. COMMISSIONER
JAMES SINK, LEED AP BD+C
Senior Project Designer, Associate
HMC Architects, Los Angeles
AGE: 37
BArch, California State
Polytechnic University
MArch, Harvard University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Joined HMC in 2010 after stints at other firms, specializing in the design of higher education projects, particularly student residences.
Recent work: 400-bed student residence at California State University–Northridge; 490-bed student residence at Cal Poly Pomona; LA Trade Technical College, Construction Technology Building; $60 million Sutter Hall residential facility, California State University–Chico.
Licensed architect in California.
Participates in HMC’s Undercurrents group, a platform for cross-
pollination of ideas through inter-
studio communication, internal lectures, charrettes, and seminars.
Recipient of awards from the City of Claremont (Calif.) Architectural Commission.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Chair, Architectural Commission of the City of Claremont (second term).
Volunteer home tour docent for Claremont Heritage.
Invited juror for Cal Poly’s architecture design reviews.
OFF THE CLOCK
Hobbies: electric guitar, golf, Lego building (with children), yard work, and solo woodworking (used SketchUp to design a play kitchen for his children).
Favorite food: a perfectly cooked In-N-Out Burger.
SECRET LIFE
As 17-year-old Eagle Scout, glissaded down the Conness Glacier after a 13,000-foot climb of Mt. Conness.
GREEN RUNNER
ELISE KIRCHHOFER, PE, LEED AP, HFDP
Vice President
Henderson Engineers Inc.,
Lenexa, Kan.
AGE: 36
BS, University of Wyoming
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Joined Henderson Engineers in 2009: youngest VP ever appointed by the firm, and one of only four women to achieve the rank.
Co-leads a team of 25 engineers and designers focused on healthcare, education, and commercial projects.
Recent projects: $100 million patient tower expansion for Shawnee Mission Medical Center, 144,000-sf medical clinic at Ft. Bliss (largest project of its kind to seek LEED Silver certification), and a new 660,000-sf commercial office campus.
Spearheads the firm’s sustainability education efforts, including LEED exam prep assistance for employees and other local design professionals.
ASHE/AHA Vista Award for Infrastructure, 2012 (Liberty Hospital Cardiology Addition).
EXTRACURRICULAR
Active in ASHE and Kansas City Healthcare Engineers Organization.
Board Chair and multiple committee positions, USGBC Central Plains Chapter.
Collaborated with Kansas City Sports Commission to “green” the KC Triathlon and Kansas City Marathon.
Volunteer service: KIPP Endeavor Academy, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City Hospice.
OFF THE CLOCK
Activities: yoga, competitive running—full and half marathons.
SECRET LIFE
Once appeared in a Benetton ad.
SURVIVOR
K. KULIA PACHECO BOERSTLER, PE, SE
Associate
Baldridge & Associates, Honolulu
AGE: 37
BS, MS, University of
Colorado Boulder
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Worked two jobs while completing her bachelor’s degree.
Completed master’s in structural engineering while holding down a full-time engineering job in Colorado.
After returning to Hawaii, promoted from senior structural engineer to associate in 16 months.
Licensed structural engineer in Hawaii and Colorado.
Project experience: Pacifica (48-story residential, Honolulu); The Spire (42-story residential, Denver); and assisted living, healthcare, office, retail, and military projects.
Diagnosed with Stage IIB colorectal cancer in 2011; continued to work during 18 months of treatment.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Volunteer with the American Cancer Society. Firm is doing the ACS Hope Lodge project, which will offer no-cost housing to off-island residents undergoing cancer treatment in Honolulu.
Member, American Institute of Steel Construction and Structural Engineers Association of Hawaii.
OFF THE CLOCK
Hosts annual Kentucky Derby party featuring mint juleps and outrageous hats.
Hobbies: cooking, baking, gardening, long-distance bike riding.
Favorite foods: Red wine-coffee-chocolate “trifecta.”
SECRET LIFE
Grandmother “Tutu” worked for the Hawaii Liquor Commission, took part in crackdowns on underage drinking at strip clubs—in her 70s.
ARMY OF ONE
NATHAN SPEANBURG, PE
Project Superintendent
M+W Group, Watervliet, N.Y.
AGE: 33
BSCE, U.S. Military Academy at West Point
MSCE, University of Missouri–Rolla
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Commissioned Army officer (Captain); deployed twice to Afghanistan, as well as to Honduras and Kosovo. Role included general engineering and project management, combat missions.
Recipient of the Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medal.
Taught military studies at the University of Vermont.
At M+W, manages contracting, planning, design, and construction of high-tech facilities.
Recent projects: $4.2 billion, 1.6-million sf Globalfoundries Fab 8.1, Malta, N.Y.; University at Albany, Albany Nanotech Complex, Office/Research/Technology Building, NanoFab East ($28 million, 211,000 sf); Albany Nanotech Complex, NanoFab Cleanroom building.
One of 10 U.S. employees on firm’s Injury Free Workplace Leadership Team.
Recruited for M+W Group’s Talents Program, providing intensive leadership training and mentoring for Top 20 employees (of 7,800).
EXTRACURRICULAR
Brigade Engineer Officer (Major), Vermont Army National Guard, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
Educates first responders and town officials regarding semiconductor construction and operations.
OFF THE CLOCK
Activities: weight lifting, hiking, hunting, music (big band, early jazz, classical).
Favorite film: “Bridge on the River Kwai.”
SECRET LIFE
Building a cabin in the Adirondacks.
STRUCTURALLY SOUND
EMILY GUGLIELMO, PE
Senior Structural Engineer
Martin/Martin Inc., Larkspur, Calif.
AGE: 32
BS, University of California–Los Angeles
MS, University of California–Berkeley
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Runs the firm’s San Francisco Bay office.
Licensed engineer, California and Colorado; special expertise in seismic and wind issues.
Recent projects: Colorado State University Sonny Lubick Field Stadium, Denver Health and Hospitals Far Western Addition, Mesa State College Field House, and San Jose International Airport improvements.
Young Member Award, National Council of Structural Engineers Associations Annual Conference, 2012.
Emerging Leaders Alliance Conference Award, American Society of Civil Engineers, 2012.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Member, Structural Engineering Institute’s Young Professionals Committee.
Founding member, Northern California Structural Engineers Association Young Members Support Committee.
Active member, American Society of Civil Engineers.
Community volunteer, Habitat for Humanity.
Structural engineering docent for the 75th Anniversary Celebration of the Golden Gate Bridge.
OFF THE CLOCK
Enjoys marathons, 100-mile bike rides, Ironman Triathlons, skydiving, bungee jumping, ziplining, and roller coasters.
Favorite spots: Italy’s Piemonte region, Lake Tahoe.
Favorite film: “The Shawshank Redemption.”
SECRET LIFE
Former elite gymnast: “I’m still capable of some flips and twists.”
EXPERT INVESTIGATOR
BASIL ALEXANDER, PE, Esq., CCE, CPE, PSP, LEED AP
Managing Consultant
Hill International, Washington, D.C.
AGE: 32
JD, University of San Diego School of Law
BEng, Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Attorney and civil engineer for one of the world’s largest construction risk management firms
Advises clients on projects in the $50 million to $1 billion range.
Certified Professional Estimator, ASPE.
Expert witness in a case involving a $100 million project in the Dominican Republic.
Lead negotiator in a case involving $9.8 million in change order requests on a fitout project.
Auditing a $27 million claim on a Canadian pipeline project.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Organized a professional development workshop for the American Society of Civil Engineers’ D.C. chapter.
Committee member, Washington Business Congress.
Led an ACE Mentors team at D.C.’s Wilson High School.
Volunteer with local nonprofit Martha’s Table, driving a volunteer-staffed mobile soup kitchen and feeding up to 100 homeless adults per trip.
OFF THE CLOCK
Hobbies: biking, jogging, kayaking, fly fishing, and backcountry camping.
Studying Mandarin Chinese (he is first-generation American: parents hail from Finland and Greece).
Favorite vacation spot: Lendas, on the southern coast of Crete.
SECRET LIFE
Has run the Tough Mudder, a nine-mile race with 20 military-style obstacles, including an ice bath and 10,000-volt electrical wires.
GAME CHANGER
FRANK L. CIMINELLI II
Senior Vice President
LPCiminelli Inc., Buffalo, N.Y.
AGE: 39
BS, Marietta College
MS, The Catholic University of America
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Wrote undergrad thesis that paved the way for the company’s ISO 9000 certification.
Leads the firm’s Gaming and Entertainment division, representing >$2 billion of gaming work in the past decade.
Recent projects: $360 million Mount Airy Resort & Casino, Mount Pocono, Pa.; $65 million Wheeling Island (W. Va.) Hotel-Casino-Racetrack; $33 million Saratoga (N.Y.) Gaming and Raceway; $22 million Hamburg (N.Y.) Casino at the Fairgrounds; $38 million Tioga Downs, Nichols, N.Y.
Leads implementation of BIM and VDC at his firm.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Co-founded Jog for the Jake, an annual family fundraiser that has raised >$800,000 for Buffalo’s Jacobs Neurological Institute.
Developed co-op educational program with Erie Community College; serves on the ECC foundation board.
Serves on boards and committees for numerous educational, arts, civic, and healthcare institutions.
OFF THE CLOCK
Renovating a home in Buffalo at the gateway to the 1901 Pan American Expo.
Hobbies: squash, working out, reading Tom Clancy novels.
Favorite spot: Tuscany, for its “simple lifestyle, beautiful landscape, wonderful people, and of course food and wine.”
SECRET LIFE
Self-confessed sci fi dork, particularly “Star Wars.”
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PARADIGM SHIFTER
SMITA RAWOOT
Principal
Perkins Eastman, Mumbai
AGE: 39
BArch, Sushant School of
Architecture
MArch, Pratt Institute
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Experienced in urban planning and mixed-use developments, as well as buildings for K-12, higher ed, hospitality, healthcare, senior living, and multifamily housing. Worked in India for several architectural firms before joining Perkins Eastman in 2001.
Returned to India in 2009 to establish the firm’s office in Mumbai. The branch has found a niche developing culturally adaptive senior living community models, such as Tata Vasindh Senior Living, in Maharashtra (106 independent living apartments).
U.S. projects: Princeton (N.J.) Day School, Fine and Performing Arts upgrades; 835 Sixth Avenue, New York (54-story mixed-use tower with public plaza, urban park, jumbo multimedia screen, and backlit glass wall).
EXTRACURRICULAR
Author and presenter on senior living design in India, including a presentation at the ACRECONF sustainable design conference in New Delhi.
Participated in the 2011 Dream Run and a 2012 half marathon to raise money for the Salaam Bombay Foundation in Mumbai.
OFF THE CLOCK
Mixed-media artist—wood, nails, glass, wires, gesso, acrylic, and oil paint.
Favorite movie: “A Beautiful Mind.”
SECRET LIFE
Writes poetry; has had her work published under a pen name.
BIG GREEN APPLE
JAMES STAWNICZY, AIA, LEED BD+C
Director of Sustainability
Lend Lease, New York, N.Y.
AGE: 38
BArch, Pratt Institute
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Leads sustainability and LEED training for major property and infrastructure solutions firm, in addition to working with clients in pursuit of green projects. Hosts LEED and Green Building Intranet Portal for Lend Lease staff; has developed templates for construction plans, material tracking, and contract language.
Recent work (as designer and/or LEED leader, all in NYC): Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse (35 stories, 730,000 square feet); The Brompton (luxury 202-unit condo development); Mount Sinai Medical Center, Center for Science and Medicine (450,000-sf translational research building); Columbia University Manhattanville Development, Phase 1 preconstruction.
USGBC NYC Urban Green Council Service Award, 2009 (for developing construction management training module).
EXTRACURRICULAR
PLANYC-Green Codes Task Force (two-year effort with the Mayor’s Office).
NYU School of Continuing Education (lecturer, LEED exam prep).
OFF THE CLOCK
Dedicated gardener—particularly water gardening, which provides “a secret oasis” within condo living. Also loves cooking, skiing, aviation.
Favorite spot: El Calafate, Argentina.
Favorite food: Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.
SECRET LIFE
Once featured in the New York Daily News for his sand castles: “They all resemble Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.”
SCHOOL SPECIALIST
CODY CARPINO, AIA
Senior Associate, Project Architect
NTD Architecture, Auburn, Calif.
AGE: 34
BS (Architecture), Washington
University in St. Louis
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Started his own graphic design business in high school.
Acquired architecture license before age 30; registered in California.
Specializes in design of K-12 projects, including work overseen by California’s Division of the State Architect.
Representative projects: $17 million San Antonio Elementary School; 32,000-sf Ashland Youth Center (first LEED Platinum building in Alameda County); modernization projects for Alum Rock UESD, San Jose.
Wrote business plan for the firm’s eighth office, which opened in last year in San Jose.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Leadership Auburn, Class of 2013; leading design team for the class project: street frontage improvements for Gold Country Fairgrounds entry.
Past Co-chair (architectural design), Sonoma County Habitat for Humanity.
AIA Emerging Professional; active with ASLA and RECON Networking.
Tutors elementary students in algebra and calculus.
OFF THE CLOCK
Hobbies: golf, mountain biking, yoga.
Favorite flick: “The Shawshank Redemption.”
Makes “really good” French toast.
Favorite spot: Florence, Italy.
SECRET LIFE
Was saved from a fire in his duplex when Olive, a dog he was watching for his neighbors, barked him awake in the middle of the night.
PRO BONO ACTIVIST
SARAH W. DIRSA, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, SEED
Project Designer,
Director of HOK IMPACT
HOK, St. Louis
AGE: 33
BA, Binghamton University
MArch, Master of Urban Design, Washington University in St. Louis
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Founding Director, HOK IMPACT, and firmwide Chair of Social Responsibility.
Developing protocols for HOK’s public interest design projects and employee volunteer efforts.
Core member of HOK’s Project Haiti, a pro bono design partnership with USGBC to rebuild an orphanage/children’s center in Port au Prince.
Recent project: Potentials Resale Boutique, a pro bono effort to create a store in suburban St. Louis to benefit Youth In Need.
Fellow, New Leaders Council St. Louis Chapter.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Helped get St. Louis selected to host the 2012 Next American City Vanguard conference of young urban leaders.
Founding President, SEED Saint Louis, a nonprofit aiding socially, economically, and environmentally positive communities.
Board VP, Isthmian Gallery, a New York nonprofit that showcases student artwork.
Mayor’s Vanguard Cabinet for Education, to improve St. Louis’s public schools.
OFF THE CLOCK
Hobbies: running, reading about public architecture, soul music (Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin).
Favorite spot: anyplace with white sandy beaches, clear water, and sunshine.
SECRET LIFE
Played classical violin for 12 years; performed at Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST
ROB BLALOCK
Vice President, Division Manager
Brasfield & Gorrie, Kennesaw, Ga.
AGE: 38
BS, Auburn University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Oversees management of projects in the Mixed-Use Division for firm’s Georgia regional office. Since 1998, has managed more than $1.1 billion of construction totaling ~8.5 million sf of commercial buildings.
Projects include the 825,000-sf Omni Hotel in Nashville, the $267 million 1075 Peachtree mixed-use office/hotel project, and Perkins+Will’s new LEED Platinum office in Atlanta.
Led division’s implementation of mobile technology and cloud-based document control systems.
AGC Award, three ABC Awards, and Build Georgia Award.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Citizens Medal of Honor from the Atlanta Fire & Rescue Department for pro bono renovation of a fire station.
Member, NAIOP’s inaugural Future Leaders Class.
Volunteer with charities that support women and children: Atlanta Day Shelter, United Way, Atlanta Dream Center, No Longer Bound, and Habitat for Humanity.
OFF THE CLOCK
Hobby: Spending time outdoors, especially in the mountains.
Favorite flick: “Man on Fire.” “The main character’s transformation and love for a little girl is pretty close to my heart, as a father of four girls.”
SECRET LIFE
Spent a year as a ski bum in Vail in his early 20s, skiing six days a week; split his head open twice.
CHARTER SCHOOL PIONEER
BRIANNA GARCÍA, LEED AP BD+C, Assoc. DBIA
Facilities Development Manager, Charter Development
Los Angeles Unified School District
AGE: 38
BArch, Master of Real Estate Development, Master of Planning, University of Southern California
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Joined LAUSD in 2005. Responsible for planning, design, funding, management, and development of major public facilities, notably charter schools.
Handles preconstruction activities for school construction and modernization projects in the $6 million to $80 million range.
Has overseen acquisition of >70 acres of property valued at >$209 million and relocation of 318 commercial/residential tenants.
Coordinates with independent charter operators for the development of long-term charter facilities.
Spearheaded creation of an augmentation grant program to provide gap financing to charters that want to build their own facilities.
Global Holcim Awards Finalist, 2012 (net-zero energy school prototype, with Swift Lee Office).
EXTRACURRICULAR
Committee member, ULI UrbanPlan program; presenter for the Culver City Redevelopment Agency.
OFF THE CLOCK
Activities: tennis (spectator and player), knitting, yoga.
Favorite cuisines: Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican.
SECRET LIFE
Won national championship as a member of JROTC Belles of the Blue Knights Drill Team in high school. “We wore cravats, thigh-high bell skirts, and patent leather go-go boots, and carried rifles.”
CHANGE MANAGER
TANUJA SHUKLA
Chief Strategy Officer,
Senior Vice President
ITSI Gilbane, Walnut Creek, Calif.
AGE: 35
BA, University of California–San Diego
MBA, The University of Pennsylvania Wharton School
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
After serving as Director of Finance for ITSI (formerly Innovative Technical Solutions Inc.), helped manage the firm’s 2010 acquisition by Gilbane. ITSI is a global contractor primarily focused on work for the military market (construction, environmental, fuels, energy).
Leads corporate integration and transition strategies, market entry plans for new ventures, and international expansion efforts.
Trilingual (Hindi, English, Spanish).
Youngest staff member on Gilbane’s committee for Vision 2017, a futures planning initiative.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Helps lead employee volunteer efforts with the Contra Costa and Solano County food banks, the Salvation Army, Wounded Warriors, the Red Cross, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity.
Helped lead an ITSI Gilbane team in upgrades for the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, Newport, R.I.
OFF THE CLOCK
Activities: dancing, painting (acrylics). Teaches international dance.
Enjoys cooking Indian food for big dinner parties.
SECRET LIFE
Grandfather was an Indian journalist who interviewed and later befriended Mohandas K. Gandhi and participated in the Mahatma’s funeral ceremony.
ENVELOPE PUSHER
HEATH MAY, AIA
Vice President; Director, HKS Laboratory for Intensive Exploration (HKS_LINE)
HKS Inc., Dallas
AGE: 36
MArch, Texas Tech (undergraduate studies in biology, art)
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Designs hospitality, commercial, corporate, sports, mixed-use, and retail facilities.
Registered architect in Texas.
Leads HKS_LINE, a team focusing on advancing architecture through new technology and methods—parametric and computational design, digital fabrication, high-performance cladding, advanced presentation technologies.
Recent projects: Hall Arts District Tower, Dallas (46-story office tower); W Tampa (30-story, 300-room hotel plus 450 condos and 350 apartments); Palomar Hotel and Condominiums, Milwaukee (750,000-sf hotel, condo, retail, and office complex, seeking LEED Platinum).
Working on projects in China and Qatar.
World Architecture News Commercial Building of the Year, 2012.
Dallas AIA Design Awards, 2010, 2012.
Washington, D.C., AIA Design Award, 2011.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Active in AIA, USGBC, and NCARB. Has served on several awards committees for AIA Dallas.
Co-chair, AIA Dallas Emerging Leaders Program, 2010.
ACE mentor.
OFF THE CLOCK
Activities: running, snorkeling, hiking, camping, longboarding, snowboarding.
Freelances as a bass player; also plays acoustic guitar.
SECRET LIFE
Penchant for minutiae: can recite his fifth-grade teacher’s Social Security number.
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RETAIL RENAISSANCE MAN
CRAIG CHINN, CSI
Associate Principal
KTGY Group Inc., Irvine, Calif.
AGE: 39
BArch, MBA, MCP, California Polytechnic University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Started the Construction Specifications Institute Students Club at Cal Poly; served as student body president for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design.
Experienced in multifamily architecture; named Director of Operations for four KTGY offices in 2006.
Registered architect in California.
Took over the firm’s Retail Studio during the 2008 recession; as of early 2013, the studio had more than 5.7 million sf in retail projects under contract.
Created design concepts for Fossil, Ross, Vitamin Shoppe, Sephora, Ashley Furniture, McDonald’s.
Pioneered the firm’s Mobile Design Studio (design hardware/software shipped to client sites in advance of project work) and proprietary Site Survey App (with partner Inspect2Go).
EXTRACURRICULAR
Developed a co-op education program with Cal Poly, giving seniors work experience at KTGY; guest lecturer for 12-unit course.
Member, International Council of Shopping Centers and Urban Land Institute.
Continuous work with Cal Poly CAED Construction Sciences Forum.
OFF THE CLOCK
Hobbies: snow skiing, wine tasting, growing organic vegetables.
Has a movie-style popcorn machine at home.
SECRET LIFE
Grew up on an Idaho horse ranch; developed a talent for dowsing, or “water witching.”
SUSTAINABILTY MENTOR
CANDACE SMALL, LEED AP BD+C, EDAC
Architect
SmithGroupJJR, Chicago
AGE: 29
BS, Bowling Green State University
MArch, Illinois Institute of Technology
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Healthcare planner and LEED expert.
Serves on the SmithGroupJJR Client Advisory Board for nursing education, explaining the latest trends in education and simulation to allied health professionals and educators.
Recent projects: Emergency Department and GI expansion, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital; Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Center for Advanced Care; Roosevelt College of Pharmacy interior build-out (Outstanding Design Award, American School & University magazine); Jump Trading Simulation and Education Center.
Registered Architect in Illinois; assists other employees in completing exams.
EXTRACURRICULAR
National Chair, USGBC Center for Green Schools.
Helped write the LEED BD+C 2009 exam; reviews CE courses for the Green Building Certification Institute.
Author of an international review of sustainable rating systems published in the journal of the Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
Instructor, Upward Bound summer program for low-income high school students. Mentor, East Village Youth Program.
OFF THE CLOCK
Loves yoga, books, and her husband’s fresh pasta and sauce.
Favorite read: “Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.”
SECRET LIFE
Universal donor: regularly donates blood platelets.
GREEN BUILDER
CHRIS HERMRECK, PE, LEED AP BD+C
Project Manager
JE Dunn Construction,
Kansas City, Mo.
AGE: 28
BS, Architectural Engineering, University of Kansas–Lawrence
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Has managed >$110 million of healthcare and federal construction projects for JE Dunn.
Recent projects: LEED Silver commercial border station, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Yuma, Ariz.; $55 million hospital in Wichita; $20 million engineering lab at KU.
Guiding a national knowledge initiative at JE Dunn, with the task of improving efficiency and knowledge sharing across 20 offices nationwide.
Co-founder (with Dr. Oswald Chong) of the International Conference on Sustainable Design & Construction.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Helped KU Continuing Education develop courses on green building construction and LEED.
Advisory Board Member, KU Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering Department.
Technical Panelist, UL Environment Sustainability for Lighting and Sustainability for Thermal Insulation Standards.
Keynote Speaker, 2012 Future City Competition, KU.
Volunteer, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas; Co-chair, CCNEKS Young Patrons Group.
Outreach Chair, ASCE-CI Young Members Directorate.
OFF THE CLOCK
Hobbies: hunting, skiing, working out, traveling, and following Jayhawks sports.
Favorite spots: Italy, Croatia, and the mountains of Colorado.
SECRET LIFE
Grew up working on a family farm in Kansas. Father received the National Outstanding Young Farmer award in 1984.
SOFTWARE WHIZ
KARMYN BABCOCK, LEED AP
IT Director
The Weitz Company,
Des Moines, Iowa
AGE: 37
BS, MS, Iowa State University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Joined Weitz in 1997; promoted to Director of IT in 2012, managing a team of 15.
Supervises implementation and upgrades of systems such as JD Edwards, Oracle SOA, Prolog Suite, and BIM/VDC applications, including work with external clients and subcontractors.
Directed Weitz’s beta testing for Prolog Manager 5.0; developed real-time integration between Prolog and JDE regarding project financial information. Developed prototype intranet for 1,200+ employees.
Implemented Lean construction technology practices companywide; renegotiated major technology contracts for the firm.
Inducted into the Meridian Hall of Fame in 2008 for her work with Prolog.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Active member of Construction FutureTech CIO, Construction Executive Leaders, Iowa State University Con E Alumni, Prolog Customer Advisory Board, and iPad in Construction.
Volunteer kickboxing instructor for various charities; assists with fundraising “kickathons” several times a year.
Plays piano, sings, and teaches preschool at a local church.
OFF THE CLOCK
Can’t live without: Amazon Cloud Player (current favorite artists: The Lone Bellow, Walk to the Moon, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis).
Hobbies: playing Rachmaninoff on the piano, shopping for shoes.
Favorite flick: “Fight Club.”
SECRET LIFE
Partial to girls’ weekends in Chicago and Minneapolis.
SPORTS INSIDER
ADAM STOVER
Senior Associate, Director of
Product Development
Populous, Kansas City
AGE: 33
BInteriorArch, Kansas State University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Has designed interiors with a total value of more than $1 billion for the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, and collegiate clients.
Projects include work at Arrowhead Stadium, Great American Ballpark, Kauffman Stadium, Marlins Ballpark, University of Phoenix Stadium, Yankee Stadium, Heinz Field, and Bridgestone Arena.
In 2010, was tasked with expanding the firm’s work into product design and development.
Ten-year Alumni Honoree, Kansas State University College of Architecture, Planning & Design, 2012.
IIDA Annual National Chapter Awards, Excellence in Special Event Graphics (first place).
EXTRACURRICULAR
Launched contract furniture line with Martin Brattrud, 2010.
Conference speaker, Association of Luxury Suite Directors.
Guest lecturer and critic for KSU.
Past Director of Communications, IIDA Kansas City Chapter; Mentor, 2012-13 IIDA Mid America Chapter’s Leading the Way program.
Co-founded Boulevard of Dreams event benefiting the Dream Factory of Greater KC (wish-granting nonprofit).
Board Member, KC Century (anti-cancer cycling event).
OFF THE CLOCK
Activities: long-distance running, furniture design.
Favorite spots: Newport Beach, Palm Springs, Calif.
Favorite film: “Hoosiers.”
SECRET LIFE
Has a collection of more than 150 never-used shot glasses.
POWER PLAYER
CIERINE NICOLAS, PE, LEED AP BD+C, CDT
Vice President, Electrical Engineer
Environmental Systems Design Inc., Chicago
AGE: 35
BS (EE and Molecular & Cellular Biology), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
MS Graduate Fellowships at Princeton (electrical engineering) and Stanford (theoretical astrophysics)
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Completed a major in molecular and cellular biology as a pre-med undergraduate.
Joined ESD in 1998; became the Chicago office’s first female VP in 2012.
Supervises electrical design for high-profile international projects, including supertall buildings in Riyadh, Jeddah, Seoul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Madinah, Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Mumbai, Washington, D.C., Boston, and Chicago.
Recent work: Kingdom Tower, Jeddah; King Abdullah Financial District Parcels, Riyadh (mixed-use); U.S. Department of Homeland Security, St. Elizabeths Campus, Washington, D.C. (secure 175-acre complex, 4.5 million sf).
EXTRACURRICULAR
Co-chairs ESD’s Outreach Committee (community work, philanthropy).
Team Captain, 4th Annual Canstruction Chicago Design/Build Competition.
Volunteer work: Habitat for Humanity in Chicago; Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
OFF THE CLOCK
Activities: high-adrenaline water sports, running, tennis, alpine skiing, baseball, golf.
Holds a brown belt in Krav Maga.
Relaxes with precision rifle marksmanship, skeet shooting and target practice.
Can't live without: sports and designer high heels
SECRET LIFE
Spouse is electrical engineering director at competing firm SOM.
Daughter Quinn born Feb. 4, 2013.
URBAN VISIONARY
THOMAS HUSSEY, AIA, LEED AP
Associate Director,
City Design Practice
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Chicago
AGE: 33
BArch, University of Southern California
MArch, Harvard University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Expert in the design of cities, districts, and large, complex architectural projects.
One of the youngest Associate Directors at SOM.
Recent projects: master plans for developments in Beijing, Tianjin, Wuhan, Panama, Brazil, Riyadh, Mecca, and Cairo.
Co-manages a studio of 30 in Chicago; indirect leadership responsibility for groups in Shanghai, London, and New York.
Licensed architect in California and Illinois.
Worked with IBM Smarter Cities to help SOM co-found the Urban Systems Collaborative, an independent nonprofit dedicated to advancing intelligent city infrastructure.
Winner, Urban Land Institute/Gerald D. Hines Urban Design Competition, 2006.
AIA National Urban Design Honor Award, 2011.
AIA Chicago Honor Award, 2011.
AIA National Young Architect Award, 2013.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Active in the Urban Land Institute and in AIA’s Regional and Urban Design Knowledge Community.
OFF THE CLOCK
Favorite food: Texas-style BBQ (smoked brisket and sausage).
Amateur travel agent: helps friends find great deals and interesting itineraries.
SECRET LIFE
Grandfather raised prize turkeys in Iowa and Texas, once supplied the White House’s Thanksgiving bird.
HEALTHCARE CONSTRUCTION PRO
MAJA ROSENQUIST, LEED AP
Vice President, General Manager
Mortenson Construction, Denver Operating Group
AGE: 38
BS, University of Washington
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Healthcare construction specialist. Has progressed from field engineer to project manager to general manager of healthcare for firm.
Recently promoted to VP in Denver, supervising more than 400 field and office personnel and overseeing projects generating more than $300 million in annual revenue.
Recent work: $386 million, 830,000-sf Exempla St. Joseph Replacement Hospital; $199 million, 695,000-sf Ralph L. Carr Colorado Justice Complex; $137 million Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center (AGC ACE award).
EXTRACURRICULAR
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce: Leadership Denver Class of 2010; Impact Denver Class of 2008.
Board positions with Aurora (Colo.) Economic Development Council, Exempla Lutheran Medical Foundation, Susan Duncan YMCA, Downtown Denver Partnership Economic Development Committee, and LoDo (Lower Downtown) District.
OFF THE CLOCK
Can’t live without: secret stash of chocolate-covered acai berries.
Favorite hobbies: skiing, camping, scrapbooking.
Favorite spots: Maui, Costa Rica, San Diego.
SECRET LIFE
Grew up in a family salmon fishing operation on the Bering Sea. “One day my father and I caught 18,500 pounds of salmon in 18 hours, just the two of us. Almost sank the boat. I have incredibly high standards for seafood.”
[pagebreak]
PROBLEM SOLVER
BENJAMIN JOHANNEMAN, LEED AP, EIT, CHC
Vice President/Operations
McCarthy Building Companies, Houston
AGE: 34
BS, University of Kentucky
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
One of firm’s youngest-ever project directors, recently promoted to VP; responsible for preconstruction and construction services for large-scale projects.
Recent projects: $240 million University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Alkek Expansion; MD Anderson Cancer Center Pavilion Expansion ($75 million); University of Texas Medical Branch–
Victory Lakes Specialty Care Center Expansion ($52.3 million).
Overall Best Project, Engineering News Record Texas/Louisiana, 2011.
AGC/Aon Build America Award, Design-Build Renovation, 2011.
AGC Texas Building Branch Outstanding Construction Award, 2011.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Active in the American Society for Healthcare Engineering, Greater Houston Partnership (Green Building Subcommittee), Rice Design Alliance, ABC, DBIA, and AGC.
Volunteer service: Habitat for Humanity (Honduras, Brazil, and Fiji), Houston Food Bank, Boys and Girls Club, MD Anderson’s Sprint for Life, and the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo.
OFF THE CLOCK
Hobbies: travel, skiing, wake boarding.
Favorite movie: “Saving Private Ryan.”
Favorite food: Texas BBQ.
SECRET LIFE
In 2008 during Hurricane Ike, led a ride-out team of five employees to Alkek Hospital, Houston, helping prevent damage to this large, occupied facility.
CYCLING COUNCILMAN
MICHAEL KELLY, AIA, LEED AP
Principal of Project Development
KCBA Architects, Philadelphia
AGE: 37
BArch, Syracuse University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Worked at multiple architecture firms in Pennsylvania and in the United Kingdom.
Joined KCBA in 2006, specializing in schools and places of worship; made Principal in 2012.
Recent projects: Saint Joseph Catholic Church, Sea Isle City, N.J. (new 1,000-seat sanctuary); Slatington (Pa.) Elementary School expansion and renovation; Wilson Area Intermediate School, Easton, Pa., expansion and renovation.
Advisor to the firm’s Emerging Professionals Group; developing a resource library for professional exams.
Registered architect in Pennsylvania.
Young Architect of the Year Award, AIA Philadelphia, 2011.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Elected to the Chalfont (Pa.) Borough Council; previously chaired the borough’s planning commission and served on its parks committee.
Co-chair, AIA Philadelphia Regional Architects Committee, 2011. Also active in NCARB, including review committee for revisions to the Architect Registration Exam.
OFF THE CLOCK
Favorite activities: biking through the countryside and travel, particularly in Europe.
Favorite food: ribs at Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse.
Favorite movie: “Rocky II.”
SECRET LIFE
Father marched in the Penn State Blue Band and has returned to perform in the homecoming game halftime show for 43 years running.
CONFECTIONERY STORYTELLER
CHRISTIAN D. GIORDANO
Principal, Director of
Architectural Design
HLW International LLP,
New York, N.Y.
AGE: 39
BArch, University of Miami
MArch, University of California–Los Angeles
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Instrumental in rebuilding firm’s design portfolio during the recession.
Developed firm’s new specialization in broadcast and media/entertainment facilities, creating a “storyline” design methodology for these project types.
Recent projects: Ferring Pharmaceuticals HQ, lab, and manufacturing facility, Parsippany, N.J.; WPVI broadcast news/office facility, Philadelphia; HBO communications center, Hauppauge, N.Y; ESPN Digital Center II office, broadcast studios, and tech support space, Bristol, Conn.; Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Specialized Medical Centre, Casablanca, Morocco; four residential towers in Jersey City.
Society of American Registered Architects, Architectural Design Excellence Award.
AIA Long Island Chapter, Archi Award for Commercial Buildings, 2012.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Helped create the HLW Mentorship Program for young architects.
Active in architectural exhibitions and collaborations.
OFF THE CLOCK
Learned extreme cake decorating by watching TV shows like “Cake Boss.” Creations include a 20-inch-tall Elmo cake, a triple-tier Strawberry Shortcake cake, and an Angry Birds cake with hidden squawk device.
Owns more than 500 bootleg CDs of Bruce Springsteen concerts.
SECRET LIFE
Uncle Albert Lanzara helped develop the skin for the F-14 fighter jet in the 1950s.
STEWARD OF THE PROFESSION
EMILY GRANDSTAFF-RICE, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Associate
Cambridge Seven Associates Inc., Cambridge, Mass.
AGE: 37
BS, BArch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
MLA, Harvard University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Diverse international design experience, including King Abdullah Financial District Science Museum and Geo-climate Centre and National Aquarium of Saudi Arabia.
Sustainable design leader at C7A.
Adjunct faculty, Boston Architectural College and Harvard Extension School.
Young Architects Award, AIA/Boston Society of Architects, 2008.
Knowledge Scholar, AIA Committee on Architecture for Education, 2011.
Dean’s Prize for Outstanding MLA Thesis, Harvard University, 2012.
EXTRACURRICULAR
VP/President-elect, Boston Society of Architects.
As BSA board member, helped oversee move to a new headquarters and exhibition space, three Executive Director searches, and the launch of the ABX trade show.
Spearheaded AIA Young Architects Forum “150 at 150” podcasts, highlighting achievements of AIA Fellows.
Developed free workshops to teach public school children about design, including model building with mentor architects.
OFF THE CLOCK
Activities: spinning classes, running.
Favorite cuisine: Indian (a taste acquired during a semester in Ahmedabad).
Listens to broadcasts from the BBC World Service to relax.
SECRET LIFE
Magician’s assistant at age 11: “I learned how to levitate, jump through paper, and escape from a locked box, skills that still serve me well today.”
BUDGET WATCHDOG
JONATHAN COLLINS, CPE, LEED AP BD+C
Senior Estimator
Manhattan Construction Co., Dallas
AGE: 37
BS, Texas A&M University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Initially hired by Manhattan as project engineer.
Currently oversees preconstruction and estimating for large projects involving places of worship, sports, cultural, and higher ed.
Representative work (Dallas metro): $850 million DFW International Airport Terminal Renewal and Improvement plan; $30 million MacGorman Chapel and Performing Arts Center, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; $87 million Grand Prairie Public Safety Building & The Summit Adult Activity Center; George W. Bush Presidential Center.
Senior estimator for the University of North Texas Apogee Stadium, the only LEED Platinum college football stadium in the U.S.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Teaches “Basics of Construction” at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, helping future church leaders understand facilities issues.
Active in ASPE and AGC.
Volunteers with H.I.S. BridgeBuilders program, a faith-based urban renewal initiative, and Hearts and Hammers.
OFF THE CLOCK
Built a 50-gallon aquarium tank for African cichlids.
Hobbies: biking and triathlons.
Enjoys beach life and wade fishing in Florida.
SECRET LIFE
Was pressed into service as an extra for his little sister’s dance company: “Yes, I wore tights.”
JURIS ARCHITECT
JOSH FLOWERS, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
In-House Legal Counsel
Hnedak Bobo Group, Memphis
AGE: 35
BArch, JD, University of Tennessee
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Since joining HBG in 2005, has spearheaded the firm’s expansion into development, construction management, and historic preservation.
Recent projects (Memphis): $43 million Beale Street Landing; $40 million Westin Beale Street (architect, legal counsel).
Instrumental in ownership transition from founding partners to next generation of leadership.
Implemented contract procedures to enable the firm’s transition to BIM.
HBG Employee of the Year, 2009.
AIA Tennessee Presidential Award of Excellence, 2012.
Memphis Business Journal, Top 40 Under 40, 2012.
EXTRACURRICULAR
National Knowledge Director, AIA Young Architects Forum, 2013-14.
President, AIA Memphis, 2012.
Actively involved in NCARB, Association of Corporate Counsel, ULI Memphis District Council, USGBC, and CSI.
Approved instructor for AGC Certificate of Management in BIM.
New Memphis Institute Fellows Program, 2011.
Pro bono attorney/mediator, Community Legal Center of Memphis.
Assisted the nonprofit Juvenile Intervention and Faith Based Follow-up organization.
OFF THE CLOCK
Hobby: hiking.
Favorite reads: “The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt,” “Thinking Fast and Slow,” “The Warmth of Other Suns.”
Favorite spot: The Sognefjord, Norway’s longest fjord.
SECRET LIFE
Spent a semester studying architecture and urban design in Krakow, Poland.
COMMUNITY SPARKPLUG
CINDY BENJAMIN, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, NCARB
Associate Principal; Operations & Finance Manager
LS3P Associates Ltd., Greenville, S.C.
AGE: 38
BArch, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Manages projects for clients in healthcare, higher ed, K-12, and worship sectors.
Specializes in fast-track, complex projects and “messy renovations.”
Promoted to Associate at Neal Prince Architects at age 32; moved into leadership role at LS3P upon merger in 2011.
Registered architect in South Carolina.
Young Professional of the Year, Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 2009.
Greenville Business Magazine, Best and Brightest 35 and Under Award, 2009.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Active in local, state, and national AIA.
With Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Greenville Class 33, led the upgrade of facilities at Safe Harbor emergency shelter. Helped in raising $40,000 for Safe Harbor and procuring a delivery truck for furniture donations.
Chair-elect of the Greenville Chamber’s Leadership Development Board.
Executive Committee, Greenville Professional Women’s Forum.
OFF THE CLOCK
Can’t live without: a cold Diet Coke at 3 p.m.
Addicted to “Downton Abbey.”
SECRET LIFE
Her father invented a way to increase GPS accuracy from 1 meter to 3 centimeters.
Husband Brad was a member of BD+C’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2012.
CREATIVITY NAVIGATOR
DAVID GRANDY, FACHE
Associate Vice President, Director of Innovation, Senior Healthcare Consultant
HDR Architecture, Omaha, Neb.
AGE: 38
BA, Western Michigan University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As head of HDR’s Innovation Consulting Group, helps clients like Google, Kaiser Permanente, GE, and USG Corp. discover novel ways to achieve goals.
Created a system called SYNAPSE to analyze complex problems using nontraditional thinking.
As Senior Healthcare Consultant, helps designers understand how health system executives think.
Recent work: modernization projects in Trinidad and Tobago; addition/renovation for Community Hospital, McCook, Neb.; conceptual design of King Hussein Medical City, Amman, Jordan.
Fellow, American College of Healthcare Executives; Certified Medical Practice Executive, American College of Medical Practice Executives; Lean Healthcare certification, University of Michigan Department of Engineering.
ACHE Distinguished Service Award; Regent’s Young Executive Award.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Worked with an HDR team, Ohio State University, and the International Poverty Solutions Collaborative to examine community healthcare issues, leading to a 2012 colloquium.
OFF THE CLOCK
Can’t live without: quad-ruled Moleskine notebook, Wrigley’s 5 gum, Monocle magazine, and a good watch.
Plays piano and guitar.
Favorite food: Whatever’s fresh at Hog Island Oysters, San Francisco.
SECRET LIFE
Intrigued by origami: “I’m fascinated with how those artisans envisioned three-dimensional form and the sequences to create them.”
[pagebreak]
ECLECTIC ANALYST
LEAH B. GUZOWSKI
Energy Policy Scientist
Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Ill.
AGE: 32
BA, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Master of Higher Education Policy, Harvard University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Completed triple major at UW–Madison. Served as an editor for a publication at Harvard Law School.
Spent 2+ years doing city planning and energy policy work with the Swedish Trade Council.
Joined Argonne in 2010. Principal Investigator or Primary Researcher on DOE-supported projects, including the DOE Financial Tool, part of the DOE’s Building Performance Database.
Helped Loyola University Chicago cut overall energy use by 50%.
Principal Investigator, Chicago Energy Efficiency Retrofit Initiative; helped coordinate R&D of methodologies for analyzing citywide energy use.
Co-leader, Argonne’s Energy Security Initiative; Leader, Argonne’s Building Energy Research and Integration Program.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Board of Directors, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.
Member, International Association of Energy Economics and U.S. Association of Energy Economics.
Volunteer, Dress for Success.
OFF THE CLOCK
Hobbies: the arts, music, culture, and sports of Chicago.
Plays quarterback on a flag football team.
Favorite foods: raspberries, steak grilled outdoors.
SECRET LIFE
Grew up in rural Wisconsin. Competed in log-rolling on the Mississippi River as a youth. Grandfather raced homing pigeons.
BRIDGE BUILDER
MARK A. SCHWAMEL, AIA, LEED AP
Project Manager
Gensler, Chicago
AGE: 37
Bachelor of Fine and Professional Arts, Cleveland State University
BArch, MArch (urban design), Kent State University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Designer for retail, commercial, automotive, and hospitality projects, as well as large-scale urban redevelopments.
Recent work: 800,000-sf McCormick Place West Expansion, Chicago; 105-acre Sacramento Arena District; 60-acre Johnson Controls Redevelopment, Glendale, Wis.; numerous jobs for Bank of America and Toyota.
Studio LEED coordinator; IDP and ARE coordinator and internship mentor.
Licensed architect in Illinois.
Selected for Gensler Nextgen leadership development program.
House captain for Gensler’s annual pro bono Rebuilding Together program.
AIA Chicago Presidential Citation, 2009.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Associate Director of the Board, AIA Chicago.
AIA Illinois Regional Associate Director for the AIA National Associates Committee. Lobbied state licensing board for improved ARE timing legislation.
Regional Director, Young Architects Forum.
Co-founder, AIA Chicago Bridge program, uniting emerging professionals with AIA Fellows.
OFF THE CLOCK
Played baseball at Cleveland State; now enjoys golf.
SECRET LIFE
Appeared as an actor in “Oceans 11,” “Stranger Than Fiction,” and “The Lake House.”
REAL ESTATE STANDOUT
PATTI NEAL, LEED AP
Senior Vice President, Development
Carter, Atlanta
AGE: 39
BS, Purdue University
MBA, Emory University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Manages large, multi-phased construction projects for major real estate developer, representing more than $1 billion in construction for the firm.
Recent projects: Highpoint on Columbus (Ohio) Commons ($50 million urban mixed-use project); The Banks, Phase 1A, Cincinnati ($600 million urban mixed-use project); AT&T Metro Plan office development, Atlanta (three buildings, 3.1 million sf); Atlantic Station, Atlanta ($207 million mixed-use project with >1 million sf of retail).
Upon promotion to Senior VP, became Carter’s most senior construction manager.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Volunteers at the elementary school attended by her three children.
Soccer coach, YMCA children’s soccer.
OFF THE CLOCK
Has completed more than 50 running, cycling, and triathlon events, including the Boston Marathon and an Ironman Triathlon.
Favorite reads: Anything about American history; currently, “The Presidents Club.”
Favorite spots: Costa Rica, Alaska.
SECRET LIFE
Can write with both hands simultaneously, in opposite directions.
SHIPSHAPE STRATEGIST
PAUL DONHAUSER, CEM, CPMM
Global Facilities Operations, Construction & Real Estate Director
Boston Scientific Corp., Natick, Mass.
AGE: 39
BS, MS, Massachusetts Maritime Academy
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Before joining BSC, developed a renovation program for the Pentagon as HVAC designer and design-build manager with Sebesta Blomberg & Associates.
At BSC, works on new acquisitions, facilities, and projects over $500,000.
Recent projects: BSC Global Headquarters consolidation; first Far East manufacturing plant, Pudong, China; first FDA-approved robotic distribution center, Quincy, Mass.; first LEED Silver manufacturing facility in Central America (Costa Rica).
Selected for BSC Top Gun leadership program (100 employees out of 25,000).
EXTRACURRICULAR
Runs in charity races to raise money for cancer research and women’s health causes.
Organizes sponsorship teams for events to benefit the American Heart Association and Joslin Clinic for Diabetes.
OFF THE CLOCK
Hobbies: tuna fishing, lobster diving, hunting, snowmobiles, softball.
Favorite films: “Gladiator,” “Troy,” “Zero Dark Thirty.”
SECRET LIFE
Paternal grandfather served in the German army against his maternal grandfather (in World War I) and maternal uncles (in World War II).
TEAM CAPTAIN
JEREMY A. BURGE, AIA, LEED AP
Managing Principal, Director
Clark Nexsen Architecture & Engineering, Washington, D.C.
AGE: 34
BArch, Virginia Polytechnic and State University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Youngest Managing Principal in the firm’s history; leads a staff of 15.
Turned the D.C. location into one of Clark Nexsen’s best-performing offices.
Representative projects: Command Suite, Building 1, 5th Deck, National Naval Medical Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center; Science & Engineering Building, Germanna Community College (LEED Silver), Fredricksburg, Va.; new Operation Smile world headquarters, Virginia Beach.
Registered architect in D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina.
Emerging Professional Honor Award, AIA Hampton Roads Chapter, 2008.
Principal of the Year, Society for Design Administration Hampton Roads Chapter.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Past VP, Hampton Roads AIA chapter; active in regional and national AIA.
Logistics Chair, Operation Smile Tool Box Bash fundraiser.
Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, Blitz Build, Access Youth, and Canstruction.
Leadership Greater Washington, Class of 2013.
OFF THE CLOCK
Completed the Marine Corps marathon; plays tennis three to five times a week.
Favorite chill-out spot: Outer Banks of North Carolina.
SECRET LIFE
Must have access to a gym and breakfast at Chick-fil-A.
NUMBERS JUGGLER
MATTHEW R. VERST
Director, Cost Planning & Estimating
Messer Construction Co., Cincinnati
AGE: 36
BSCE, University of Kentucky
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Joined Messer as a project engineer in 2000, now leads team of 25 cost planners. Focuses on integrating BIM and IPD with cost work. Oversees more than $7 billion in work annually.
Recent projects: $66 million Hoff Academic Quad, Xavier University; $108 million Fidelity Investments 100 Howe Office Building; $135 million Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Location S Research Tower.
University of Kentucky Young Construction Engineer of the Year Award, 2012.
AGC Build Ohio Award, 2010.
ABC Award of Excellence and DBIA Ohio Valley Excellence in Design-Build Award, 2008.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Coaches youth sports (basketball, football, baseball, softball).
Chair-elect of the Board, Holly Hill Children’s Services (residential treatment program for teen girls).
Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Northern Kentucky Class of 2013.
OFF THE CLOCK
Activities: biking, softball, pinochle—“but it’s hard to find anyone under the age of 60 who knows how to play.”
SECRET LIFE
Father had 15 siblings; mom, seven. “I have over 170 first cousins and five kids of my own, with one on the way.”
ILLUMINATOR
SARA J. SCHONOUR, LC, ASSOC. IALD, IES, EIT, LEED AP, CDT
Senior Associate
Cannon Design, Boston
AGE: 29
BArchEng, The Pennsylvania State University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Started companywide lighting design studio with help of a Cannon Design colleague.
Supports Cannon teams in New York, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Victoria, and Mumbai; directly manages lighting designers in Boston.
Projects have won six lighting industry awards, including IALD Award of Excellence for the MD Anderson Banner Cancer Center, Phoenix.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Contributing author/editor, “ASHRAE GreenGuide.”
Board Member, Designers Lighting Forum of New England; Co-chair for events and programming for Boston Lights trade show.
Active in Illuminating Engineering Society, USGBC, National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions, and PSU Architectural Engineering Alumni Association.
Volunteer service: Horizons for Homeless Children; ACE mentor.
Spent a month in Nepal with nonprofit Light Up the World.
Liaison to Boston office for Cannon’s pro bono Open Hand Studio.
OFF THE CLOCK
Activities: skiing, sailing, singing, hiking, puzzles, playing music.
Lighting designer/board operator for The Footlight Club, America’s oldest community theatre.
SECRET LIFE
Reached the International Championship of Collegiate A Capella competition with her award-winning college music group.
ASSOCIATION NETWORKER
ANDY YEH, AIA, LEED AP
Managing Principal
Fox Architects LLC, Washington, D.C.
AGE: 38
BArch, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As Fox’s youngest partner, opened firm’s first D.C. office in 2004 and has managed sustained growth with a staff of 40.
Portfolio includes high-end interiors, new construction, renovation, and landlord services. Has developed a strong specialty in association/nonprofit work.
Recent projects: 92,000-sf American Chemistry Council headquarters, 50,000-sf Nuclear Energy Institute Headquarters, 30,000-sf SoundExchange headquarters, 61,000-sf American Association for Justice headquarters.
AGC DC Metro Architect of the Year, 2012.
IIDA Mid-Atlantic Circle Pinnacle Award, 2011 (American Chemistry Council).
USGBC National Capital Region, LEED CI Office Project of the Year (BP America Government Affairs Office, LEED Platinum).
NAIOP Awards of Excellence, 2012 (three), 2010, 2009 (two), 2008, 2007, 2003.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Provides pro bono planning services and fundraising for the Sitar Arts Center, a community arts organization in Washington.
Volunteers with Jubilee Support Alliance and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
OFF THE CLOCK
Favorite movies: “Fargo,” “No Country for Old Men,” “Lost in Translation,” “Inception.”
SECRET LIFE
Audiophile, with particular fondness for drum and bass. “Half my music collection consists of electronic genres such as trance and techno, the other half is jazz. There’s nothing in between.
