American Builders Quarterly #91

Sizzle Is KinG How Chris Mott brings enthusiasm and creativity to innovating the Burger King experience P10

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Go behind the counter to see how four food industry executives are elevating the customer experience and leading innovative teams to make each build better than the last P8

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CONTENTS

Bridge the Gap Christy Connors helps California’s department of transportation redo its biggest roads and revitalizes her career at the same time P44

Transportation Is “Bigger in Texas” How Dee Leggett helps make travel easier than ever for people in the DallasFort Worth region P30

Christy Connors (Caltrans), Mason Fisher(Samford University), Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)

Considering Every Angle Jeff Poleshek takes on the challenging task of modernizing building while honoring Samford University’s historic architecture P86

CONTENTS

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C Buck/Courtesy of the City and County of Denver, Aaron Fairooz (Dutch Bros)

Teamwork Helps Denver Grow Evelyn Baker and Jill Jennings Golich work from the inside out to make the Denver metropolis vibrant, resilient, equitable, and green P120

Speed, Efficiency, and Accuracy Jefferey Bennett brings more than three decades of experience to Dutch Bros’ expansion P154

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CONTENTS

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FEATURE

Go behind the counter to see how four executives are elevating the customer experience and leading innovative teams to make each build better than the last

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The Sizzle King

BY BILLY YOST

PORTRAITS BY STEVEN LEFLORE

Steven LeFlore

Chris Mott is as emphatic about building culture at Burger King as he is about innovating at the 70-year-old brand

FEATURE

Chris Mott Senior Director of Architecture, Design & Construction Burger King

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▼ New canopies in BK’s drive-throughs have fundamentally changed the way the company has addressed the drive-through experience.

NOTHING BET TER

“A flame-grilled Whopper? There truly is nothing better,” Mott says. “I was so excited to come here and shape the Burger King brand and evolve it as our customers evolve. I’m not sure if you can tell, but I’m extremely passionate about what I do.”

It’s the culture, along with the Whopper, that really sold Mott, who initially came to the organization as a construction manager before working his way up to his current role.

“We’ve created a culture here that truly encourages people inside the organization to take ownership, and I know that can be kind of vague so let me explain what that means,” he explains. “I’m an owner in many different levels. I’m the owner of what I do for the brand. I’m an owner for my department. I’m an owner invested in my career. I love the fact that we are given the autonomy to be creative, to be innovative. Your growth here is based on what you do. It’s a true meritocracy.”

Mott is especially proud of the cross-functional teams that have developed across the organization. With so many different teams working across marketing, imaging, and digital, the design team brings the most

Courtesy of Burger King

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American Builders Quarterly first spoke with Chris Mott, senior director of architecture, design, and construction, in the full swing of the pandemic in January 2021.

At the time, Mott highlighted the modernization efforts, high-visibility design choices, and tech advancements to help Burger King (BK) reinvigorate its 70-year-old brand.

But amidst all of the new ideas being rolled in at the Home of the Whopper, there’s one critical factor that may have been overlooked: Mott himself.

Mott’s first tenure with BK began when he was just 16 years old. The future construction leader worked behind the counter of a Burger King in Glenwood, Illinois, that has been subsequently torn down and rebuilt again—its own tribute to a leader who went on to forge his own successful design and construction career before returning to the organization in 2012.

The senior director was at BK during the new construction and had the chance to celebrate, knowing that the location that provided him his first job might now be employing another future executive.

How many of us would be excited to return to our first job at one of the highest levels? Mott’s enthusiasm, as it turns out, is contagious.

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▼ BK strives to meet the needs and expectation of digitally minded customers.

invested stakeholders to the table to create an unrivaled experience for BK’s guests.

Especially during a post-COVID-19 era, Mott says working nimbly is the key to success in-house at BK. “If you can’t pivot and be nimble at a moment’s notice, I think it demonstrates a lack of awareness and ability to make the decisions necessary that will ultimately be transformative,” he attests. “I think I’ve done a very good job of adapting to be nimble, to be pragmatic, to be transformative. But it’s always part of longer strategic planning. It’s just figuring out how you get there.”

Take, for example, the always-elusive idea of adapting for more digitally minded customers. It’s an exercise and topic ever-present in retail, restaurant, and countless other industries. Mott admits that over 11 years, digital adoption by customers has occurred much more quickly than most people were truly prepared for.

The executive says it’s imperative to embrace the future while also finding a way to continue to serve the customers who grew up with BK in the 1970s or 1980s. It’s a difficult balance of celebrating one’s heritage and history, while also working to serve customers who might be most familiar with BK by having it delivered by UberEats and other mobile-ordering platforms to their homes.

“Now more than ever, it is critical to blend digital and physical environments in order to meet the rising expectations of customers,” says Sara Grofcsik, executive director of US commercial sales at Samsung Electronics of America. “Samsung digital display technologies can help surprise and delight customers by creating engaging experiences that foster meaningful connections through every point of contact.”

“A flame-grilled Whºpper? There truly is nothing better.”

THE SIZZLE FACTOR

Embracing the future comes in a number of different ways. When it comes to design and construction at BK, it’s called “the sizzle.” This major initiative works in close collaboration with the design agency ChangeUp to truly create a design specific to Burger King and their rich history.

“The team at ChangeUp partnered with Burger King on the new concept to reignite the soul of the brand into the

▲ BK embraces innovation while also finding a way to serve customers who grew up with the brand in the 1970s or 1980s.

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▼ For dine-in experiences, BK leans into its warm, golden-brown tones and aims to provide a backyard barbeque-like experience for outdoor seating.

restaurant experience. It’s a bold, fresh look that is not only distinct, but captures the sizzle and ‘craveability’ of the Whopper—our inspiration for the design,” says Jamie Cornelius, executive creative director at ChangeUp. The sizzle runs the gamut from design and prototypes that will exclusively address mobile order pickup, pickup delivery, and will allocate one of its traditional double drive-throughs for UberEats, GrubHub, and other mobile ordering.

“We understand that between 70 to 80 percent of the experience we generate is for our drive-through guests, so that was our first focus,” Mott says. “We wanted to create a distinct concept that enhances the guest experience, captures the brand spirit, and can be applied to both new and existing restaurants.”

As a result, BK focused on designing for excitement, leading with experience, planning for change, and moving forward with the motto that “more isn’t always better,” by adopting a zero-sum budget philosophy and zero latency.

New canopies in the drive-throughs will be immediately noticeable to customers and fundamentally changes the way company has addressed its drive-through experience. Whether it’s a mobile app order or a traditional drive-through order, BK is setting a new standard. “We’re going to be bringing food out to our guests in a way that is innovative and new and allows them to have that same experience time and time again,” Mott says.

Dine-in customers shouldn’t feel slighted in the least. Read our 2021 conversation with Mott to see how

▲ The culture, and the Whopper, sold Chris Mott, who initially came to the BK as a construction manager before working his way up.

Courtesy of Burger King (Top image)

“I’ve seen so many people that worked with me go on to do amazing things, and I’m proud each and every time.”

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BK is leaning into its warm, golden-brown tones and backyard barbeque-like experience.

CHRIS CARES

When Mott talks about taking ownership in building culture, he’s willing to put it not just in writing but also in acronyms.

His team is well accustomed to CARES: culture, asset, respect, executing, and being supportive.

“What these all come down to is that no one person, including myself, is the most important person at the company,” he explains. “It’s about what you are able to offer your team in a cross-functional way.”

There are twelve additional buckets that Mott breaks down these broader concepts into. This is a leader who thinks about leading, who cares about developing his people, and who is truly, unabashedly psyched about his work.

That authenticity is critical. It’s the key factor that helps one thrive in any setting, as long as they believe. Mott is proudest

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when his team rises to meet a new challenge or role, even if it’s outside of the organization.

“I’d rather not lose them, but they need to fly,” the senior director says. “I’ve seen so many people that worked with me go on to do amazing things, and I’m proud each and every time.”

As a global technology leader, Samsung is committed to helping food and beverage providers realize the promise of a digital business with a diverse portfolio of enterprise technologies including smart signage, self-service kiosks, and LED video walls. Whether your customers are visiting through the drive-through or counter service, make the guest experience one to remember with enticing visuals and dynamic displays. Samsung display solutions make food service more seamless and personalized for guests, and more efficient and profitable for your business. Just like Chris, embrace “the sizzle” by modernizing your restaurant’s brand with vibrant signage from Samsung. For more information, please visit samsung.com/quickserve

WE DESIGN

EXPERIENCES BRAND. DESIGN. ARCHITECTURE.

ready for a change? www.changeupinc.com

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FEATURE

All Part ºf the ProceSS

BY NATALIE KOCHANOV

Steven LeFlore

The Salty Donut’s Phil Singh cultivates not only a process for building out new locations but also the relationships that bring that process to life

Phil Singh Director of Construction & New Store Development The Salty Donut

W Courtesy of the Salty Donut

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When Phil Singh first heard from the Salty Donut about a job opening in September 2022, his mind went to an unexpected place: the history of his then employer, MOD Pizza. The way he saw it, the two restaurant chains had more in common than their respective specialties—donuts and pizza—might suggest.

“While I was working at MOD, I heard about the company’s early days and the startup feel of growing this small pizza shop in Seattle into a brand across the country,” Singh explains. “It’s similar to where the Salty is now, as a small, family-owned business based out of Miami that’s looking to expand.”

Excited by the prospect of getting in on the ground floor, Singh jumped at the opportunity to join the Salty as director of construction and new store development.

Since coming on board, he has focused on establishing a streamlined process for rolling out new locations with the help of trusted collaborators both inside and outside the organization.

Singh got his start at an architecture firm after training as a draftsman. His interests broadened over time

The Salty Donut is a family-owned business based in Miami that strives to expand nationwide.

to encompass project management and, more specifically, construction management—an evolution that led him to shift from the architecture side of the industry to the owner side. That move, in turn, landed him in the food service space, where he remains to this day.

Before accepting his current role, Singh facilitated the rebranding and growth of a Domino’s franchisee in Washington, DC, then oversaw construction across the eastern US for MOD Pizza. Although he certainly draws on these experiences at the Salty, he has encountered a newfound variety in his day-to-day life that presents its own set of challenges. “Being at a small company, I seem to wear different hats at different times during the day,” he elaborates. “My main focus is obviously on construction, but sometimes I’m pulled into managing facilities or finding a handyman or furniture and equipment—lots of things that might not fall into a ‘normal’ day.”

Singh has also faced the challenge of operating as a one-man department. This particular challenge, however, has offered him a chance to make his mark on the organization. “There was no construction depart-

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“There was no constructiºn department prior to my joining, so I’ve been creating a whºle prºcess for how we will build and expand.” ment prior to my joining, so I’ve been creating a whole process for how we will build and expand,” he says.

Singh’s process covers every step along the path to opening a new store, from initial landlord engagement by the Salty’s real estate partner to staff hiring and training on the part of the operations team. “I’ve developed a process to track each step of the construction phases Mooring Commercial Construction serves major industries across the United States as a general contractor delivering construction, design-build, and construction management solutions. As specialists in new construction, renovations, tenant improvements, and metal building systems, we’re built to build better—effectively combining emerging technology with the lost art of the personal touch. Collaborating with commercial clients on the vision of a project isn’t just how we make our living, it’s what gets us out of bed in the morning. As a recognized industry leader, Mooring is the life’s work of three family generations—built to last. What can we build for you?

and make them visible to everybody within the organization,” he says. “There are certain milestones that need to be met and other stakeholders who are involved, such as our IT department and our coffee vendor.”

Beyond maintaining company-wide awareness of a project’s status, Singh seeks to integrate all departments of the Salty into the rollout process. He makes a point of building strong relationships throughout the organization to promote open communication around his and the company’s wants, needs, and expectations.

“Ultimately, the operations team is my client within the company,” he shares. “I’m building these spaces for them, so I want their input on what works, what does not work, what can be changed on future projects, and how we can best serve them.”

Singh matches this purpose in his relationships with external parties such as product vendors and general contractors (GCs). In addition to reinforcing bonds with

Courtesy of the Salty Donut

▲ The Salty Donut is committed to bringing delicious, quality food and coffee to neighborhoods across the country.

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▲ The Salty Donut’s efficient expansion is due to the efficiency of the planning and coordination process.

“Ultimately, the operations team is my client within the company. I’m building these spaces for them, so I want their input on what works, what does not work, what can be changed on future projects, and how we can best serve them.”

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teams who have worked with the Salty in the past, he leverages his extensive network to bring new collaborators into the picture. By turning to his contacts in existing and untapped markets, he can not only trust that the project will get done and done well, but also pave the way for the Salty’s expansion.

The process Singh has designed fosters the Salty’s growth by increasing the efficiency with which new locations come online. Each step can happen in smooth succession because of careful behind-the-scenes planning and coordination. “By the time our permit is approved, I already have a GC lined up so we can move right into construction,” Singh offers as an example. “The most impactful thing I’ve done at the Salty so far is demonstrate where we can find savings in a project, most importantly being able to reduce the construction schedule. This leads to our ultimate goal of being able to open stores sooner than we have in the past.”

Singh believes that the changes he’s made up to this point will continue to pay dividends down the line, even as he leaves space for procedures to fluctuate as the Salty expands. “My number one job is continuing to build and refine a process for growing at scale, and then continuing to build the team both internally and externally to support that aggressive growth,” he says. “Because at the end of the day, it’s about bringing incredibly delicious donuts and coffee to neighborhoods across the country.”

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Fruits ºf Labor Navid Ariaban took a risk when he came in as one of the directors of build and launch at Bowery Farming, but it was all worthwhile

Steven LeFlore

BY LUCY CAVANAGH

FEATURE

Navid Ariaban Director of Build & Launch Bowery Farming

Mark Depauli

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“How many times do you get an opportunity to build something from pure scratch?” Navid Ariaban posed this question to himself when Bowery Farming asked him to be the agricultural start-up’s director of build and launch in 2021. He had spent the previous seven years at EY, moving up the ranks in its construction and real estate consulting practice.

During Ariaban’s first visit to one of the farms, he immediately saw that building with Bowery would be unlike any other builds he had ever worked on. He was blown away by the operations of its renewable energy and irrigation systems.

“At that point, I had been on a lot of projects, even a few nuclear power plants, so I was pretty hard to impress,” Ariaban says. “But I was absolutely mesmerized by the technology at the grow facility and how advance and meticulous these builds would be. I knew this was not your typical build.”

Bowery Farming primarily produces leafy greens in its 100 percent sustainable indoor farms. Its

community-first philosophy aims to address global issues on the local level first. When presented with this opportunity, Ariaban received support from his mentors at EY, then he plunged into the new challenge. “I said to myself, let me take that risk, or else I’m going to regret it someday,” he remembers.

When working on such complex projects at Bowery Farming, complications and problems are to be expected. Ariaban likens his team’s operations to an orchestra, in which all the elements work together rather than in silos. “If there’s an issue, I want my team to tell me quickly. One of my biggest sayings is, ‘Everything is solvable,’” he says. “I like to hear my team’s ideas first, and then figure out the best solution together. We are highly collaborative and transparent with the other departments.”

Ariaban emphasizes how grateful he is for his team members and attributes their success so far to them. To name a few: Dorothea Tsang, one of the team’s senior project managers, has been fundamental to Bowery's work on the Locust Grove facility in Georgia; Magdalini Fliska, another senior project manager, is currently handling preconstruction activities for a future farm; Caolan Sleeper, the construction contracts manager, has overseen all contracts throughout the process as

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“How many times do you get an opportunity to build something from pure scratch?” ◀ Bowery Farming primarily produces leafy greens in its 100 percent sustainable indoor farms.

well as Anton Rozich, Ariaban’s counterpart for the west region; Kamini Dunne-Rao, is a senior project manager working on an Arlington, Texas, project; Chris Grimaldi, acts as the group’s senior director of real estate; and the practice is led by Ted Speas.

When thinking about the work he's accomplished, Ariaban credits FLEXSPACE for its incomparable support throughout the past year.

Since joining Bowery, Ariaban has been involved in the construction of three facilities. One in Maryland in CMC Design Build has been providing architectural, engineering, and construction services for companies in the food and beverage industries since 1989. From the site search through working drawings, permitting, and construction, our staff is responsible for maintaining value in all areas of our projects. To us, value means balancing the cost, quality, and schedule of projects in a manner that affords our clients the best opportunity to maximize their potential for profit.

the city of Nottingham, and, more recently, the newly opened farm in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The facility in Bethlehem, right in the heart of the Lehigh Valley, is located on a former brownfield that used to be the location of a steel mill, which is currently dedicated to growing leafy greens. The third facility is in Locust Grove, Georgia, located just outside of Atlanta, and it is set to open in this year.

With each new farm, Ariaban and his team learn something new that they can bring to the next build, so that each facility build is better than the last. “We make improvements to efficiency, whether it’s light efficiency, irrigation water quality, or logistics,” he shares. “We’re also trying to make these builds faster and manage them better. That’s one of the biggest bottom lines.”

Ariaban and his team wisely consider many factors when choosing the locations of Bowery Farm-

Mark Depauli

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▲ Navid Ariaban is grateful to his team and attributes their success to their hard work.

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Architecture . Engineering . Construction Feasibility Studies | Facility Master Planning | Facility Sizing and Layout

ing facilities, including the proximity to major cities.

Bowery favors locations that will allow its employees to commute easily and without burning tons of gas— ideally close enough that public transportation would be an option.

The company also does its best to be close to cities to feed sizable populations with locally grown food.

“Honestly, our lettuce tastes different than your regular lettuce that was grown in California,” Ariaban explains. “It’s grown closer to the city that we are selling it in, so the food is fresher, and it lasts longer. We aren’t spending as much on transportation, and it’s also better for the environment.”

Furthermore, Bowery Farming’s approach is centered on serving the community. Bowery partners with local food banks to provide fresh, healthy produce to food-insecure populations. “It’s making the world a better place, frankly,” Ariaban remarks. “I knew it was going to be very hard coming in, but it’s going to help change the industry, and now we’re starting to see some fruits of that labor.”

Maximizing Efficiency in Food & Beverage Facilities Since 1989

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888.328.2962 | cmcdesign-build.com

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Building utside the BºX As senior director of facilities at Cava, Dale Moore builds diverse, creative thinking teams—all without a college degree

Steven LeFlore

BY CLAIRE REDDEN

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American culture has paved a path to success, one that has dictated the life choices of many of us from a young age: go to college, graduate, receive degrees along with the associated student loans, and get a job quickly so you can pay them off. As the nation’s collective student loan debts reach numbers in the hundreds of billions, the concept of a college education has become a big question mark, riddled with dollar signs. For Dale Moore, senior director of facilities at Cava, college wasn’t even a discussion. For him, the “unconventional” was the norm.

“In my situation, college wasn’t offered to me. It wasn’t a thing in my household, so it wasn’t something I even thought about,” Moore recounts. “My parents were both blue-collar; my dad worked in construction, and my mom worked in a shipping department. Neither of them went to college, and that was the culture we all lived in.” So, when his friends went off to college, he knew it was time for him to enter the workforce.

FEATURE

Dale Moore Senior Director of Facilities Cava

Starting from the age of 18, Moore worked several jobs until he found one at a construction company specializing in restaurant repairs. Beginning as a helper, he worked night shifts, mostly hauling out the trash from the work site. But in his seven years at the company, he was able to work his way up: first, to working the day shift, then becoming a service technician, and, finally, stepping into an assistant project manager role.

“I knew that I didn’t want to swing a hammer for the rest of my life. I had the drive, and how I did it was by being very persistent. I went to the owner and asked for opportunities to do what he did. Whether it was in my own free time or paid, I didn’t really care. I just wanted to get my foot in the door and start learning,” Moore explains.

In time, his drive paid off. The opportunities and his hard work aligned, and Moore found himself first in line as the company’s account manager, where he got to work with restaurants like Olive Garden, PF Chang’s, Chick-fil-A, and Chipotle, one of his biggest customers and the company he would spend six years working for, eventually becoming the restaurant chain’s lead facilities manager.

Courtesy of Dale Moore

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“In my situation, cºllege wasn’t offered to me. It wasn’t a thing in my hºusehold, so it wasn’t something I even thought about.”

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A CHOICE, NOT A REQUIREMENT Pursuing a college education is a big life choice, especially for those whose parents didn’t do so. If anyone knows about that, it’s Dale Moore. Growing up in a blue-collar family, he admits that going to college wasn’t much of a consideration, let alone a discussion they had at the dinner table.

Today, Moore offers advice to those who may not have the space, or the resources, to have those big conversations. As he says, “It all depends on what you strive to be.”

For Moore, there were some advantages to not going to college: “I was able to get a head start by entering the workforce at an early age.” However, there have been disadvantages along with them. “I didn’t get that basic experience in writing, public speaking, math, or Excel sheets—those are all things I’m catching up to,” he says.

Nevertheless, he’s gotten this far. But, to climb the ranks in his early days, Moore could not just do what he was asked—he had to push himself to pursue more. He also has dyslexia and is proud to be an inspiring figure for anyone who has struggled with similar challenges.

“You definitely have to put yourself out there, to be around the right people, and be willing to learn from them,” he explains.

“I learned a lot in the field, and I don’t think people should think negatively about going to college later in life. As my career continues to grow, maybe getting an MBA is something I’ll want.”

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“I strongly believe that our partnerships are a conduit of us; it’s not us versus them. We solve problems together.”

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A few years later, a colleague reached out to Moore from Cava—a Mediterranean food and restaurant chain—about stepping in as senior director of facilities. Since entering the position, the company’s development team has been leading the project to transform Zoe’s Kitchen Restaurants into Cava locations, with Moore assisting along the way.

As the project begins to wrap up this year, Dale reflects on how his internal teams and vendor partnerships have grown. “I strongly believe that our partnerships are a conduit of us; it’s not us versus them. We solve problems together,” he says.

In fact, problem solving, whether it’s critical or creative, is a big part of the job and a key element that Moore pushes all of his team members to learn. “We never want to say no; we’re problem solvers by nature.

If you hit a dead end, you think outside of the box to get around that barrier and the next.”

This mindset also bleeds into his other leadership values, as all team members’ ideas are actively encouraged. “We have people from different genders, nationalities cultures, and experiences, and we have people from backgrounds in retail, restaurants, and gyms,” Moore proclaims. “When one of us has an idea, we all can learn from it. In the end, everyone rises together.”

Concepts Outlining the strategies, advancements, and new ways of thinking that will renovate the workforce and project delivery

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CONCEPTS

DART-ing around DallasFort Worth As Dee Leggett helps the Silver Line come to fruition, she knows it can make travel easier than ever for people in the DallasFort Worth region

Dallas Area Rapid Transit

By Russ Klettke

CONCEPTS

▼ DART envisions a bright, accessible future ahead with its upcoming projects.

Most single-modality, futuristic transportation projects—such as the bullet trains in California or the bored tunnels under Las Vegas—are merely conceptual at this point, but a surprisingly robust multimodal system has been up and running for almost 40 years, carrying 36.1 million riders annually, in a place not typically associated with abundant public transportation: Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW). Under new leadership like Dee Leggett, executive vice president (EVP) and chief development officer, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) serves a surrounding metro area of 13 cities, covering over 700 square miles.

One of the many perks of DART is that travelers from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport can be whisked directly to downtown stations—something New York City’s LaGuardia and Kennedy International airports have yet to accomplish. Fast-growing suburban cities

north of downtown will soon be connected with direct airport service via the Silver Line. And what the system might lack in futurism, it makes up in sheer size and an unerring focus on their customers. “As we say in Texas, we like things bigger in Texas,” says Leggett.

She’s not kidding. DART has a bus fleet of almost 700 vehicles, 14 bus transit centers, a 93-mile light rail system (with 65 stations), a commuter rail system with ten stations over 39 miles, and even a 2.4-mile streetcar system in downtown Dallas used by 145,400 passengers in 2021.

DART is an authority that works with multiple municipalities, serving riders and destinations in multiple counties. Three of those counties will soon be traversed by the newest member of the family: the 26-mile Silver Line. It will link the cities of Plano, Richardson, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Grapevine,

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CONCEPTS

▼ Aerial view of the Silver Line bridge build at Renner Road.

▲ DART serves a surrounding metro area of 13 cities, covering over 700 square miles.

and Coppell to DFW International and the Addison Regional airports.

Establishing any new form of public transportation is no small task. There will always be, at the very least, spirited community input for such a system.

It’s a communications task, and Leggett is up for the job. She has spent almost her entire career communicating to a myriad of interests around public transportation. “I have to tell the project story,” says Leggett.

Growing up with parents in public service prepared her well for this role.

Leggett’s growth is also celebrated by colleagues and peers. “Over the last decade, I have witnessed Dee Leggett develop into a strong public transportation leader. Her energy, passion, and ability to communi-

Dallas Area Rapid Transit

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“I have always believed that public administration is about sustainability, which is inherent in public transportation.”

Dee Leggett EVP and Chief Development Officer Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)

cate to so many allows her to take control and lead the region’s most complex transit projects to success,” said Stephen Knobbe, HNTB senior vice president.

Indeed, having skilled communications in public settings is essential to a project’s success, and it’s a lot more complex than ever before, given the power of social media. “It can be something as simple as construction workers parked incorrectly at a site, and within the next 24 hours, the online conversation is negative about the entire project,” Leggett relays. “Part of how we deal with this is that we keep showing up, being present, responding to concerns, and communicating the true benefits of the project, both now and in the future.”

Fortunately, the business community is and has always been in support of mass transit in the DallasFort Worth metroplex. “It goes back to when the original referendum was introduced 40 years ago,” she says. “Employers saw the need and value of a light rail system to help residents get to work, and we’ve seen developments arise around our stations.” Those businesses include headquarters for Southwest Airlines, State Farm Insurance, Toyota, and the sports and entertainment arena American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks and Stars. Additionally, DART works with private developers who build near transit stations to share parking facilities.

Among the complexities of Leggett’s work is the dynamic regional growth they’ve seen in the region.

Silver Line Regional Rail Design-Build Project awhsilverline.com

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Find a career and a community at DART.

There’s room for everyone at DART. Visit us at DART.org/careers

With an expected population increase of 4 million people by 2040, there will be new places where people live and new destinations for them to travel for work and play.

She points out that the system, by its nature, history, and design, is decentralized. Again, this is where Leggett’s skills as a public administrator come in handy. To effectively design and operate a complex system of trains, buses, rapid bus lines, light rail, and even some “last mile” services require partnerships with economic development entities in the DART service area. Additionally, land-use planners collaborate with Leggett’s team on an ongoing basis, because the two are interdependent and driving towards the same goals.

Those goals break down into three categories: make car trips optional to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, fulfill a social responsibility to provide equal-access transportation, and support the regional economy.

“I have always believed that public administration is about sustainability, which is inherent in public transportation,” says Leggett.

So even while Texas was famously built on an oil economy, Leggett and DART provide plenty of evidence that transitioning to a lower-carbon transportation system is good for its future economy and achievable right now.

Since 1972, Herzog has been the preferred company for building railroads and rail transit systems. Clients prefer Herzog because we are track experts. Our diverse portfolio of projects connects communities and transportation infrastructure across North America. We are proud to be a construction contractor for Dallas Area Rapid Transit and look forward to expanding our 17-year partnership with Dee Leggett and everyone on the DART team.

WE BUILD YOUR DART TRAINS WITH PASSION As a leading passenger train manufacturer, Stadler offers a broad product portfolio from light rail vehicles to commuter rail and locomotives and provides signalling solutions as well as maintenance services to customers world-wide. www.stadlerrail.com

HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure firm serving public and private owners and contractors.

With 109 years of service, HNTB understands the life cycle of infrastructure and addresses clients’ most complex technical, financial and operational challenges. The firm delivers engineering and architectural services for airports, bridges, roadways, highways, tolling, transit, rail, planning, program/construction management, and more to clients throughout North Texas and the US Clients include the Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Texas Department of Transportation, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, North Texas Tollway Authority, and others. For more information, visit hntb.com.

EXPERTS

in planning, creating innovative solutions, maintaining safety,

WHILE SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY.

WSP|AZ&B is pleased to provide Project Management Owners Representative services to the DART Silver Line Regional Rail Project. wsp.com | azb-engrs.com

Connecting People, Bridging Communities DART South Oak Cliff (SOC-3) Blue Line Extension The DART South Oak Cliff (SOC-3) Blue Line Extension was the final project on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s planned expansion program that allows commuters to move more effectively and efficiently around Dallas. HNTB is a proud partner and supporter of DART and Dee Leggett, Executive Vice President of Growth and Regional Development.

The HNTB Companies Infrastructure Solutions hntb.com

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Utility-Scale Solar Enters the Smart Age Renewable energy’s economic feasibility will surpass fossil fuel-generated electricity in this decade. Alex Roedel and the engineers at Nextracker have figured out how to make solar farms more productive and costeffective in order to implement them in more places than ever before.

By Russ Klettke

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Courtesy of Nextracker

Nextracker leads the way with its innovative plans for solargenerated electricity.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), which compiles and analyzes data from the global energy sector, solar energy is advancing faster than envisioned just a year ago. The agency revised its previous projections in late 2022 on what is to come from solar energy. In a nutshell, they say solar will surpass coal and natural gas in total power capacity by 2027 and become the largest energy source in the world.

All matters of technology, politics, and sustainability aside, the reason for this is simple: “Solar has the best economics of any energy source and the Lazard data among many other sources have proven this,” says Alex Roedel, vice president of design and engineering for Nextracker, the leading manufacturer of solar tracking systems already at work on six continents. “We now have a situation where the economics of solar and scalable technologies combined create the lowest energy

cost without subsidies. This is why utility-scale solar energy is undergoing exponential growth.”

Nextracker plays a big role in those emerging technologies, but it makes neither solar panels nor batteries. The company provides intelligent and integrated solar tracking systems and software solutions for ground-mounted, utility-scale solar projects. Their key products, NX Horizon, NX Horizon-XTR, and NX Gemini—which are all run by the company’s proprietary optimization and monitoring software packages— intelligently respond to the movement of the sun and factor for uneven terrain, shadows, overcast weather, and extreme weather events.

Further, the company designs and builds with minimal soil disruption, which otherwise adds to construction costs and its carbon footprint. Bulldozing land to accommodate a standard, straight line solar array can also harm native species and lead to soil erosion

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“By using differentiated single-axis tracker design and intelligent control capabilities to mitigate these risks, stakeholders can meet financial expectations and unlock new and varied solar development opportunities.”

from altered watersheds. A Nextracker-supported solar field will undulate with the land and still maximize its energy production. This also has the added benefit of reducing steel in the supporting structures (an alternative way to build on uneven terrain is to simply build taller support structures, which adds to costs).

Roedel speaks passionately about how smart installations of solar farms makes them more productive.

Nextracker has been part of the construction of solar farms since the company was founded in 2013, most of them with panels that track the sun—morning to evening, adjusting also to the earth’s seasonal tilt— so panels are perpendicular to the sunlight. This achieves maximum electric production from the entire solar project.

An IPO by the company in February 2023 exceeded expectations; yet another endorsement that smart money is on solar power.

Currently, Texas is the largest producer of new solar-generated electricity in the US. But with Nextracker products in place, significantly larger solar farms are now operating in places north of the Sun Belt.

One solar farm is the Mammoth Solar project in northwest Indiana that extends over 13,000 acres, which is the approximate surface area of 1,000 football fields.

In addition, there is the Double Black Diamond Solar Project that powers 85,000 homes in Illinois.

Those are largely on flat lands, the ideal topography for a solar farm. But much of the world is hilly and even mountainous, which formerly made utility-scale solar power less profitable to construct.

“We’ve figured out ways to adapt to rolling hills,” Roedel says. “And that brings down the cost of solar in places like the southeast portion of the US, which is hilly.” They accomplish this with the NX Horizon-XTR, a product that simplifies construction on undulating tracts of land. An added benefit of not bulldozing the land is that it can expedite the permitting process.

These more cost efficient, adaptive technologies also offer important benefits in developing countries where electricity, and therefore internet connectivity, are not yet available. In countries such as Mali, Angola, and Kazakhstan, the rural areas can leapfrog fossil-fuel generated power and go straight to solar-generated electricity.

Among the white papers Roedel has written is a two-part series, “Mitigating Extreme Weather Risk,” advising how the company can mitigate hail, snow, floods, sand, and soil accumulations that damage solar panels or diminish productivity. In a nutshell, the

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Alex Roedel VP of Design & Engineering Nextracker Inc.

Courtesy of Nextracker

company is able to assess region-specific risk profiles in the project design stage and use the products and software to reduce damage and insurance claims.

“By using differentiated single-axis tracker design and intelligent control capabilities to mitigate these risks, stakeholders can meet financial expectations and unlock new and varied solar development opportunities,” Roedel writes.

These days, Roedel is now responsible for a team of 60 engineers who design Nextracker systems around the world. How does he manage that? “I don’t hire myself,” he says. “I look for different kinds of people.

Diversity is big for us. We need different engineering solutions for every site and the kinds of innovative people who can solve problems in smart ways. The best ideas come from a diverse team that represents the world we live in.”

SOLV Energy is a solar EPC and services provider for utility solar, high-voltage substation, and energy storage markets across North America. We believe that good energy has a ripple effect. That’s why we only take on projects that provide cleaner power, better jobs, greater education, and a brighter future for our communities. SOLV Energy has worked closely with the Nextracker team to deploy and optimize innovative tracking solutions on 7GW of solar energy projects.

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Growth with a Plus

William Lyon/ Courtesy of Plus Power

Plus Power’s Kapolei Energy Storage (KES) is located on the island of Oahu.

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At Plus Power, Naveen Abraham boosts impact with his focus on compassionate leadership and intentional planning to increase company growth

By Karen Schwartz

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As the head of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) at Plus Power, Naveen Abraham is proud of the business that he’s helped grow since he joined in May 2021. “When I came in, we were a small company, and the company was really focused on delivering one particular project,” he says. “Now we have so many projects in different stages. We’re fortunate we grew the way we did, and that we had the vision to do so.”

Organization is key for the standalone battery energy storage developer-operator, which has also grown to more than 100 employees. Especially with increasing lead times due to the pandemic and global conflict, getting started earlier and being organized has given Plus Power an edge when it comes to picking products and locking in contracts.

“We get to choose by starting early,” he says. “All of this only comes from the fact that we work in a very relationship-based fashion.” The company prioritizes mutual respect and repeat business with contractors and vendors, he says. It doesn’t necessarily mean hiring the cheapest contractor, but it does mean being reasonable and finding partners who believe everyone should be making a profit.

Abraham manages a team of about 20 people, whom he and his team hired in a methodical fashion, bringing on a few people at a time. “We hire based on what we need to do,” he explains. “We hire a lot from within our network—people I know personally or have heard of from someone who’s joined the team, someone they know.”

A person’s fit on the team is a big piece of the puzzle, he says, because they spend so much time together.

“We tend to find people who would fit well in our environment and thrive here,” he says, adding that they look for driven people who like to get things done.

Modeling transparency is one of the central tenets of his leadership. Abraham believes it’s important for team members to feel comfortable asking difficult questions and handling difficult feedback, which has the potential to help them improve and grow within our organization. It’s also important to give employees a chance to feel invested in their growth.

“As I bring people on board, I always ask them, ‘What do you want to do a year from now, three years from now, five years from now,’” he says. “I want to make sure everybody who works here is happy and

“Every person we add shows there’s more work to be done and more success to be gained, and that’s the best success you can get, watching the fruits of your labor.”

content with being here, and if they’re not, we should support them to fulfill their dreams, whatever that may be.”

EPC team members work on procurement, execution engineering, construction, and preconstruction, he notes. It’s the full life cycle, from project conceptualization through commissioning to turning on the project, Abraham says. After the project is turned on and commissioned, it goes to Plus Power’s asset management team, who keep it operating and make sure key maintenance is done.

“We strive to have a constant feedback loop with it.

Asset Management tells us what’s failing, what we can do better, and how we can lower operational costs,” he says. “Because we own and operate the project, we try to build projects that cost as little as possible to

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Naveen Abraham Head of Engineering, Procurement & Construction

Marc Schechter/Courtesy of Plus Power

Plus Power

SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY THAT POWERS OUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE U.S. Learn more about our experience at cianbro.com

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maintain, as opposed to building it cheaply and spending a lot on maintenance.”

Abraham says he enjoys being involved in projects in multiple regions with different battery technologies, and today Plus Power has 8,000 megawatts of utility-scale projects in roughly 25 states. “The markets and the company have both evolved, with the company putting more systems and technology in place and building a stronger culture. I think the world is just getting to a place where they’re understanding the value of energy storage,” he says. “Energy Storage projects not only provide capacity services, but also provide ancillary services which can increase the stability of the grid.”

Meanwhile, Abraham notes he’s also honored to watch the company grow and see his employees take on more responsibilities. “Watching the company grow from 30 to over 100 people is really exciting. You get a sense of achievement,” he says. “Every person we add shows there’s more work to be done and more success to be gained, and that’s the best success you can get, watching the fruits of your labor.”

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Bridge the Gap

▼ Aerial view of summer monsoon damage. Eastbound traffic moved from damaged detour onto brand-new eastbound concrete lanes.

After many years in design, Christy Connors is now helping California’s department of transportation redo its biggest roads and revitalizing her career at the same time

By Zach Baliva Ryan Espoy

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◀ Paving of hot mix asphalt underlayment for Eastbound I-10 while eastbound traffic is on median detour road. The concrete batch plant for the new concrete is in the background.

Christy Connors packed all of her belongings into a car and headed west. It was 1991, long before the era of Google Maps, or even MapQuest. She used an old-fashioned atlas to find her way from Pennsylvania to California to take her first job out of college with Caltrans. Before then, Connors had never even been to the Golden State. More than 30 years later she is building and renovating its biggest interstate highways.

Caltrans is California’s Department of Transportation. Based in the state capital of Sacramento, the department aims to “provide a safe, sustainable, integrated, and efficient transportation system to enhance California’s economy and livability.” It is divided into 12 districts, whose workers manage all aspects of highways, expressways, and freeways.

When HR teams at Caltrans recruited Connors from Virginia Tech, they sent her a VHS tape about the High Sierras. It showed the trees, mountains, trails, and fishing holes of Inyo County–Caltrans District 9. It was dusk when Connors’ car finally arrived in Bishop, California, a town she remembers driving by that now has 3,820 residents.

Fast-forward to today, Connors is the department’s deputy district director for construction in District 8.

In that role, she manages huge projects like the $780 million, multi-year endeavor to redo 70 miles of Interstate 10 between Palm Springs and the Arizona state line. The program, called Fix-it-First, uses state and

federal fundings to rebuild California by focusing on upgrading roads and enhancing safety.

But Connors didn’t start out in construction at Caltrans. In fact, she spent the first part of her engineering career on the design side. After a mandatory rotation program took the civil engineer through stints in design, construction, and electives like surveying, she transferred to District 8 to design for San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

From 1995 to 2019, Connors worked diligently on projects both large and small. In 2008, Connors became design deputy, and during her tenure in leadership, the team always delivered 100 percent of its program, which has anywhere from 12 to 36 projects annually.

In 2019, Connors’s counterpart in construction was promoted, and she stepped in to replace him on an interim basis. After three months, she was given the opportunity to take the job full-time. Although Connors lacked traditional construction credentials, she knew she was ready. “I had the right leadership and management skills to take on a new challenge,” she explains.

“I had the people skills and knew the technical side would come with time.” The deputy director spent her first few weeks reading manuals, policies, and procedures to ease the transition.

Today, Connors leads 300 employees. Together, they administer construction contracts after they go out to bid, and now the team has 50 projects that total more than 1 billion dollars. Although it’s a large division

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Christy Connors Deputy District Director for Construction Caltrans

“We have to make sure that we see ourselves as public servants who are doing our best for the people of California.”

that also includes inspection, labor compliance, and disadvantaged business goals, Connors says her overall goal is simple. “We are here to get jobs built and open to the public as we serve the people of California,” she explains.

While Caltrans’ construction teams handle many projects, their primary focus is on California’s Fix it First initiative to revamp roadways and improve what already exists instead of adding new assets. Connors, therefore, handles many repairs and upgrades to bridges, pavements, and culverts.

In doing so, she’s bridging the gap between design and construction. When Connors was on the design side, she lamented the way those in construction did certain things. Now, she sees the “why” behind their choices and works collaboratively with design to address change orders and design issues. She has the unique ability to provide full insight and guide those on her construction team to know what questions to ask designers to get faster resolutions and better outcomes.

In many ways, the change has revitalized her career. It forced her to get out of her comfort zone and learn a whole new side of the agency and the industry.

Currently, the large Interstate 10 job is made up of three separate smaller projects designed to replace all the pavement on the four-lane highway. Since Interstate 10 is a major trucking route to the important Los Angeles Ports, the project poses special challenges regarding traffic handling. Connors meets this challenge by emphasizing partnership. Contract specifications require a formal partnering effort and rely on a facilitator who works with designers, construction staff, and other stakeholders involved in the development of the project. They meet on a regular basis to talk about communication, safety, schedule, costs, and goals.

Two of the three projects are traditional designbid-build, while the third is a unique design-build process. That project provides the opportunity for innovation as the contractor can customize the work to meet their exact equipment and staffing preferences.

If the contractor finds a way to reduce costs, they and Caltrans split any savings.

That happened on one of the Interstate 10 projects.

While the original plan called for workers to shift traffic, install 30 miles of concrete barriers, and widen the highway solely for traffic handling, the contractor found a way to build two temporary lanes down the middle of the highway and move traffic to the median for 15 miles at a time. The method allowed work to continue during the day. It improved safety while reducing the number of working days and saved $20 million. Sixty percent of that total went to the contractor and 40 percent was returned to Caltrans.

As Connors leads these projects, she models the way for her teams. “I lead by example,” she says. “We have

Courtesy of Christy Connors

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to make sure that we see ourselves as public servants who are doing our best for the people of California.”

That means prioritizing integrity, transparency, and accountability.

She also looks for ways to address the needs of females and ethnic minorities. Connors herself is half Japanese. “I have a responsibility to assist and promote women and minorities in this industry, because there are so few of us,” she says. Every March, during Women’s History Month, she holds meetings and events to celebrate women who have overcome challenges and excelled in their fields. For Connors, it’s all part of her job to move things forward for Caltrans.

Thirty-two years ago, she came to California looking for a job. What she found was her home.

Skanska offers innovative and sustainable solutions that build and shape the way people live, work, and connect.

We are amongst the world’s largest development and construction companies, and we pride ourselves as a leader in safety and project execution. We have built several of the most iconic infrastructure and transportation projects across the US, providing much needed access to jobs, education, and services. Skanska congratulates Christy Connors and Caltrans, as they continue “moving things forward.”

At Skanska, we build for a better society. From tunnels and bridges to power plants, hospitals to stadiums, and airports to corporate headquarters, the buildings and infrastructure we create help heal, transport, entertain, and energize communities.

EXCAVATION | STRUCTURAL CONCRETE | CONCRETE PAVING | AUTOMATION GPS Coffman Specialties, Inc. (CSI) is a Woman Owned Business Enterprise specializing in the construction of large public and governmental projects since 1991. Since our founding, we have completed nearly 100 major highway, airfield and waterway projects, focusing on cement treated pavements, mass excavation, structural concrete of all types, bridges and other complex infrastructure. Along the way, we have built strong relationships with owners, designers and contractors. These relationships, when coupled with our customer-centric approach and strong field performance, allow us to pursue and complete technically challenging construction contracts on a project-by-project basis. www.coffmanspecialties.com

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Welcome to the PostPandemic Office

By Peter Fabris

Alexander Thompson/VHT Studios

Fanatics’ gut rehab in a Manhattan office building is a window into the current state of corporate office design

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◀ Fanatics office spaces provide ample room for collaboration.

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The newly opened New York City headquarters for Fanatics, a global digital sports platform, offers insight into the state of corporate office design in a post-pandemic world. Growing quickly in recent years, Fanatics needed to expand its New York presence and did so with a new 125,000-square-foot Manhattan office located in the West Village.

The space, which opened in February 2023, brings together over 300 employees across Fanatics’ 3 distinct businesses of commerce, collectibles, and betting and gaming, and it is the first home of Fanatics Inc., its larger parent company. A key guidepost for the gut renovation of a circa 1911 structure was to make the space compelling for staff who had been working remotely for much of the last few years.

“We had several conversations about what type of work space would inspire a more regular return to the office,” says Michael Hudson, vice president of global real estate for Fanatics. The point was to make it a space that commuters would want to be in, so that their efforts leaving home felt worthwhile.

Two principles emerged from that discussion: make the space an engaging, experiential environment and provide numerous spaces of varying sizes for collaborative meetings.

In addition, the company strives to create a wow factor. For example, having a giant digital screen constantly tuned to sporting events around the

world adds a distinctive element, instilling appropriate ambience and energy for a business catering to sports fanatics.

The 21-foot HD screen looms large within two stories. Part of the floor and the ceiling were demolished to accommodate the screen and to create a large, open area that serves as a design focal point and event space. Another inspired touch is a tunnellike hallway that feeds into this space, emulating the experience of walking out from a locker room to the field of play at a stadium.

Additionally, the office will house a broadcast studio to capture athlete interviews, live card “breaking,” and other engagement opportunities through a purposefully designed, content-centric space.

One of the main goals of the design—to promote interpersonal communication and connections that spawn innovative ideas and initiatives—is reflected in the array of differently sized meeting spaces.

Gathering places include rooms akin to oversized phone booths that can accommodate 2 people, rooms with a capacity of 30, and the most commonly sized spaces hosting 4 to 6 people. Digital booking software allows teams to quickly schedule meetings when the need arises.

Two larger multipurpose spaces (one primarily used as a café) have flexible partitions that can open to host up to 100 people for special events.

For instance, during the first month after the office opened, Fanatics hosted a project launch for Topps’

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The space is exuding energy.”

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Courtesy of Michael Hudson

A 21-foot HD screen displays popular sports logos.

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Michael Hudson VP of Global Real Estate Fanatics

▲ Comfortable spots for cheering on your favorite team.

“We had several conversations about what type of work space would inspire a more regular return to the office.”

Series One Launch, a big moment for the company’s preeminent trading card brand.

The workspace designs developed as an open office, neighborhood concept with workers grouped according to function. While an open office fosters a collaborative culture, there is also a need for significant sound dampening and the inclusion of private spaces to accommodate for employees doing focused work.

As a result, Fanatics chose a design with optimized sound reflecting features, such as rugs and sound-absorbing tiles, along with piped-in white noise to lower the ambient sound volume and reduce distractions.

A few weeks after the opening, Hudson noticed that the design formula seemed to be working very well. “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” the VP says. “The space is exuding energy.”

Employees have been showing up at the office in accordance with management’s hopes, with most working onsite around three days a week.

Planning for two more phases of the project are underway. One, a 15,000-square-foot museum and retail space will showcase Fanatics’ products, collectibles, and partner brand products. As Fanatics continues to grow at a fast pace, it will need another floor of office space to raise the capacity to about 400 employees.

With a new NYC office well on its way, there is plenty more on Hudson’s plate. Fanatics recently opened its first retail sportsbook location at FedExField, home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders,

Alexander Thompson/VHT Studios

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◀ Sports paraphernalia line the office walls.

and became the first location inside an NFL stadium.

As legislators legalize sports betting in additional states, there could be more Fanatics-branded betting outlets to come.

Hudson is also responsible for overseeing about 6,000,000-square-feet of industrial and warehousing space nationwide. These facilities manufacture and distribute Fanatics products in every region of the US and in several key markets internationally.

To make the most efficient use of these properties, Hudson’s team constantly investigates ways to modernize facilities, optimize their use, and consolidate locations to maximize efficiency. The

company’s strategy for growth is a “win” across the board, as employees thrive in new work spaces throughout the country. Under Hudson’s leadership, it’s safe to bet that the future of Fanatics is in good hands.

With over 30 years of experience, J.T. Magen is one of NYC’s most-revered construction firms, grossing over $1 billion dollars in revenue and receiving numerous accolades from prominent institutions. Among J.T. Magen’s most notable projects include the NFL headquarters, Nike’s headquarters and Flagship, and, most recently, TikTok’s headquarters. J.T. Magen continues to grow and expand throughout the country, with locations in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, and Austin, to further establish their professional pool and fulfill clients’ needs wherever they are, while guaranteeing the same service J.T. Magen is known for: their commitment to honesty, integrity, and undeniable focus on quality.

Credit: Eric Laignel / Ted Moudis Associates Title: NFL Headquarters

Construction Transformed J.T. Magen is a major leader in the construction industry, ranking among the Top 50 general contractors in the U.S. and the #1 renovation contractor in NYC. In addition to this, J.T. Magen has covered the full spectrum of industries, including hospitality, retail, residential, healthcare, not-for-profit and mission-critical projects, and is the GC behind many of New York’s most iconic landmarks.

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Building Experience Kim Ernest learns from COVID-19 pandemic challenges and rebuilds at The Learning Experience

By Billy Yost

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LMG Glass and Mirror

◀ External design of a Learning Experience location.

Kim Ernest readily admits that she doesn’t mind the chaos of the building world. In fact, it seems that’s where she can do her best work. But that doesn’t make it easy for the associate vice president of construction at The Learning Experience (TLE). You just need ask how she got to her current role.

After a decade of operating her own general contracting company, Ernest made the move in-house in 2017. She came to TLE in July 2019, less than six months before the entire construction world would be turned on its head

by COVID-19.

“I was barely into my role that involved extensive travel when suddenly everything just came to a halt,” the associate vice president says. “My job went away, and I found myself at home for a few months. I was so disappointed, because in that

short period of time I had come to love the team and the organization so much.”

Then, one day she found herself answering the phone from whom she thought was a friend back at TLE. It was actually HR; they were hoping she would come back. There was an influx of new projects during a transitionary period at the organization, which is one of the fast-growing childcare franchises. Forty-five centers were completed in 2022, 39 in 2022, and more than 50 are expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

TLE also has development underway in the UK, marking a total of 344 centers currently open.

Ernest would be coming back to a role far different that her original construction manager role. She’d now be overseeing construction and facilities, because, in no uncertain terms, the post-COVID-19 environment had created entirely

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▲ Rendering of the new external design of the Learning Experience locations.

LMG Glass and Mirror

▶ Brightly colored hallways are part of the new design.

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“It was a roller coaster, but all of that work has paid off, and we continue to grow our team today.”

new structures and processes that needed to be built out, institutionalized, and maintained.

Meanwhile, she was building out an entirely new construction team. The key, Ernest explains, was to document absolutely everything and have it in writing for future members of her team.

“It was easier for me to give a new hire an entire document just in case they couldn’t get a hold of me,” Ernest says. “It was a roller coaster, but all of that work has paid off, and we continue to grow our team today.”

TLE’s footprint has also grown steadily, though the pandemic did its best to hamper progress there as well. Ernest recalls a build in Colorado that was surpassing every possible expectation in terms of speed and efficiency. It was going so well; she fully intended to use it as a template for all future builds.

Everything had been ordered except for a switch gear disconnect. No one could find one anywhere. It grounded the flying project for four months.

“We were stopped by one item,” Ernest says with a groan. “Granted, it’s a major item, but it’s still one item. I knew we could never let something like this happen again.”

Ernest says it was imperative to take a step back and examine the speed at which TLE teams operate and whether their speed might outweigh their ability to see potential problems on the horizon. That one needed item has, in some ways, reshaped a great deal of the way TLE has moved forward with future builds.

“That process allowed us to take a step back and think about what else we might be missing,” Ernest says. It’s not the kind of template the associate vice president wanted out of the Colorado project, but it will pay dividends down the road nonetheless.

Whatever the project, Ernest says it’s imperative to keep TLE’s “little learners” top of mind. If you’re not familiar with TLE right off the bat, perhaps you’ve met Bubbles the Elephant, the resident Learning Experience mascot, who takes little learners on a daily adventure in their classrooms and makes them happy to learn, play, and grow.

Branding is an important component of all TLE builds, and vinyl graphics featuring all of the company’s characters have been deployed to greet little learners wherever they are. It’s a small but important detail that Ernest says brings her joy every time she sees a new build at its completion.

Those are the moments where the rapid change doesn’t reign, and Ernest can enjoy those, too, every once in a while.

CED National Accounts strives to be the market leading provider of electrical, lighting, and energy management products and solutions. We provide value for our clients, employees, and vendor partners through our core values of service, integrity, and reliability. We are proud to partner with Kim Ernest and the Learning Experience!

Jarmel Kizel Architects & Engineers Inc. provides a single point of accountability for all aspects of architectural and engineering design services. With in-house architecture, interior design, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering, clients can look to Jarmel Kizel to have all aspects of their projects designed and managed by one firm. From conceptual design, to land entitlements, and through construction, Jarmel Kizel’s professionals assist their clients every step of the way.

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Dry Solutions for a Wetter World David Snow helps the City of Miami build spaces and places that enrich a culturally and climatically lush environment

By Russ Klettke

Courtesy of David Snow

CONCEPTS

David Snow received his degree in city and urban, community, and regional planning at Arizona State University in 2005, and upon graduation he immediately moved to Miami. Quite obviously, he traded a very dry and hot climate for one that is also hot but much more wet.

Given the South Florida geography, he would be hard pressed to find a place where moisture plays a bigger role in urban planning. It has miles of coastline on the Atlantic, and a “river of grass” from the Everglades gently lapping its entire western edge. Plus, it’s a very humid region that gets its share of storms and storm surges.

Miami is on the front lines of what climate change is already bringing to our planet. Planners might learn from what Snow encounters today.

For example, “sunny day flooding” also known as king tides, or extremely high tides, happen in Miami but aren’t restricted to Florida. In these instances, the streets flood with increasing frequency along the entire Atlantic coast and up to the Canadian maritime provinces.

Rising seas are an overlay to much of what Snow does in his job today as assistant director of planning for the City of Miami. He and his team are true planners; their job is to deal with what’s there now and what will be there in the future, so they can devise smart ways to deal with whatever comes their way.

“It’s costly and burdensome, but we can handle it,” says Snow, who explains that some parts of the park system are designed to absorb some of that rise. And, he adds, there will probably be a retreat of homes and businesses from some of the most vulnerable areas, even while the greater Miami-Dade County experiences population growth.

As one might expect, there are different and sometimes opposing viewpoints on how that gets worked out. Creating cooperation among affected neighborhoods is part of a city planner’s job, as is interacting with a plethora of other agencies and interests.

Consider some of the projects Snow works on now and how that work touches so many individuals and organizations. And note, it’s not all disaster mitigation.

With every project comes a quality-of-life enhancement for Miamians that is designed to also create economic improvements when completed.

He describes the Southwest Street Tree Canopy Project, which Snow expects will reach completion by 2028, as an example where something of clear

David Snow Assistant Director of Planning City of Miami

benefit still needs community buy-in. Here, the city partners with community organizations to ensure the planting of approximately 3,000 new trees in smart, sustainable ways.

This urban foresting includes a diversity of tree species that will reduce heat island effects, improve air quality, capture storm water (which reduces flooding), and provide wildlife habitat and support species biodiversity. It will increase property values because of improved aesthetics and lowered street temperatures.

Wouldn’t such benefits be automatically welcomed?

“We had to educate the community on the importance of trees,” says Snow. This is not an uncommon phenomenon, particularly when in the past the wrong species of trees were used, leading to adverse outcomes. Urban forestry is now a much better-informed tool.

Perhaps more challenging from a public education perspective is the Wynwood Street Master Plan. “Our objective is to create a desirable pedestrian-friendly place in a former industrial neighborhood,” says Snow.

“It’s a non-standard streetscape, in a style the Dutch call ‘woonerf.’” He describes it as a curb-less, mixed traffic street that favors non-vehicular modes (walking, biking). It is due to be completed in 2028.

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“We are studying how the ‘missing middle’ can be addressed.”

The rich cultural history of Miami requires preservation, as projects in Little Havana (José Martí Park, on the Miami River), and Virginia Key (Miami Marine Stadium) are being revitalized. The latter of these is a 1960s structure worth preserving, but with acres of surrounding asphalt now being converted to cooling green space; the former is planting mangroves and other natural means of mitigating river flooding.

And while the Florida Department of Transportation rebuilds a major access ramp to a Miami Beach causeway, Snow’s team is planning a park under the overpass to complement the city’s waterfront amenities.

How do these initiatives get funded? Snow says bond issues are often an essential component. “We work with business analysts to identify returns on investment,” he says, given that most projects generate visitors and sales tax revenues.

Miami is a growing city, and as such it needs to add housing, rising seas notwithstanding. “We are studying how the ‘missing middle’ can be addressed,” says Snow, referencing the gap between low-income and luxury housing that developers and lenders overlook all over the country. Additional dwelling units and smaller scale quadplexes are among the tactics currently in use.

Whether problems are due to water, heat, traffic, or high population growth, the challenge for Miami’s urban planners is to innovate and provide potential solutions to utilize elsewhere in our warming, wetter world.

Framework Setting the stage and implementing the building blocks for what will soon be state-of-the-art facilities and designs from difference makers in the building industry

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Facilities with a Mission Ketki Harale has always understood the value of education. At Achievement First, she has the opportunity to build that value from the ground up.

By Natalie Kochanov

▲ Amistad High School, located in New Haven, Connecticut, is part of AF’s charter system operating 41 schools throghout the northeast.

Shana Sureck

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Ketki Harale believed in the power of education long before she joined Achievement First (AF) in 2012. A charter system operating 41 schools, spanning the states of Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island, AF strives to increase access to high-quality education among students of all backgrounds.

“I’m somebody who’s always been drawn to education as a cause,” Harale says. “As soon as a position became available at AF, I jumped on it. Looking at the expanse we cover and the students we reach out to, it’s really great work that I get to support.”

For Harale, that support takes the shape of overseeing AF’s expanding property portfolio as the organization’s associate chief of facilities and real estate.

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She keeps one eye on the details and the other on the big picture—the students AF serves—all while leading her team through the challenges that never fail to arise in the world of construction, real estate, and property management.

Harale’s own educational journey began in India, where she grew up and trained as an architect. She moved to the US to attend graduate school at Cornell University. After researching the impact of design on communications in healthcare environments while pursuing her degree, she accepted a facilities analytics role in the wholesale grocery industry.

Harale has always thrived on finding variety in her work, and her experience at AF has been no exception.

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▶ The new Linden Middle School is a 45,000-squarefoot project in Brooklyn, New York.

Ketki Harale Associate Chief of Facilities & Real Estate Achievement First

“I want my team to show up as their whole selves.

I want to make sure that I’m taking their whole selves into consideration and supporting them.”

Since joining as associate director of facilities, she has very much grown alongside the organization. “As the institution grew, the facilities also had to grow—and the people on the team, including me, had to add to what we were doing,” she confirms. “Depending on the year, I took on either just a little bit more or a whole lot more.”

At present, Harale splits her time between attending to individual projects and contributing to AF’s strategic roadmap. The roadmap revolves in large part around the organization’s expansion and facilities’ needs, which includes the ongoing construction of AF Linden Middle School, a 45,000 square-foot project in Brooklyn, New York.

Harale also cites an upcoming extension to AF Iluminar Mayoral Academy, as well as the substantial renovation of AF Providence High School as major projects for AF—and ones made possible by some equally major financing.

“Earlier last year, we closed a $70 million bond for capital financing for facilities acquisitions and construction with the Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation,” she says. “That is one of the largest bonds for a charter school in Rhode Island, and it was a lot of hard work on my team’s part.”

Although she describes her own growth at AF as an organic evolution, Harale is quick to credit her mentors

Patrick J. Noonan Portrait Photography

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Courtesy of Achievement First

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for recognizing what she brings to the table and encouraging her to push herself. She views their support as all the more crucial for her being an Indian woman in the historically male-dominated construction industry.

“I have always been the only one of multiple things—the only Indian person, or the only female person, or the only person under a certain age—in every job I’ve had,” she says. “I’ve become more comfortable as I’ve grown, but it mattered to me to have people I could relate my experiences to, who would be understanding and try to help me find solutions or process those experiences.”

Since stepping into leadership roles, Harale has taken it upon herself to be that person for her team members. “Creating a platform where people can ask for help without being penalized for it has always been important to me. It’s OK to look for resources,” she emphasizes. “I want my team to show up as their whole selves. I want to make sure that I’m taking their whole selves into consideration and supporting them.”

By getting to know her team as people, not just employees, Harale better positions herself to adapt to their needs. When it comes to keeping the team motivated, however, she need look no further than the very mission that attracted her to AF in the first place. “My team is high-performing with a deep, genuine invest-

ment in our mission,” she says. “We serve 15,000 scholars, their families, and their communities. It makes you realize that the little delay on getting a permit is just one piece of a very big puzzle.”

As she looks to the future, Harale remains as committed as ever to AF and its students. “My top priority is making sure that my team and I are delivering projects on time and on budget, but equally importantly, creating safe and nurturing environments where our scholars can learn more effectively,” she says.

“Our facilities have such a deep impact on all of our students, teachers, and staff. And if it matters to them, it matters to me, too.”

Founded in 1946, Pariseault Builders is an industry leading, full-service construction manager and general contracting firm specializing in challenging institutional projects. We are proud to partner with our valued repeat client Achievement First to strive for excellence and build meaningful learning spaces for our community. Pariseault Builders primarily serves the academic, healthcare, and life science markets across southeast Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Please visit pariseault.com or contact slamontagne@pariseault.com to learn more.

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Ingenuity in a

As Nashville, Tennessee, faces a real estate boom, John Beyer uses his field experience to navigate the challenges that come along with land development

By Lucy Cavanagh ▲ A Davenport single-family home featuring two garages and three bedrooms and bathrooms.

Solomon Castillow Davis/Courtesy of Regent Home

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Real Estate Boom

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“I was very fortunate to have really good mentors in the industry who taught me what I call the ‘right way’ to develop the property.”

Over the past six years, Nashville, Tennessee, has seen a massive surge in residents, or at least that’s what John Beyer has noticed since he joined Regent Homes in 2016 as vice president of land development.

“For some reason, in the last five years, everybody in the US wants to come here,” Beyer says. In 2021 and 2022, Regent homes sold over 850 homes combined.

Beyer started working in Nashville in 1993, but he can trace his interest in land development all the way back to high school. His neighbor, who was a civil engineer, became his first mentor in the industry and employed him as a land surveyor, which first sparked his interest in his future career. Throughout college, Beyer worked on survey crews. “I even traveled with one company to the southeastern US to do road surveying for proposed road improvements,” Beyer

Courtesy of Regent Homes

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Ryan Tolbert

◀ Regent Homes specializes in traditional neighborhood developments.

says. “That was when I decided to go to college for civil engineering.”

Beyer trained at a civil engineering company in Nashville but after five years, he decided that he liked building more than designing. “My engineering background helped me understand why the engineers design things as they did,” Beyer explains. “The combination of my skills as an engineer and my experience in construction helped me improve projects.”

He also attributes his expertise to the role models he has had throughout his career. “I was very fortunate to have really good mentors in the industry who taught me what I call the ‘right way’ to develop the property,” Beyer explains. “[The right way] involves evaluating the budget for projects and doing the research to make sure they have the proper utilities and proper zoning.”

For a period, Beyer worked independently before he was approached by Regent Homes.

Regent Homes specializes in traditional neighborhood developments, which typically feature single-family homes, condos, and some commercial buildings to make up the amenities of the neighborhood. Burkitt Ridge, a major development that Beyer recently led with Regent Homes, was approved for 800 units, which allowed them to develop over 200 apartments along with a commercial center.

Another development procured by Beyer called Carothers Farm similarly features a wide variety of property types. “As of now, we have purchased about 1,600 or 1,700 units of which we probably built 400 of those,” Beyer shares. “We’re continuing to put new product on the ground.”

In addition to identifying properties to purchase, Beyer is also involved in overseeing building performance, constructing projects, and hiring the associated team of engineers, contractors, and construction managers. With the increase in demand, Beyer and his team have seen an increase in resource prices as well as labor shortages. “What we’ve had to do is diversify our subbase, adding more subcontractors to our base group,” Beyer explains. “We have had to diversify in labor as well to expand the number of people we’ve hired.”

John Beyer VP of Land Development Regent Homes

Despite these challenges, Beyer remains optimistic that supply chain and labor issues will likely calm down soon. Moreover, Beyer maintains a high standard as he and his team navigate these issues. “I’m kind of a perfectionist,” Beyer admits. “This is hard in my business because construction is very imperfect. I try to work with my team and train them to have the flexibility to use their own management style, but, ultimately, you learn a lot in our business through hard knocks.”

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Sustained Growth Sam Hanson, director of construction and facilities for Everside Health, never stops striving to create healthier foundations for the planet

By Keith Loria

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When Sam Hanson took the position of director of construction and facilities at Everside Health in 2021, his immediate goal was to institute sustainable initiatives across the organization’s existing real estate portfolio and implement new design strategies into its de novo growth plan.

Everside Health has more than 380 healthcare centers throughout 34 states, and Hanson regularly oversees 40 to 60 new healthcare centers annually, plus various expansion and remodel projects for other facilities. He’s also helping to lead the company’s rebrand campaign for all the sites, merging four legacy brands under one umbrella and looking to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

Being LEED accredited, Hanson has always had a passion for sustainability and working on projects that had an environmental mindset.

“As a member of Everside’s internal Evergreen Committee, we’ve kicked off 2023 by assessing all of our locations, creating short- and long-term sustainability initiatives to mitigate our impact on the environment,” Hanson says.

His quick success at meeting his goals wasn’t too surprising given that for six years, Hanson worked for Service King Collision in Richardson, Texas, where he achieved measurable, sustainable outcomes through process creation and improvement.

“At Service King, it was all about reducing our overhead and putting our best foot forward, so we began researching and implementing lighting retrofits, water-reducing measures and reclamation, maximizing our mechanical performance, and establishing landscaping programs,” Hanson recalls. “As the climate crisis transpires and investors are thinking about where they are going to put their money, environmentally friendly companies who are looking to reduce their carbon footprint are top of mind.”

Interest in construction and the design field came from Hanson’s grandfather—a painter in New Orleans

“We have a very young, motivated team overall, and utilizing the creativity of young leaders helps an organization in its transformation from a small company mentality to a larger scalable mindset.”

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Sam Hanson Director of Construction & Facilities Everside Health

who worked for the racetrack—whom he often visited and worked with on some of his jobs.

Then, after serving in the US Marine Corps, Hanson went to college and pursued a degree in construction engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi. Along the way, he started his own landscaping company and joined the rebuilding efforts in the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina hit.

“I became a builder by trade and migrated from residential to multifamily, then ultimately to the commercial side,” he recounts.

That led him to Service King Collision Repair.

Initially hired on as director of construction in 2015, Hanson helped convert the majority of the company’s new acquisitions to Service Kings, handling everything from remodels to rebranding to reconfiguration of the existing shops.

“As the rate of larger acquisitions began slowing in our industry, Service King began exploring organic growth as an incremental part of our comprehensive growth strategy that allowed us to infill gaps in market coverage,” Hanson shares.

As a result, Service King started constructing new ground-up developments in places like Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Chicago with its new prototype design, which focused on the maximization of efficiency and capacity.

Courtney Hanson

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“As the climate crisis transpires and investors are thinking about where they are going to put their money, environmentally friendly companies who are looking to reduce their carbon footprint are top of mind.”

By being charged with so much growth, Hanson developed a leadership philosophy based on approaching everything with a sense of curiosity. “That has helped me build relationships both internal or external and helps me ask the questions that enable them to reimagine solutions,” he says.

That has carried over to his leadership at Everside Health, where he was tasked with modernizing the department and creating new teams when he came into the job. The department currently consists of three construction managers, one real estate manager, a facilities manager, and a coordinator.

Hanson encourages his team to never stop improving. “We have a very young, motivated team overall, and utilizing the creativity of young leaders helps an organization in its transformation from a small company mentality to a larger scalable mindset,” Hanson offers. “I think it helps them learn what some of the challenges are and gives them more visibility as we contribute and add value to the organization.”

Hanson continues to think about the future and is currently pursuing a master’s in real estate, along with an MBA from Johns Hopkins in his continuing efforts to make a difference. “Ideally, my long-term trajectory would elevate me into a chief real estate officer or chief sustainability officer role that would allow me to continue my pursuit for carbon reduction

and process improvement,” he says. “I love empowering my teams and encouraging them to grow in their careers. I love passing on knowledge and being able to give back to others.”

Sam Carter and Hillcrest Constructors Inc. are proud to have partnered with Sam Hanson on hundreds of projects over the years. Mr. Hanson’s professionalism and construction expertise have consistently resulted in quality outcomes. The key to Hillcrest’s success for more than 25 years is our commitment to honest communication and keen attention to detail. We help small to large organizations, like Everside Health, expand their vision and strengthen their brand through high-quality, punctual commercial construction services.

Winning your trust, partnership, and loyalty has been our cornerstone since our conception in 1941. Regency Business Solutions’ focus is simple: do what is best for our customer, not what’s easiest for us. In today’s world, this is our path to partnership. Our intent is to ask the questions our customers haven’t thought of and arrive at a solution that might not have been imagined.

Through trust, we hope to become your advisor. We hope to earn the right to become a tool of your business.

Contact Jamie Drumwright, C: (304) 685-7828, E: jdrumwright@regencyop.com

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Powering Innovation for the Customer’s Convenience Matthew Onken expands treasured regional brand Wawa Inc. into the South and Midwest with new innovations for the company’s growth

By Joseph Kay

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“There’s nothing exciting about getting gas for your car,” explains Matthew Onken, the director of construction at Wawa Inc., but the Wawa experience is much richer and more important than that. Wawa is a community—an experience of both comfort and excitement that residents of eastern Pennsylvania and the surrounding states know well.

Wawa is a chain of gas stations and convenience stores headquartered outside of Philadelphia with approximately 1,000 locations throughout New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and other parts of Pennsylvania. One of Onken’s primary responsibilities is the support of the company’s growth across new states. “It’s really exciting to expand our wings and

reach new areas,” he says. “We get to tell our story for the first time and show what we do; we look forward to serving new communities.”

Recently, the company has grown at a pace of about 50 to 60 stores per year. Wawa enjoys a loyal following and strong recognition across the Atlantic coast, so the team is excited to bring that dynamic into adjacent and new markets throughout the South and the Midwest.

Most notably, the Florida panhandle, Alabama’s Gulf Coast, Georgia, and North Carolina are the next areas for expansion.

When looking into a new market, the team’s first step is to build relationships with communities in the area and show what they are about. “It is important for

“It’s really exciting to expand our wings and reach new areas. We get to tell our story for the first time and show what we do; we look forward to serving new communities.”

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“We make sure that associates on the front lines are supported and set up to make timely, impactful decisions that demonstrate our commitment to the community and lead the business forward. Our associates are a huge part of what makes Wawa different from others in the industry.”

us to engage local businesses and talent.” Every new store is an investment in the community and takes a team of partners to develop each site. “We always try to employ local partners and suppliers,” Onken says.

“There are also some examples of long-standing partners that have built our stores in other markets and are expanding to Florida to support our growth.

“When we make a jump into the Midwest in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, we will be looking for local

talent and partners to help us build our stores from the ground up and produce stores that are assets to their communities,” he continues. “There will be insights we need that will drive the need for new partnerships to develop.”

Like other organizations, Wawa has experienced supply chain disruptions throughout the COVID19 pandemic years. In order to continue company growth, Onken and his team have worked with

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contractors to find solutions, including their own adaptations. The crucial tenet of their approach has been transparency: open communication with departments and suppliers has kept projects moving forward despite unpredictable delays.

For example, crucial materials sometimes went out of stock without warning in 2022. Roofing materials and refrigeration panels held up store openings. Fortunately, transparency preserved these supply chain relationships under the stress of the circumstances. It made sure one of the company’s essential goals are met, which is the ability for Wawa to service the community even in the face of challenge and unpredictability.

“We have to be transparent about our intentions and needs, not over leveraging,” Onken explains. “We saw others in the industry doing that, and they ended up negatively impacting a lot of relationships. We stay very loyal to our suppliers wherever possible while looking for ways to grow.”

As Wawa expands, that loyalty has paid off; in competing with a great deal of other construction projects, Wawa has maintained reliable relationships with suppliers. Lead times are still longer than it was prepandemic, but they have mostly stabilized.

Construction managers are also more confidently resequencing work when necessary.

“If there were delays with refrigeration equipment, for example, we would have the carpenters frame out that area and then bring in the refrigerators at the end,” Onken says. “It adds more labor on the jobsite, but it keeps things moving to open on time.”

Living in West Virginia and western Pennsylvania produced some loyalty to the region’s other famous service station, but Onken knew Wawa’s reputation as a great employer. Some of his colleagues have been with the company 20 years or more, and newer associates benefit from the company’s loyalty and growth opportunities.

“Wawa is a people-culture first,” Onken says. “We focus on developing our associates first, knowing that results will come. We have the benefit of people with 20

to 30 years of experience with the company, and that allows us to do a lot of things with a reasonably lean staff; tenured folks make confident decisions. Meanwhile, the development of newer talent brings our values forward to meet the needs of growing markets and allowing for innovation.”

While methods and situations might change over someone’s long tenure, it’s important to keep them engaged, so that the team can return to their

Proud partner of Wawa and Matt Onken

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knowledge base over time. As for new associates, Wawa provides training programs and mentorship opportunities so that new go-getters can become high-contributing veterans in time.

One example of this is Wawa’s commitment to “servant leadership.” As a servant leader, Onken is dedicated to the growth and development of associates at all levels. “The past few years have shown us that things can change at any point in time and that we all have a lot we can learn,” he says. “Through all of this though, I couldn’t be prouder of the associates that drive our program.”

Onken seeks opportunities for new associates to own the process and make impactful decisions. “If you have somebody who’s eager to learn, it’s easier

to mentor them,” he says. “We make sure that associates on the front lines are supported and set up to make timely, impactful decisions that demonstrate our commitment to the community and lead the business forward. Our associates are a huge part of what makes Wawa different from others in the industry.”

With his team, Onken is thrilled these ongoing opportunities show other parts of the country what’s unique about Wawa. “We have a lot of first impressions to make in the coming years,” he says. “We’ll be going into areas where people have never heard of Wawa. We strive to add value to these communities, partner with them, and show how much we have to offer with our unique purpose of ‘fulfilling lives every day.’ We can’t wait to get started!”

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A Passion for Cannabis

Curaleaf

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◀ Curaleaf’s new, expanded cultivation facility in Ravena, New York.

George Schidlovsky uses his passion for the power of cannabis to fuel his work at Curaleaf

By Noah Johnson

The legal cannabis industry has grown rapidly over the past few years with few signs of slowing down.

NASDAQ expects the market to expand several times from its current size to be worth at least $53 billion by 2026. Total international legal marijuana sales are projected to grow over $130 billion by 2030.

And those figures are likely to increase as more US states legalize cannabis and more consumers buy cannabis products.

As a collaborative and hands-on leader at Curaleaf, George Schidlovsky is a strategic, pragmatic, and results-oriented senior executive who effectively balances big picture perspectives with tactical operational and strategic investments.

Schidlovsky, the product of a family deeply rooted in science and healthcare, not only brings an operational and financial background to his role as vice president of capital projects but also a passion for the power of cannabis.

“I see the significant benefits cannabis has for medical patients and for the wider over 21-year-old, adultuse customer base,” he says. “Cannabis has been a suppressed plant for many years and now it’s being recognized for all its incredible properties. It helps people get off opioids [and] reduce reliance on more addictive prescription drugs. We’re developing a plant that produces medicine and gives people improvements in their quality of life.”

That passion has fueled his work at the company since he came onboard six years ago. At first, navigating the complexities of an industry that was still in its infancy was a challenge, he admits.

“One of the biggest challenges was education,” he says. “It was bridging that gap between the stigma cannabis had to it being a widely accepted medicine for patients and adults.”

Finding good staff was also a challenge.

“It was a new industry. It’s not like you hire an accountant that can do a balance sheet for you. These were folks who had to learn how to show up for work on

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“I see the significant benefits cannabis has for medical patients and for the wider over 21-yearold, adult-use customer base.”

time, be part of teams, be quick learners, have positive can-do attitudes, learn basic agricultural skills, keep accurate data, [and] provide customer service and compassionate patient care. We had to train staff.”

He navigated those issues with a willingness to invest in employees and their development and having good reference material to support the company’s education efforts. Another driver of success was his efforts to foster collaboration among his team. He maintained an infectious can-do attitude that inspired his team members to buy into the shareholder vision.

Today, the company is reaping the benefits. In the past three years, it has invested more than $300 million into a pipeline of facilities, constantly evolving its designs to optimize its expansion goals. More recently, some of those funds were used for three indoor cultivation centers in New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida, slated for completion this year. Schidlovsky says they are among the most technologically advanced facilities on the market.

They feature processing labs that utilize the latest extraction and automation technology in order to reduce the cost of production and downtimes. Additionally, the Curaleaf team along with Steve Kinz, senior director of engineering, has been dedicated to implementing environmentally conscious facility designs.

“For example, our irrigation systems utilize variable frequency drives to minimize operating power of central pumping systems. In addition, this system utilizes soil moisture sensors, infrared leaf temperature, and photosynthetic active radiation sensors to optimize environmental system operation,” Kinz says.

On the retail front, Schidlovsky and the project management teams are working very closely with Curaleaf real estate, retail, marketing, security, compliance, IT, and legal teams to continuously evolve the customer experience with other forms of technology as well.

“Customers still have to come in [to our locations], so we want to elevate the customer experience to make that journey as pleasurable and repeatable as possible.”

When Schidlovsky looks to the future of the industry, he says it’s in store for a lot of expansion, but it needs less expensive capital, lower operating costs, and more support for businesses faced with a daunting regulatory landscape not only at the state level, but most importantly the federal level.

“Cannabis is still federally illegal. States have started to provide markets for it, but the challenge is this federal regulatory landscape that must move forward in a more industry-friendly fashion,” he says.

Curaleaf

▼ Curaleaf’s medical and adult-use retail location in Bordentown, New Jersey.

George Schidlovsky VP of Capital Projects Curaleaf

That’s why industry leaders have created industry groups to lobby the federal government to, for example, pass the SAFE Banking Act, which “prohibits a federal banking regulator from penalizing a depository institution for providing banking services to a legitimate cannabis-related business,” according to the act.

“Enacting the SAFE Banking Act would facilitate and provide normal and cheaper banking services for all cannabis participants,” he says. “It would help nurture entrepreneurship, diversity, culture, employment, and generate tax revenue for the communities, state, and federal coffers to be reinvested in projects and industries that are rooted in good.”

Jake Cohen

Bench Dogs is a custom display, fixture, and commercial case goods manufacturer based in Denver, Pennsylvania, with extensive woodworking capacity and high proficiency in sourcing and integrating metal, plastic, composite, and other mixed materials. With over 25 years of experience, offerings include high-quality 3D design and renderings; project estimation, planning, and management; detailed engineering; space planning and consultative solution development; technology and advanced lighting integration solutions; coordination with architectural elements and shop drawings; and installation capabilities. Bench Dogs holds AWI QCP premium and custom certifications. For inquiries, please contact Todd Shertzer, vice president of sales, at tshertzer@benchdogs.com or visit benchdogs.com.

With over 25 years of proven capabilities, Bench Dogs specializes in designing, engineering, and distributing brand-oriented displays and fixtures to suit the modern retail environment.

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Anything but Convenience VP Mike Tierney is the man to call when your organization needs to rebuild its building program

By Billy Yost

Mike Tierney came to the well-known East Coast convenience store chain Cumberland Farms in 2011.

He was recruited to reorganize and rebuild an entire construction department at a pivotal moment for the brand. In the late 2000s, the company underwent a leadership reorganization that quickly uncovered that a rebrand wasn’t just a good idea, it was desperately necessary.

By the time Tierney left in 2018, he was building about 40 stores a year that consisted of new builds or both raises and rebuilds. Tierney built a new corporate office within its distribution center, a new culinary center, and even a refrigerated loading dock. The executive helped roll out new branding, new initiatives, and new construction that allowed the company to be sold for more than $2 billion in 2019.

“I think that was probably the pivotal moment in my career,” Tierney explains. “I had to rebuild protocols and processes from within that had existed for decades. But more than that, I try to focus on empowering people and giving them the tools they need to grow professionally and personally. I always want to be that coach.”

After a successful stint with Speedway, Tierney once again got a call so interesting that he couldn’t pass it up. In many ways, the story seemed similar to Cumberland Farms. Energy North Group, a privately owned business, was being taken over by the next generation

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of the family that had built it, and significant growth was needed to modernize operations.

“I am part of the brand-new leadership across the board,” Tierney explains of coming on board as vice president of real estate, construction, and facilities. “We have a new chief people officer, a new chief information officer, a new CFO—it’s all new. The idea of coming into a company to once again help reshape things, to manage change in the company, and grow this organization into something bigger and better was incredibly enticing. I find it a lot harder than the day-today construction side of things, but it’s also what I love the most.”

One of the biggest challenges for Tierney is the diversity of Energy North’s portfolio. Along with 70 convenience stores and 25 car washes, Energy North provides heat for 40,000 customers. It even has its own trucking company called ABS Trucking. Energy North also has a wholesale supply business that provides convenience and gas station products for more than 100 dealers in both the New England and Upstate New York areas.

Tierney’s purview is all things real estate, construction, and facilities. “It’s not just building convenience stores and car washes of which there is a great deal of building,” the VP explains. “One day it might be a corporate facility, and tomorrow it might be a new propane storage facility.” In fact, those are both projects on Tierney’s plate at present.

But it’s not just the building, it’s the reshaping of an entire organization. There have been hard decisions, like having restructure the facilities team, because Energy North is now an organization that needs more qualified technicians. Tierney has worked to rebuild the facilities organization from the ground up, and the leader pulls no punches in saying the process has been extremely challenging. But that’s why he came to Energy North in the first place.

To create such wide-ranging and fundamental change, Tierney has sought some outside help. “For a job like this, I’ve got back to some folks that have worked for me in the past with whom I’ve built a significant amount of trust,” he says. The executive brought in a director of construction who worked with him at Cumberland Farms, a maintenance manager he worked with at Speedway, and a senior project manager who worked with Tierney at Irving Oil. “I knew what I needed to hit the ground running here,” Tierney says. “These were people who I knew could make an impact immediately: people I trust who have proven themselves time and again.”

Tierney says the heavy amounts of mergers and acquisitions happening in this industry aren’t immune

“I am part of the brand-new leadership across the board.”

to Energy North, and that he may have more projects on his plate than he knows what to do with. But that’s the kind of expansion that has motivated the VP his whole career; it’s what he thrives on, and it’s what keeps him coming back.

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Considering

The third-floor gym is part of Samford’s new state-of-the-art recreation, wellness, and athletic complex: four buildings totaling 154,000 square feet.

Mason Fisher

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Every Angle

In Jeff Poleshek’s role at Samford University, he takes on the challenging task of modernizing buildings while honoring the campus’ historic architecture

By Peter Fabris

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A key challenge in many university renovations is preserving historic architectur al heritage while modernizing—and Samford University, located near Birmingham, Alabama, is no exception. Recent major rehab projects have provided much-needed updates to important campus structures built in the 1950s, while remaining true to the prevailing Georgian Colonial exterior design.

Jeff Poleshek, the university’s assistant vice president for operations, planning, and construction, says multiple drivers spurred recent renovations.

Chief among them was a need to provide 21st-century technology and learning spaces as well as improving sustainability on campus.

Both parents and students play a part in deciding where the student will go to college, Poleshek notes.

Each cohort values different aspects of the built environment: parents are impressed by an aesthetic that connotes time-tested gravitas, while students are drawn to state-of-the-art amenities. A classic-looking exterior façade with cutting-edge technology and up-to-date furnishings and features satisfies both groups.

“We always say the outside is for parents and the inside is for students,” Poleshek says. “Our goal is to preserve and extend the life of the exterior design, while making the inside new and fresh and adding the latest technology.”

Striking the right balance between old and new guides design choices. A recent project to upgrade sustainability across the campus, for example, included replacing approximately 1,100 windows with models that provide higher energy performance. Sourcing new windows that matched the original aesthetic wasn’t easy but was worth the extra effort and cost.

Likewise, repairs to preserve the look of the façade, such as tuck-pointing of brickwork, are worth the time and expense, Poleshek says.

Interior updates allow more leeway for dramatic design changes. A recently completed extensive renovation of Buchanan Hall, home to the Division of Music, remade much of the interior. The building previously had no elevator. “We had to install one in the heart of the building, and that was no small task,” Poleshek remembers, explaining that it involved removing part of the ground floor slab, building concrete walls for the elevator shaft, and then removing the concrete floor at each level. The project also upgraded classrooms, offices, and restrooms as well all electrical, mechanical, and data wiring infrastructures.

Buchanan Hall’s fourth floor was previously a partially used attic that had the potential to be much more. “We decided that the fourth floor was too valuable to house just mechanical rooms, so we redesigned the systems and moved that equipment to the perimeter areas,” Poleshek says.

That space was converted into new offices, student lounge space, and a new conference/learning space furnished with technology appropriate for current

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▼ Cardio equipment overlooks Seibert Stadium, home to the Samford football team since 1958.

Mason Fisher

“We always say the outside is for parents and the inside is for students.”

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▲ A view of the Rec Center’s second-floor cardio space. The collection of equipment and facilities is meant to foster students’ mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

meeting standards and student work spaces. The building also received a new recording studio with “significant gear and equipment,” he says. “We future-proofed it with the right mechanical, electrical infrastructure, and data wiring.”

From the exterior, the building seamlessly blends in with the classic aesthetic of other campus buildings.

“We didn’t punch any new openings to the outside,” Poleshek attests. The stairwells and corridors remained where they were. The lobby retained its wood-paneled walls and terrazzo floor, but most of the rest of the building’s interior has a fresh look with new, easily maintainable materials.

The university recently combined operation, planning, and construction into one unit, putting the

AVP in charge. That move has boosted durability and cleanability when it comes to choosing materials. For example, Poleshek points out that newer projects do not use the vinyl compositional flooring and wall-towall carpeting commonly found in existing buildings.

The former requires “massive amounts of scrubbing and a lot of water,” while the latter is not readily washable. Instead of those materials, new construction favors luxury vinyl tile and planks, or sustainable carpet tiles, which are easier to wash and to replace than the existing broadloom carpet.

The marriage of operations and planning has also meant that operations figures more prominently in the design of mechanical systems. “We get a better alignment of maintenance and construction,” Poleshek

Mason Fisher

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says. For instance, ease of maintenance is considered when choosing the location of mechanical equipment; HVAC gear must be located in an easily accessible spot, not tucked away in tight attic spaces.

These principles will be incorporated in a new 154,000-square-foot student recreation and athletic complex scheduled to open in fall 2024. The $65 million project will house numerous wellness features such as weight and cardio training rooms, an indoor track, and basketball courts. There will also be new spaces for recreation, events and community gathering, electronic sports, physical therapy and nutrition, as well as new food service venues. The facility will also be adjacent to renovated spaces for the campus healthcare clinic and student counseling center. “These facilities are sorely needed for the physical and mental health of students,” Poleshek says.

The recreation center is also on track to be the campus’ first LEED-certified building. Having the LEED goal in mind during design has yielded numerous strategies to boost the structure’s sustainability.

Not only will locally sourced products be given priority to reduce embedded carbon impact, but local construction labor will also be favored. Having local trades do the work reduces the distance traveled by workers and the amount of fuel they burn for transportation to the jobsite.

The project’s LEED goal will also benefit from chilled water and boiler plants constructed in recent years that provide efficient heating and cooling to the whole campus. The LEED label will appeal to all stakeholders: parents and students are aligned on valuing sustainability. “Students and parents want to see that the campus is sustainable and that we are good stewards of their money,” Poleshek says.

That sentiment is a guidepost for Poleshek in his work at Samford, where tradition and modernization peacefully coexist.

Jeff Poleshek Associate VP for Operations, Planning & Construction Samford University

A true partnership.

Creating and building Samford University’s campus for 10 years and counting.

Scott Camp

Collaboration. Coordination. Connection. Over our long history together, Hoar Construction, Davis Architects, and Samford University have developed more than 40 projects together across the campus and found mutual success. We’ve become a part of Samford’s community, working to minimally impact student life during construction while enhancing their college experience with updated facilities, and our continued partnership means their goals are our goals.

hoar.com

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A Chip off the Old Block Mike Toftely took inspiration from his father’s strong work ethic and leadership style to create his own successful career in healthcare construction and project management

By Donald Liebenson

Stanford Health Care is planning to add approximately 40,000 square feet of new construction to the existing 300 Pasteur Drive hospital, including 58 new individual patient care rooms.

Courtesy of Mike Toftely

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Mike Toftely remembers the moment when he decided to retake control of his life and get his “ass in gear.”

Prior to this moment, he had not kept up his grades in his first year at Montana State University (skiing had taken priority over attending classes, he says). He’d decided to drop out and live “the Montana life.”

This did not sit well with his father, a contractor who owned a subcontracting company for commercial drywall and plaster. “He valued hard work,” Toftely says. “He cut me off [financially] and said, ‘You’re on your own.’”

Toftely took jobs as a ski patroller and a framing carpenter, then spent time in California, New Zealand, and Australia for a year. When he returned to Montana, he was unsure what would be next for him.

“I was working on a spec home in the dead of winter,” Toftely recalls. “I was carrying two sheets of drywall through drifts of snow. I told myself, ‘I’m sure I can do better than this.’ I enrolled in Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis the next day.”

At that point, he recalls, he became motivated and laser-focused. He earned a grant to cover his second year and later won a coveted internship with Mortenson Construction. “That started me off,” he says. “The rest is history.”

Toftely is now director of construction for Stanford Health Care. His 22-year career has entailed mostly healthcare construction and project management, but he says that this path came to him by accident. After graduating college, he moved to California, where healthcare contractor Kitchell recruited him to project engineer a ground-up project at Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks. There, he says, he found his niche.

“I did pretty well,” he says. “They wanted me to spread my wings. They let me project manage an outpatient MRI suite. It went flawlessly. Suddenly, I was Kitchell’s MRI expert. I was 25.”

More healthcare jobs followed. “They recognized I had a knack for facilitating communication between the client, doctors, nurses, and contractors,” Toftely says. “I was a good go-to person to help younger people in the company learn processes and how to get things done.”

At Stanford, he is responsible for executing projects within its contracts and policies and procedures, as well as leading the interface between hospital clients, contractors, and other hospital departments.

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“Everyone needs to be held accountable for their successes and failures.”

Mike Toftely Director of Construction Stanford Health Care

He credits his father with having a strong influence on his leadership style. “He had a lot of admiration for everyone who worked for him,” Toftely says. “He came up with programs to incentivize people who worked hard.”

His father also initiated inventive programs for project managers (PMs). “Because he incentivized performance, those PMs knew exactly what was going on with their jobs,” Toftely says. “A lot of times, these guys’ bonuses were twice their salary because they were fine-tuning everything as they went along. I took some of those lessons and philosophies with me.”

One aspect of his father’s leadership style that he has adopted is to make sure his team has the tools, knowledge, and guidance to do their jobs. “Everyone needs to be held accountable for their successes and failures,” Toftely says. “I like to go around our office and make

sure I know what every single construction manager has on their plate that week, what their challenges are, if they need anything or need to talk about any issues. I want them to tell me what their plan is, rather than the other way around. My role is to keep everyone grounded in terms of what’s possible and not possible.

“I take a no-BS approach,” he continues. “You’ll always know where you stand with me. I’ve always appreciated that in other people I’ve worked with.”

When it comes to working with contractors, he takes his cue from Stanford’s senior leadership. “Rather than call them contractors, we consider them our partners,” he says. “If the contractors aren’t successful, we won’t be successful. At times, I need to be an advocate for them.”

Toftely has been with Stanford since 2019 in the capacity of consultant. At the time of this interview, he was in the process of selling his consulting company to accept a full-time position with Stanford as its director of construction.

“I just like it here,” Toftely says. “It’s one of the best healthcare facilities in the country, and we get to build really cool stuff. Right now, we’re remodeling 21 ORs and wrapping up the first phase of a large general bed renovation. These projects are part of the $1.7 billion 300 Pasteur Drive Renewal Program, a complete refresh and modernization of the existing adult hospital. It’s a privilege to work on these projects that will have a profound impact to the health and well-being of the community.”

Courtesy of Mike Toftely

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Spaces Exploring new and renovated facilities across the industry, from buildings to work spaces, along with the people and companies behind these projects

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The Personality of Facilities

Bryan Porcher earned separate degrees in interior design and organizational psychology, which inspired the creation of great workplaces for the next great minds

By Russ Klettke

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Justin Lopez

Large windows to see exterior greenery provides a biophilic design.

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Can an office environment not only support employee health and productive collaborations but also keep workers mindful of who the customer is? The answer is yes. The conference rooms at Next Insurance in Palo Alto, California, are named for local businesses supported by the company such as Boichik Bagels, Coastal Curl, and Kepler’s Books. It’s a clever way to remind workers of their product—insurance for small businesses—and a colorful approach by Bryan Porcher to combine his unusual dual educational background.

Porcher, the head of workplace and real estate at Next Insurance, has a bachelor’s degree in interior design and a master’s in organizational psychology. While earning his graduate degree, a professor asked the class what their alternative would be if it was not their current course of study. Porcher’s thoughts went back to interior design. It was a moment when he figured out that he could, and should, combine the two.

It is uncommon for employee engagement experts to also be commercial interior designers. But what Porcher does for Next Insurance—and much of which he has done with previous employers such as Google and Cisco Systems—involves using psychology to plan interiors.

He isn’t simply responsible for some interesting physical components of the workplace environment. He also devises the programming around those components to make them work.

For example, he saw a valid need for and championed nap pods at Google. “I had to lobby for $15,000 to

Bryan Porcher believes a partial presence in the office is essential for a strong workplace culture.

pilot the project,” Porcher says. Part of how he got the funding was to cite famous leaders who napped: Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, and Margaret Thatcher. Once the pilot succeeded and the pods were rolled out in all offices, he saw the real effects of them.

“They were particularly popular with sleep-deprived new parents and security team members, but it also helped reconceptualize what people have permission to do.”

At Next Insurance, Porcher introduced a different concept of multipurpose wellness rooms. They are used by meditators, new parents, yoga practitioners, and others who come here to alleviate workday stress. The office also has a studio with a green screen for videos and podcasts, as well as a recreational room with a variety of games and a beloved popcorn machine.

Another problem faced by many companies with open-concept offices is how sounds of impromptu

“We have to encourage the stickiness of human relationships.”

Justin Lopez

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▶ The neon “Be Unstoppable” sign represents one of Next Insurance’s four core values.

▼ Bryan Porcher uses psychology to plan interiors for Next Insurance.

deskside meetings might interrupt nearby workers.

Porcher’s invented solution is “Shush Shacks,” which are basically mini enclosures that provide space for conversations that are acoustically buffered from those around them.

As with many companies, Next Insurance wants its employees in the office at least part of the time.

In the office, they are more likely to collaborate with others from other disciplines. So for Halloween in 2022, Porcher gave teams of people a challenge that came with a small budget per team and a conference room.

Their task was to create a haunted house—a project that would summon previously untapped staging and acting skills from the participants.

“We had 10 teams, headed by what we call our ‘culture carriers,’ and got a beautiful response,” he says. “It’s what we try to impress upon our people, that this is a safe space with a blank canvas where they can generate ideas on their own.”

These are clear examples where facilities and management values coincide. There happen to be

some fortunate components of the office that precede Porcher’s arrival. There are two connecting hallways surrounded by exterior landscaping that can be seen through windows—a clear example of biophilia at work—that support employees’ best efforts. But he also focuses on building interpersonal management skills with employees whom they want to retain and nurture.

“I had the benefit of smart people mentoring me,” he says. “So with our own rising executives, I teach active listening skills and discernment on taking appropriate risks. The goal is in part to build trust, and encourage ‘intrapreneurs,’ or the kinds of employees who take ownership of their parts of the enterprise. The built environment is a way to reinforce this as evidenced by our visible ‘Be Unstoppable’ sign that represents one of our four core values.”

Porcher is a keen observer on how companies are navigating the work-from-home era, and definitively believes that at least some presence in a physical office is essential. “We have to encourage the stickiness of human relationships,” he says. “People stay in jobs for various reason. They will still leave if they have poor managers, but still tend to be more engaged and loyal to companies when they have close friends supporting them at the workplace.”

For over 50 years, RMW has been creating inspired experiences through the power of design. Informed by a culture of curiosity and possibility, we see every project as a welcome opportunity to deliver exceptional service while expressing the unique vision of each client. For Next Insurance, we delivered a vibrant, team-oriented workplace that celebrates community and facilitates Bryan’s focus on employee engagement. It’s truly a place that people want to experience and be part of.

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By Billy Yost

Clint Jenkins

Darla Real is a veteran of building on the Vegas Strip, but Resorts World Las Vegas was her biggest build yet

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▲ The Empire Room in Zouk Nightclub features a luxury copper-themed bar.

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Bringing the Resort Life to the Las Vegas Strip

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Darla Real doesn’t just work on big projects, she works on Las Vegas-big projects. When she joined Resorts World Las Vegas in May 2020 as director of interior design, Real knew she would be supporting the construction of the already in progress, $4.3 billion resort property smack dab on the Las Vegas Strip.

Resorts World Las Vegas includes a 117,000 squarefoot casino, 3 different hotels, a mall, more than 40 restaurants, as well as day and night clubs. It contains the largest Hilton property and Conrad hotel in the world and a 4,700-seat theater on the premises that has featured residencies from Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Kevin Hart, David Blaine, and more.

But, when Real came to the organization, construction that had begun in 2017 was still ongoing. And the pandemic was then in full effect.

“We had all been working from home for a couple of months already, and I had known about this huge project going on here for years,” she explains. “I knew they needed help, and I thought I could be part of getting the project to the finish line.”

When the director arrived, there was no finished ceiling on the mall, nor a floor in the casino. The organization was about a year out from its Vegas opening.

Despite the pandemic, the work required Real and her team to be on-site nearly constantly. But for Real, that was part of the allure.

“I love being on a construction site; it’s one of my favorite things in the world,” she admits. “During such a stressful time in all of our lives, it was a fantastic distraction for me. We needed to be here daily to see progress, answer questions, and stave off any potential issues. There just wasn’t any other choice.”

While keeping construction workers six feet apart at all times proved to be challenging in its own right, the real challenge, Real affirms, was the same one felt by builders all over the world: the supply chain.

“We had to make some of our design decisions based on the availability of materials,” she explains.

“We had to come up with creative, but appropriate decisions with the limitations that we had placed on us in terms of timing and actual physical materials.”

Another routine experience was also thrown into relative chaos. During a project of such magnitude, Real was used to taking trips to factories to look at, touch, and judge prototypes. But, with COVID-19 protocols, this suddenly wasn’t possible.

“We had to do a lot of virtual reviews that required some truly interesting innovations,” Real says, laughing. “Factories would gather up people of different sizes and shapes and have them sit on the prototypes to tell us how it felt to them. It was an odd experience, but it was also helpful.”

Throughout the pandemic, she learned just how adaptable people can be. That adaptability and nimbleness have also been required post-opening of Resorts World Las Vegas.

▲ The FUHU Las Vegas blends modern and retro designs with Chinese-inspired details.

Clint Jenkins

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▲ The 50-foot Globe displays at least five different videos throughout the day.

◀ FUHU also features a lush indoor-outdoor dining room and patio.

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“I knew they needed help, and I thought I could be part of getting the project to the finish line.”

Real says as a new company coming on the scene in an established market, there are lessons the organization is having to learn quickly and adapt around.

“What I’ve experienced over my career is that it’s pretty apparent when a design choice is not going to work,” she reflects. “You go into redesign immediately, and that’s just part of the learning process.”

For example, metrics help determine what gaming machines belong where on the casino floor. Over time, slot machines may wind up in several different locations as the organization learns more about the way its patrons interact with the space.

Real has spent her whole career in Las Vegas. She rolled her own dice when she moved to Sin City without a job in 1995. But since then, she’s worked for the very best of the Strip like MGM Grand, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Aria, Vdara, the Venetian and Palazzo Resort, Virgin Las Vegas, Treasure Island, and New York, New York, while also navigating between the owners and the design side.

The secret to her success? The mentorship she’s received along the way.

“I’m not even sure if some of the people in my life know how influential they were to me,” Real says. “And they weren’t all design professionals. I once worked

Clint Jenkins

The Mothership within Zouk Nightclub

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▲ Resorts World features seven different pools across five acres.

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with a client who was a general manager of a hotel, and I just watched how she interacted with her employees and was able to keep a calm demeanor when approaching a challenge.”

When she was younger, Real was more liable to letting her passion get the better of her. But seeing a strong female leader helped her step back and process before reacting to situations.

The leaders and mentors she’s had, both good and bad, are what motivate Real to be the kind of leader she is today. “That’s why it’s so important for me to make sure my team is happy, engaged, and empowered,” the director says. “I love what I do, and I want them to feel the same about the great work they put in.”

Ulster Carpets is proud to be a partner of Resorts World Las Vegas. We extend our sincere congratulations to Dara Real and the Resorts World team on their newest addition to the Las Vegas Strip. It is a privilege to support their creative talent and we look forward to continued collaboration.

▶ The Main Resort Pool

T. Nickolas Co. is the premier natural stone and tile contractor in America. Our worldwide network of vendors and stateof-the-art fabrication facility give us the unparalleled ability to supply projects of any size. We have fortunately worked with Darla Real on a myriad of projects throughout the last 30 years, most recently Resorts World where she was instrumental with material selection, approvals, and budget adherence. We look forward to working with her in the future.

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At Highgate, sustainability is at the forefront of Paul McElroy’s priorities as he helps to expand the company’s global presence and reduce its carbon footprint

By Noah Johnson

Courtesy of 'Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach

The Sustainability Mindset

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The Alohilani Resort Waikiki beachfront desk

For many years, Paul McElroy, who oversees design and construction activities at Highgate across the company’s global platform, has struggled with an internal conflict.

“I love what I do—I love design, I love construction, I love creating—but I’ve had this conflict between what I love to do and the negative impact it has on the planet,” says the executive vice president of design and construction.

The impact he’s referring to is the carbon emissions generated by construction, which accounts for about 39 percent of global emissions, according to the World Economic Forum.

With this in mind, McElroy and his team are committed to incorporating sustainability initiatives into their projects.

Over the years, Highgate has focused on partnerships that will help minimize its carbon footprint. For instance, the company joined forces with MindClick to help audit its FF&E vendor partners on their sustainability practices. MindClick gives the vendors an independent rating and helps Highgate work with vendors that meet validated sustainability criteria and objectives.

Across the portfolio, McElroy and his team focus on creating buildings with a lower carbon footprint and reduced emissions during all phases of development. McElroy believes the key to pushing this sustainable approach is by engraining it in the company’s mindset.

“If it’s an afterthought, it’s always going to be an extreme challenge and everyone’s going to complain that it costs more money, but if it’s a mindset, it becomes part of what you do. The earlier the objective is engrained in the project process, the better the outcome.”

This speaks to Highgate’s commitment to having sustainability at the center of everything it creates. “It’s about pushing boundaries and pushing people out of their comfort zones,” McElroy says. “I feel like I have a platform to create change that ripples out into the design and construction community at large. Hopefully, we’re leading by example and creating an effect that goes far beyond Highgate projects.”

McElroy and his team aren’t just pushing boundaries on the sustainability front. Their collaboration has led to large scale repositioning and development throughout the world. In

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Paul McElroy EVP of Design & Construction Highgate

Rider Levett Bucknall expertly manages the planning and execution of construction programs, so that hotel owners and operators like Highgate can put the guest experience first, and their trust in an experienced partner that achieves their desired outcomes through project management, cost consultancy, scheduling, and advisory specialties. For nearly two decades, RLB has proudly worked alongside Paul McElroy. We celebrate his vision and landmark contributions to the built environment.

Courtesy of Paul McElroy

“If it’s an afterthought, it’s always going to be an extreme challenge and everyone’s going to complain that it costs more money, but if it’s a mindset, it becomes part of what you do. The earlier the objective is engrained in the project process, the better the outcome.”

January, Highgate announced the launch of HG Portugal, which includes lifestyle boutique hotels, urban, full-service hotels, waterfront luxury resorts, and large convention facilities throughout the country. HG Portugal came on the heels of the relaunch of Hotel Saint in London.

In addition to Highgate’s sustainability efforts, philanthropy has been another core company value that McElroy has been proud to help advance in his role. The company established the Highgate Charitable Foundation (HCF) in 2019 to support organizations addressing poverty, education, and healthcare, such as Save The Children, Feeding America, and the Aga Khan Foundation.

So far, HCF has raised over $7.5 million dollars and has helped more than 17 million children find access to food, education, and healthcare around the world. For McElroy, that impact is another testament to the company’s willingness to act on its mission-driven goals.

“It’s really important for the company,” he says.

“We want to continue being a positive force in the lives of people here and across the globe.”

McElroy says that work is made possible by a team of designers, architects, and engineers, whose chemistry is just as strong as its talent. As a leader, McElroy cultivates and encourages an environment of openness, vulnerability, and trust. He empowers team members to feel like they can make calculated risks and share their ideas without judgment.

To other leaders, he offers this advice: “Believe in yourself, trust your gut, be a good listener, be open to ideas and new ways of doing things, and always be honest. Your team is everything—challenge them and respect them.”

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▶ The lobby of the Hyatt Regency San Francisco

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Clint Betlock Supports Expansion

At MD Now Urgent Care, Clint Betlock is helping the provider expand its reach in Florida and beyond

By Joseph Stark

Clint Betlock, vice president of real estate and facilities at MD Now Urgent Care, is working to maintain the organization’s standing as the largest and fastest-growing service provider of its kind in Florida.

Betlock stands on the front lines of the provider’s retail expansion, designing lease negotiations and overseeing development, property management, and facilities. In 2022, MD Now became part of HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services, which boasts 182 hospitals and more than 2,300 sites of care in 20 states and the United Kingdom.

As a result, five former CareNow clinics in Treasure Coast, three in Orlando, and one in Jacksonville are operating as MD Now Urgent Care.

Additionally, six Paramount Urgent Care clinics in Orlando—all acquired by HCA Healthcare in November 2022—were rebranded to MD Now. The growth is part of a nationwide trend in the retail clinic market. According to Fortune Business Insights, the US retail clinic market was valued at $2 billion in 2022 and is projected to double by 2029. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, clinics have been experiencing “higher-than-anticipated demand across the US compared to prepandemic levels,” the site reported. However, there were signs of growth well before the pandemic. In 2017, Blue Cross Blue Shield reported that visits to retail clinics for the past five years among commercially insured members had doubled.

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For MD Now, its current growth and expansion is “a big step forward in our efforts to bring superior healthcare and state-of-the-art urgent care clinics to more communities across Florida,” Tina Miller, chief operating officer at MD Now, said in a press release. “The rebranded clinics will offer the same services and allow us to continue achieving our main goal: providing patients with the best healthcare experience possible.”

In addition to helping to drive growth, Betlock takes pride in leading his internal and external teams with gratitude. He makes a consistent effort to recognize his staff’s wins to encourage more success.

Like many industry leaders, he’s been facing a major challenge with persistent supply chain issues.

But while the current environment makes it hard to meet construction deadlines, he’s been navigating that hurdle by identifying and planning ahead for long lead times, as well as communicating with his executive team.

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Recently, the urgent care service provider has expanded its statewide presence even further, opening a new location in West Fort Pierce—MD Now’s 79th clinic and second opening in 2023. Like the provider’s other locations, the West Fort Pierce clinic touts the use of advanced medical technology to provide a full spectrum of services for patients of all ages. It features seven exam rooms, one triage room, a procedure room, and an X-ray room.

“We are excited to bring another state-of-the-art MD Now clinic to the people of St. Lucie County,” said Curtis Franke, chief medical officer, in a press release. “As we continue to grow our footprint and deliver high-quality healthcare across the state, more and more Floridians will get the quality urgent care services they need.”

“Everyone deserves access to quality healthcare when they need it most,” Franke added in the same release. “In St. Lucie County and beyond, MD Now is making high-quality, affordable care easier to access than ever before.”

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The ForwardThinking Leader Jemmy Rezk helps NYCDOT Parking Division become more sustainable with proactive planning and clear communication

By Noah Johnson

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Jemmy Rezk obtained a civil engineering degree from Helwan University Cairo. The Upper Egypt native worked on numerous projects as a contractor in different regions of the country, and he continued to work in the civil arena in Dubai for two years before continuing his career in the US. In the US, he improved his problem-solving, project management, and technical skill sets, while also navigating new cultures, languages, and traditions.

“It was very challenging as a young man yearning to pursue a higher education and dealing with the angst of being separated from my family, as well as having to travel to new countries with a newfound independence,” Rezk says.

The opportunity though to work with multiple stakeholders from varied backgrounds and priorities imparted the leadership skills he’d need to thrive in one of America’s most diverse cities.

At the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), Rezk serves as the deputy director of parking management, facilities, and capital projects. Leading a team of 65 people, Rezk oversees the management and operations of 30 municipal parking fields, and 7 multilevel parking garages, in addition to spearheading construction, repairs, and contract compliance efforts.

Rezk began his career at the NYCDOT as an assistant civil engineer with the goal of advancing his career and his skills. The work was exciting and reminiscent of what he’d done in Egypt and Dubai, where he learned about project management and was exposed to working on projects for city agencies.

Another familiar aspect of his job was working on projects while also overcoming language and cultural barriers between him and his colleagues. Fortunately, he had already learned that the best way to navigate

“Being a forwardthinking leader means having the ability to anticipate future challenges and opportunities and proactively prepare for them.”

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▶ The newly constructed, 600-space Queens Borough Hall Garage.

that challenge was by familiarizing himself with colleagues and the workspace.

In his current role as deputy director, Rezk prides himself on being a forward-thinking leader, who prioritizes clear communication, loyalty to his team, and proactive planning to help the city reach its goals.

“Being a forward-thinking leader means having the ability to anticipate future challenges and opportunities and proactively prepare for them,” he says.

“Forward-thinking leaders encourage creativity and experimentation and are willing to go the distance to achieve the city’s goals. That kind of leadership requires excellent communication skills that can inspire and motivate team members.”

At NYCDOT, that vision includes bolstering the city’s sustainability practices and initiatives. Transportation is responsible for almost 30 percent of NYC’s greenhouse gas emissions, primarily stemming from personal vehicles. That’s why the department is aiming to increase the pace of replacing combustion engine vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs) in the city’s five boroughs where transit and cleaner modes is unavailable.

The goals include reducing emissions by 80 percent in 2050; increasing the amount of cityoperated, fast-charging networks to over 80 charging stations by 2025; equipping 20 percent of all spaces in municipal parking lots and garages with level 2 chargers by 2025; and increasing public awareness of EVs. “I believe it’s important to encourage and enable drivers to make the transition to EV by providing specific infrastructure,” he says. “This will make the ownership of EVs more attractive. Ultimately this transition is an investment in a better quality of life for New Yorkers.”

Rezk and his team are helping to reach those goals through several projects, including the

creation of a new parking garage and community space in Queens. The garage will provide over 600 parking spaces for the community, including over 30 charging stations for EVs, with infrastructure for over 100 stations.

The top level of the facility will be covered with a field of photovoltaic panels to achieve net-zero energy usage. Adjacent to the parking structure will be a two-story, 25,000 square-foot community space that will feature an entry plaza with cascading monumental stairs.

Courtesy New York City Department of Transportation

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“I believe it’s important to encourage and enable drivers to make the transition to [electric vehicles] by providing specific infrastructure.”

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Jemmy Rezk Deputy Director of Parking Management, Facilities & Capital Projects New York City Department of Transportation

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“Even in the face of challenges, perseverance is key.

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Courtesy New York City Department of Transportation

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To supplement these efforts, Rezk is working with multiple City and State agencies such as the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services and the New York Power Authority to install 800 kilowatts of solar photovoltaic panels on the Court Square Garage as part of another citywide effort to alleviate electricity demands in the future.

“EV Connect is proud to support Jemmy Rezk and NYDOT’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable transportation solutions,” says Joe Thell, SVP of sales and business development at EV Connect. “Our comprehensive EV charging solutions for installation, data analytics, and driver support are designed to meet the needs of New York’s business owners, residents, and property developers.”

Rezk believes initiatives like these are critical for improving energy security, creating economic opportunities, and driving technological advancements. However, for him and other city leaders, the stakes are extremely high. The city is primarily built on islands and has 520 miles

of shoreline. As a result, it’s especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels, extreme storms, and more intense heat waves.

To Rezk, that means the time to make the city more sustainable is now. For leaders who realize the threat climate change poses, he says, “Let’s unite and do more.”

“We need every department, city, state, every country to have a dedicated expert staff with a clear plan and timeline to address this issue,” Rezk adds. “Even in the face of challenges, perseverance is key. By learning from experience, we can continually improve our approach and address the challenges of today and the future.

“Cooperation between leaders should be the next step in tackling the crisis,” he adds. “By sharing information and insights, we can work together to solve the problem and help those countries that may still be struggling. The unity of nations will be a crucial component in combating this global issue.”

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Evelyn Baker and Jill Jennings Golich are planners who work from the inside out to make this growing metropolis vibrant, resilient, equitable, and green

By Russ Klettke

Courtesy of the City and County of Denver

Teamwork Helps Denver Grow

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Denver Beer Co aims to bring people together for a shared love of beer and the outdoors.

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If given the choice of growing or shrinking, most cities’ leaders and planners would choose to grow.

It’s nice to be in a place where new businesses and people are arriving, and where cool things like modern construction, resilient 21st century design, and cultural institutions are thriving.

Denver is one of those cities. It grew by almost 20 percent between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, and city planners like Evelyn Baker and Jill Jennings Golich are fully immersed in the city-building work that accompanies that population growth.

As deputy directors in the city’s community planning and development department, they work to craft and implement thoughtful city policies that ensure Denver’s evolution aligns with its communities’ values. They have also navigated the exigencies of the pandemic and post-pandemic eras, responding strategically to the needs of a city recovering from a pandemic.

During and after the pandemic, their department worked with Denver’s restaurateurs and economic development staff to open sidewalks and streets for restaurant dining. And, together, they have led city staff in creating tools to see downtown office buildings, once full of workers but now largely empty, remade for much-needed housing and thriving, ground-floor retail services.

“We appreciate the City and County of Denver’s vision over the last couple of decades,” says Jason Wallack, operations manager at Hensel Phelps. “We feel fortunate to be part of the team, building landmark projects while incorporating workforce and small business programs to support the continued growth of Denver.”

For Baker and Jennings Golich, it’s clear that the human element, the ways in which people work with one another, is a necessary underpinning to sustainable development. In fact, it’s the way they function symbiotically—Baker from the internal staffing and operations side, Jennings Golich on the policy and development functions—that ultimately makes it all work.

Baker’s primary responsibilities include oversight of the department’s culture and customer experience delivered by the 315 staffers who work there.

She makes sure the internal workings keep up with

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Evelyn Baker Deputy Director, Community Planning & Development City and County of Denver

Jill Jennings Golich Deputy Director, Community Planning & Development City and County of Denver

the demands of the external stakeholders that Jennings Golich engages with, such as developers, builders, business owners, and residents.

By definition, those constituents have demands.

A city’s planning department is often a speed bump, with moments of tension and sometimes conflict. Time is money, and the speed of building can make or break a budget. The planning department staffers work on the front lines and are sometimes subject to those tensions.

But they have a recipe for success. “Our goal is for our customers to have a better experience than what they expect,” Baker says. “We are not soulless bureaucrats. We foster a culture of respect, of listening, of giving people space to be problem-solvers.

Our staff know how to interpret complex building codes. They are technicians. And yet, it’s the softer people skills that matter just as much. Respectful communication can go a long way.”

Under Jennings Golich and Baker’s leadership and communication skills, their department worked with thousands of residents and businesses to develop plans that would direct future growth in bold ways to help the community, such as the citywide “Comprehensive Plan 2040” and “Blueprint Denver,” which takes a holistic approach to land use and transportation.

Blueprint Denver was first conceived in 2002 and updated in 2019, prioritizing complete neighborhoods with their own authentic character, quality-of-life amenities, housing and job options, and high-quality transportation networks. It is a measured approach to new growth and land use decision-making made through the lens of social equity. And, of course, addressing climate change is an important part of those plans.

“Resiliency [to these changes] is critical to staying livable,” Jennings Golich says. “The planning choices we make today will have a profound effect on our carbon emissions and resource use in the future.”

Blueprint Denver offers guidance on this front, directing the bulk of new housing and commercial growth to areas with existing or planned transit connections and emphasizing the build-out of the city’s sidewalks and trails.

Denver is also among only a handful of major US metros that have adopted a green construction code, which Jennings Golich credits partially to the city’s geography. Denver is situated in one of the most solar-friendly climates in the country and has

Courtesy of Evelyn Baker (Baker), Courtesy of Jill Jennings Golich (Golich)

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a long history of supporting renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. There is considerable local support for sustainable development practices.

Denver’s position on a high plateau at the base of the Rocky Mountains brings in a lot of people (skiers, snowboarders, cyclists, climbers) and businesses (software and financial services, aerospace, energy and mineral extraction, telecommunications) to the area. Still, Baker and Jennings Golich are aware that the influx of people and money can be disruptive to the people who have lived here for a long time.

Jennings Golich mentions how new affordable housing requirements from their team tie the development of affordable homes to the development of new market-rate homes, ensuring that Denver continues to produce housing options at a range of price points.

Both Jennings Golich and Baker express strong optimism about Denver’s future.

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Baker looks back to when she decided to move to Denver. “I came here from San Francisco in 2006,” she says. “I was struck by how it felt Denver was on the verge of maturing into something different, something exciting.”

Almost two decades later, it seems her instincts were right on target.

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▶ City National Bank’s 400 Park Avenue location in New York City

Office Spaces Refined At City National Bank, Harry Topping creates the places where people want to work and build together

By Karen Schwartz

Peter Aaron

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Harry Topping SVP and Manager of Corporate Real Estate & Security City National Bank

“We do not have design templates, but rather we use a palette of materials and spaces to build a collective brand image of CNB as a premier service, financial institution.”

Part of City National Bank’s real estate planning process is to expand in new markets that provide opportunities for the high-touch service level the bank is known for. Recently, despite the challenges of COVID-19, City National undertook a significant expansion on the East Coast, including additional locations in Manhattan and Long Island, New York; Washington, DC; Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta; and Miami.

City National Bank Corporate Real Estate (CNB CRE) had the responsibility for locating optimal sites and designing and constructing client-facing offices that were not only functional but also represented the brand identity. In the view of Harry Topping, high-quality design reflects the brand and the level of our service his clients expect. To achieve the vision, CNB engaged premier design firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, well known for its work with Apple and other design-progressive businesses.

In addition to significant client-facing expansion, CNB CRE—in collaboration with its parent company Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)—is working to develop work space solutions that team members want to experience. Post COVID, CNB executive management has strongly recommended that employees return to either an assigned or variable workplace three days per week.

While remote work was very successful during COVID, CNB leadership believes that being in the office collaborating and imparting the CNB culture to new colleagues is a very important objective.

As part of understanding what a new workplace experience would be, CNB CRE recently undertook a pilot program intended to provide a more hospitalityoriented environment offering multiple workplace options. This pilot program is an experiment designed to help executive management learn how to optimize future workplaces. The space was designed by Rottet Studio and has a hospitality feel, while also being hightech, Topping explains.

The 26,000-rentable-square-footage floor is in one of its two major Los Angeles high-rise office buildings, and it offers different types of collaborative spaces. It also has a high-resolution, computer-based koi pond where people can watch the “fish” swimming and floating around.

There’s a theater setting for watch parties and town halls, a well-designed food and coffee space, as well as a lounging area with informal seating. In

Paul Bielenberg

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addition, the movable furniture allows for different work space configurations.

“The initial results we have are very positive, and we have a survey measuring that,” Topping says. “We’re going back in 60 days [at time of speaking] with a more detailed survey to hear more about what’s working and what’s not working.”

Highlights will be rolled out to other new or remodeled spaces, he says, adding that the company has been compressing its office portfolio while simultaneously expanding its client-facing locations.

“In my view, we’re at a major inflection point in the history of the workplace,” Topping says, explaining that COVID-19 changed the landscape and has resulted in a chance to broadly reexamine and reimagine office spaces. The firm looked at how its 6,000 employees in 21 states were using their work spaces and learned that only some 60 percent of their work spaces had been occupied on a daily basis as many firms either knew or learned. “Developing a workplace of the future is an exciting and creative opportunity for us.”

CNB believes that returning to the workplace is an important part of retaining and developing culture as the organization grows to a $100-billion-in-assets bank. At the same time, portfolio optimization—using space more efficiently—is an opportunity for it to bring meaningful savings to the bank’s bottom line. So as CNB moves forward, it is bringing the best elements of its pilot program into its portfolio as new workplaces are developed and others are remodeled.

“When City National Bank tower in Los Angeles took on the reposition of its ground floor spaces and plaza, Harry Topping was instrumental in driving the vision forward,” says Jill Wittnebel, managing director at Gensler Los Angeles. “The plaza revitalization, which included a high-touch coffee bar, proved successful, particularly as tenants are seeking third spaces as an extension of their workplace.”

When he’s in the office, Topping schedules meetings and collaborates with his 5 colleagues in corporate real estate, as well as with some of the 40-plus real estate professionals from corporate service firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). They have meetings in person, as frequently as possible, and utilize the AV systems in their conference rooms to maximize participation.

Topping’s day-to-day schedule has tremendous variation, he adds. “One hour I’ll be in a lease negotiation, and in another I’ll be looking at sites for a prospective relocation or new location. I’ll be looking at our [2024]

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budgets, or I’ll be dealing with RBC on long-term planning for owned real estate assets,” he says. “I also get heavily involved with design review and meet with my project managers and architects frequently. Risk management is another important piece of managing our corporate real estate business unit.”

Topping, who holds a master of architecture degree from University of Illinois, started his career practicing architecture in San Francisco and worked as a designer at firms such as HOK and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

He later decided he wanted to work in real estate development, so to prepare, he went on to University of Chicago and earned an MBA. “I’m an unusual breed,” he says. “I moved to a broader scope of work, including portfolio planning, leasing, and developing brand identity through architectural design. I find it interesting and challenging.”

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leadership role. Strong communication skills are key to being successful, he says, as he is often called on to take complex deals and effectively communicate only key aspects to executive management.

Across the board, design matters, as it reflects the quality of service and products the firm offers, Topping explains. “So many leaders in business use good design as a way to reinforce the brand image of high-quality service and products,” he says. “We do not have design templates, but rather we use a palette of materials and spaces to build a collective brand image of CNB as a premier service, financial institution.”

With its newest locations, he says the firm is always keeping an eye on the best markets to serve its clients in private and business banking as well as entertainment banking, including film, TV, and music.

The firm has also expanded its Manhattan footprint with a project in Hudson Yards, a premier space within the largest private real estate development in the United States. In addition to providing an efficient, attractive space to service CNB’s clients, the space features an exhibit area to display rotating art exhibitions and space to hold special speaker and other events.

Additionally, CNB has invested heavily in mobile apps and online banking, so clients can receive services from a diverse set of channels. Acquired by RBC in 2015 to significantly grow its franchise, CNB has achieved greater lender limits and more diversity of service with the deal. CNB has also been able to expand sustainability initiatives.

About a decade ago, Topping went to CEO Russell Goldsmith to suggest the firm add a corporate social responsibility report. “RBC has a dedicated sustainability department that we are using to upgrade our reporting and goal setting in sustainability,” he notes.

Refining the office space is no small task, but Topping is leading the way in building innovative, sustainable spaces that makes the employee and client experience a top priority.

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Renovating with Integrity

Calvin Burkley oversees updates to the Pinehurst Resort & Country Club by honoring the past while planning for the future

By Noah Johnson

The renovated lobby of the Carolina Hotel

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Calvin Burkley Director of Projects & Planning Pinehurst Resort & Country Club

Calvin Burkley gets goosebumps thinking about the way a Pinehurst Resort & Country Club guest responded to renovations he and his team had made to one of America’s oldest hotels.

“She comes into one of the [Carolina Hotel’s] rooms, looks around, and her jaw drops,” he says.

“Then she walks around the corner, looks into the bathroom, and it was just an unscripted reaction.

She gasped and put her hand to her mouth. She was in awe.”

The director of projects and planning for Pinehurst couldn’t ask for a better reaction to a once-in-ageneration project. His team has made improvements to the 122-year-old hotel while keeping its historic charm intact: the renovated rooms are brighter, featuring new fixtures, finishes, and custom-built furniture. It also expanded bathrooms and improved lighting and soundproofing.

The hotel and other parts of the resort, built in 1895, are slated for more updates this year, before Pinehurst hosts the US Open in 2024. Burkley says

those efforts are part of a renaissance of growth and reinvestment that began well before he started his tenure at the resort in 2018. But he’s excited to keep that momentum going.

“We want to make sure this is the best place for people to come for a long time,” he says. “We want to make sure we protect the history of it, that it’s timeless, historic, relevant, and forward thinking.”

Overseeing projects that preserve Pinehurst’s past while paving the way to its future is hard work, but Burkley loves the challenge. His deep appreciation for the resort’s history has been a guiding principle for all 40 of the projects he currently oversees, as has his dedication to maintaining communication among everyone involved in them.

“On my Outlook, it tells me that I have 106 people that I communicate with regularly,” he says. “That’s multiple contractors, design firms, project managers, superintendents. There’s a lot of communication that needs to happen and the tough part is knowing what to communicate and when.”

He admits that keeping up with it all can be a challenge. He has monthly calls with senior staff

Matthew Gibson

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◀ The Carolina Hotel renovations honor the 123-year-old building’s historic charm.

▼ The Carolina has been dubbed “Queen of the South,” with 230 FourDiamond guest rooms.

“We want to make sure this is the best place for people to come for a long time.”

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▼ The Coffee House is located off the Carolina Hotel lobby.

“I can count on people, and they can count on me.”

to get status updates on projects, in which he gives staff a chance to ask questions, dive into challenges or concerns, and share success stories. He also reports to the resort’s CFO once a week for the same reason.

“From a self-accountability standpoint, the update that I put together is something I came up with because of the high project volume,” Burkley says. “The only way I can manage it is to keep a running dialogue in a documented form. Because when you’re typing up a weekly report, the last thing you want to do is type ‘no change.’”

That focus on optimizing his planning process is now more vital than ever, as supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic persist. There have been some improvements, but Burkley says supply shortages are still an issue.

“There are some things in the planning stages that we’re looking at now that we didn’t have to think about pre-COVID,” he says. “For example, we used to be able

Matthew Gibson

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◀ The Coffee House serves beverages, pastries, and snacks.

honest with the design firms on how they’re performing, and what your needs are,” he adds.

Before joining Pinehurst, he worked at Firestone Country Club for 24 years. There, he got to be around strong leaders and mentors he could count on. As director of facilities, he navigated interpersonal conflicts among staff members by creating an environment that showed them they could rely on each other.

Today, he uses that experience to help Pinehurst continue its upward growth trajectory.

“I really enjoy working here because of the quality of the staff. It’s like working with all superstars,” he says. “I can count on people, and they can count on me.”

to expect a custom couch in 16 weeks but now it’ll take over a year. All the timelines for getting certain items have changed.”

As a result, the team has been forced to adjust where it sources items from, commit to ordering items earlier, and think further ahead in the planning process than before. Burkley navigates that challenge and others by building relationships with his team and supporting his people however he can. He believes in the role integrity can play in being a good leader. He says it can bring value to a company by building trust among the people who work there.

“I think integrity is the most important thing,” he says. “If I don’t have integrity, I don’t have anything.

I’m a big believer in doing what I say and saying what I want to do, and people can take that to the bank.

People can really count on the things I say.

“It’s just being honest with people: being honest with your contractors with where you’re at, being

Cline Design is dedicated to transforming communities through innovative design and the integration of architecture, planning, landscape architecture, and interior design. With experience crafting timeless projects in the world-renowned golf capital, Cline Design’s opportunities to partner with Calvin and The Pinehurst Resort & Country Club have inspired The Cradle Crossing, a new open-air bar and pavilion on the nine-hole short course, and additional vibrant outdoor amenities that effortless blend in with the surrounding landscape.

The O’Connor Company is an experienced industrial and commercial general contractor specializing in commercial, industrial, and multifamily residence construction. Based in Pinehurst, North Carolina, we serve clients nationwide with an expert understanding of all aspects of the construction process. We always serve clients with the utmost skill, integrity, and professionalism—our time-honored approach to delivering superior results. We proudly congratulate Calvin Burkley and Pinehurst Resort & Country Club on their recognition!

Renovation

pisaphotography/Shutterstock.com

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At Westgate Resorts, Chad Severance is leading some of the company’s most exciting projects

By Joseph Stark

Chad Severance is into anything that can get his adrenaline rushing. And as the senior vice president of development and construction at Westgate Resorts, where he spearheads some of the company’s most exciting resort renovations and upgrades, he’s in the right place.

The company, which aims to enrich the lives of its guests by providing a lifetime of vacation memories, has 22 resorts and 14,000 luxury villas and hotel rooms throughout the US, providing a wide range of vacation experiences. Severance and his team are helping to build on that with renovations to its water parks and restaurants while implementing projects in its Las Vegas casinos.

After graduating from Villanova University, Severance went on to serve as a contractor management estimator for the Home Depot, a contractor at Monster Maintenance and Construction, and a senior project manager at S&S Worldwide Inc. He also worked as a senior project manager at Universal Studios Orlando and a principal owner at Elite International before stepping into his current role in 2019, bringing over two decades of business development and construction experience.

In his role Severance oversees all design development procurement and renovations for the company’s central Florida investment brand while leading a team of more than 60 people who work on everything from design concepts to completion.

Severance prides himself on being a firm but fair leader who prioritizes leading by example. He also encourages his team to be creative and to grow in

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their roles. This approach allows his team to come together cohesively to execute on projects.

He’s had plenty to do. For example, in January, Westgate’s Cocoa Beach Resort announced a complete renovation of its two-bedroom beachside suites, including brand new furniture, appliances, and refreshed bathrooms. In addition, at the end of 2022 the resort announced new dining and retail concepts.

“We are excited to debut this beautifully appointed beachfront building that will elevate the experience of our guests during their Westgate vacation,” Mark Waltrip, chief operating officer of Westgate Resorts, said in a press release. “Our team is ready to welcome guests to these new and refreshing luxury suites with the best service, experience, and hospitality found anywhere on the Space Coast.”

Severance’s team also helped to build a resort in Daytona Beach, Florida, which features 23 miles of white-sand beaches, the Daytona International Speedway, and the Motorsport Hall of Fame of America. Guests can enjoy oceanfront villas with fully equipped kitchens, sleeper

sofas, and private balconies. Other on-site amenities include beach access, a heated outdoor pool, and a hot tub.

BACH Development is proud to work with Westgate Resorts and its forward-thinking leaders like Chad Severance to build a welcoming environment for guests by building quality constructed properties. With the belief that travel stay should be as comfortable as home, both companies are committed to our clients; it is this deep commitment that drives our business and defines the exceptional level of service that we provide in everything that we do.

The comprehensive system that has been in place at Tungsten for the past 15 years has always been focused on the client.

With specific skill sets in architecture and general contracting services, we value a one-point-of-contact approach during the construction process that historically results in plans that are executed with precision and reliability, budgets that are more consistently accomplished, schedules that are more efficient, and relationships that are less critical—all while maximizing client creative input and minimizing client stress.

We have the talents to develop and produce all aspects of your project.

Tungsten Corporation QUA LITY | COMMERC IA L | SERVICES ARCHITECTURE & GENERAL CONTRACTING

Our congratulations to Chad Severance.

LEISURE | ENTERTAINMENT | COMMERCIAL | CORPORATE | INDUSTRIAL

www.tungstencorporation.com

843-839-1650

Portraits Sharing stories that detail motivations, ambitions, and missions of executives in the building industry and getting a firsthand look at what they are achieving today

Courtesy of Fifth Third Bank

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◀ Una, the data-based sculpture created by artist Danielle Roney, fills the newly enclosed atrium space at the Fifth Third Bank Cincinnati headquarters.

Designing Toward Human Needs Valerie Garrett helps build spaces for employees and customers at Fifth Third Bank with their need for connection in mind

By Noah Johnson

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▶ Brilliant daylight filters into the Forum, a second floor dynamic gathering and working space at the Fifth Third Bank Cincinnati headquarters.

At Fifth Third Bank, Valerie Garrett, director of workplace design, helps build connections in more ways than one.

As a forward-thinking leader responsible for the redesign of all the bank’s national offices, she’s guided by a human-centered philosophy. She believes that future proofing the workplace means designing toward basic, universal human needs.

“There are things that as people we always needed that aren’t going to go away, like connection, reflection, social interaction, and the need to be a part of something meaningful,” she says. “Those are things that aren’t going to go away tomorrow, in the next year, or the next decade.”

That principle was the catalyst for Project Connect, an expansion and renewal of the bank’s Cincinnati headquarters, which she says has been pivotal in bringing people together and creating spaces where they can thrive. It included the creation of a newly designed next-generation financial center, renovated retail tenant experiences, a museum, a stage, and a glass atrium that’s often bustling with activity and smiling faces.

The project also brought together the bank’s two office towers with a 12,000 square-foot entryway, located on Fountain Square, known in urban planning as one of America’s great outdoor living rooms.

That location allows the bank to have greater visibility and interaction with the surrounding community.

Since the project has been completed, it’s given employees and community members a space to gather, to serve, and to socialize, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The number one success criteria we have is that people are thriving in the spaces we create for them, and we don’t have to hear that—we see it,” she says.

“We saw people coming back together and hearing these exclamations of delight, because they hadn’t seen their peers in a long time.”

“It’s also a cultural lever; ‘space is a proxy for culture,’” she adds, quoting futurist Rex Miller.

“When you see people thriving in spaces you create, the spaces are supporting a thriving culture. It’s a massive win.”

That wasn’t the only project she’s led that puts people at the center of her team’s design goals. With its work on the next generation banking centers, Fifth Third has focused on becoming the “unbank,” a bank that people could identify with and one that is approachable and flexible. To do that, the branches offer customers multiple options for conducting business, including casual open environments and spaces more suitable for private conversations.

“The best feedback we could get from customers is when they walk in and say, ‘Wow, this is beautiful.

It feels great, and it doesn’t even feel like a bank,’” she says. “That’s a bullseye for us.”

Garrett prides herself on building connections with her team using a candid, direct, and encouraging leadership style. If her team members are off the mark, she’s not afraid to tell them. But she always follows up with words of encouragement, letting her employees know she believes in them—a process she calls “encouraging the heart.”

Courtesy of Fifth Third Bank

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“The number one success criteria we have is that people are thriving in the spaces we create for them, and we don’t have to hear that—we see it.”

Gabe Ford/Courtesy of Marand Builders

▶ Interiors of Fifth Third Bank Next Gen financial centers include warm, natural elements that customers enjoy in environments built just for them.

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Valerie Garrett Director of Workplace Design Fifth Third Bank

“Sometimes we must give feedback that’s challenging, and sometimes we have to course correct our team as leaders,” she says. “It’s important to do that with incredible clarity and candor, but it doesn’t mean that you have to be unkind.”

She says she derives those traits from her family.

Growing up, they were always willing to be transparent, to graciously say hard things to each other, and get to the other side of conflicts together. As a product of a household where there weren’t many off limit topics, she learned to communicate clearly and openly early on.

Those skills were further developed with the help of a previous leader she worked for, who cared for his team’s professional development and encouraged each of them to know themselves. He took the team through the DISC assessment and through the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Those experiences opened Garrett’s eyes to different personality types and the implications that can have in a work environment. As someone with a dominant personality, she learned to be conscious of the way she communicated with others.

“The candor I have and the way I present myself may feel intimidating or off-putting to people if I’m not conscious of it,” she says. “It’s part of what drove

Courtesy of Fifth Third Bank

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me to be a leader that encourages the heart because I know that sometimes my delivery can be tough.”

Between giving transparent feedback and empowering her employees, Garrett successfully brings the best out of her team. Her work proves that creating a thriving environment starts with putting human needs at the center of the design.

Miller Zell wants to celebrate a great partnership with Fifth Third Bank and BHDP. Together, we created unity and connection with branding layers within each branch.

Developing and executing a cohesive space that fulfills every design driver is not easy, but that was accomplished here with an outstanding collaboration. The branches feature elevated wayfinding, a reinvented user experience, and community connection. These spaces were optimized to serve customers, associates, and the brand.

RCF Group and Haworth are proud to support Fifth Third Bank and its creative leaders, like Valerie Garrett in their journey to transform their workplace. RCF Group is a comprehensive workplace solutions provider of commercial furniture and furnishings, architectural interiors, design services, and facilities services. As a nationally certified Minority Business Enterprise, our commitment to diversity and inclusion is at the core of our business. Haworth is a family-owned commercial furniture manufacturer.

Where People Gather, Shop or Bank Miller Zell provides interior branding and signage expertise.

In a retail-centric world, our end-to-end services provide branded environments, digital and static signage, and experiences that captivate customers.

Optimize your Banking Experience Design with: •

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Dogs, Drives, and Development Senior Director of Construction Chad Clough and his endless curiosity help drive 20 builds a year at Camp Bow Wow

By Billy Yost

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If Chad Clough isn’t the most interesting person you’ve read about today, you’ve been reading comic books about superheroes or science fiction about mad scientists.

Clough, as it turns out, is a little bit

of both.

The senior director of construction for dog care services company Camp Bow Wow built an off-thegrid, solar-powered home on the Sea of Cortez in Baja, Mexico. He commuted to and from Baja, while also raising his son and driving, not flying, back and forth to Colorado for business because he wanted the company of his two golden retrievers. That’s a recurring 5,000-mile round trip.

“They were the best copilots a guy could ever have,” Clough says of his dear furry friends who recently passed away. “The lengths that we go to for the animals that we love, it probably makes sense how I wound up here [Camp Bow Wow].”

Clough came to Camp Bow Wow in 2018 as a construction manager before being promoted to his current senior director role in 2021. He is frank about the needs of his department when first he took on the role.

First Day of Camp “I know I’m in the dog business, but this was like herding cats,” Clough delivers, deadpan. “We had a department that needed to get its lane straightened out, and that has involved a great deal of process change internally.”

Clough hired two new construction managers and has more hires on the way to keep pace with Camp Bow Wow’s extensive growth. But, despite making it through the pandemic, there are still multiple and lingering issues holding over from the great COVID-19 lockdown.

“I know I’m in the dog business, but this was like herding cats.”

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“I want the person who is building someone below them to help them be successful.”

For one, timelines for permits have nearly tripled, because so many municipalities are either not back in the office or working limited hours. It’s been such a challenge, and Clough says his team is specifically working to address ways to shorten life cycles in order to accommodate for the current challenges.

Tracking life cycles and milestones has been enabled by a partnership with the work management platform Smartsheets. The internal team is able to track how much time is being spent in the permitting, zoning, and the countless other phases of a build.

“We’re working to identify those long lead metrics that then allow us to focus on them individually,” Clough explains. “We want to open most of our projects in fourteen weeks, so we continue tracking these to be able to drill down on the pain points.”

Camp Bow Wow is currently trying to open twenty projects a year, and the director says that number will likely shift to thirty as the organization continues to perfect its methods.

The Right Member of the Pack Clough has brought a great deal to his role with his out-of-the-box thinking and significant process improvement chops, but he’s also very deliberate about the people he brings onto his team.

“One of my interview questions when hiring is, ‘Give me an example of a how you’ve helped someone you’ve worked with in the past,” he explains.

“Generally, you get two answers. It will be a story of

helping someone under them move up the ladder, or, alternatively, helping someone high up in the company.”

He continues, “I want the person who is building someone below them to help them be successful. I was set up for success by someone that taught me well.

Those are the people I want around me.”

Saying Clough has “building” in his DNA is as much of a cliche as it is an understatement. He’s a fifthgeneration lumberman. His son, Caden, might be the sixth generation of builders in the Colorado area. He owned his own construction services and development company for seventeen years, and his curiosity is seemingly endless.

Clough attended the Solar Energy Institute for months to learn how to service, maintain, and build a solar-dependent home far before Powerwall and other lithium-ion batteries were popularized.

And, while the senior director is now back stateside, he’s pretty sure he’ll return to Mexico one day.

His connection to the culture, his love of the community, and his time devoted to raising his son is always at the front of his mind, as are his two best friends in the world.

Clough lost his two dogs in very short order, and he’s just not ready to dive back in quite yet. Although, he’s still acting as a rescue home for golden retrievers in need, and there’s no doubt a couple of lucky dogs will wind up as permanent guests in the home of Camp Bow Wow’s senior director.

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Chad Clough Senior Director of Construction

Courtesy of Chad Clough

Camp Bow Wow

5 Point Fabrication is proud to work with Chad Clough and the team at Camp Bow Wow. For nearly 10 years, 5 Point has supported CBW with custom metal fabricated proprietary boarding, cabin, and fencing components to further distinguish their leadership involving pet care. Chad’s ability to candidly problem solve and work through the construction process related to the product we manufacture, is sincerely appreciated.

Thank you for your support today and in the future!

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Gary Logan

Stepping into the Gap

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◀ Avantax headquarters in Dallas

From his start in the Marines to his work at Avantax, C.K. Redlinger chalks his success up to taking chances

By Noah Johnson The USS Juneau exploded and sank after it was hit by a Japanese torpedo in 1941. Roughly 120 of the 700 men survived the explosion, but shark attacks and exposure to the elements whittled them down to just ten. The men were rescued eight days after the sinking. C.K. Redlinger’s uncle, Wyatt Butterfield, was among them and was instrumental in saving the group.

“On the eighth day, a US Navy plane flew over, saw the survivors, and dropped a package with some life-saving equipment, but it was out of reach,” says Redlinger. “At one point my uncle made a bold decision to volunteer to leave the life raft and swim for the package. As sharks closed in on him, he was able to return to the raft with the package, earning a Bronze Star for bravery in the process.”

His uncle’s account of survival, along with both of his parents being Marines, inspired Redlinger to embrace the concept of “stepping into the gap,” or being the first to welcome a challenge. It’s a concept that drove his successful career in the US Marine Corps, as a law enforcement officer in Atlanta, a military contractor, and his current role as vice

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“Stepping into the gap is the art of action-taking. It conditions us to be bold and decisive. As a young person, I tried to overcome fears by always volunteering to go first in a group setting.

Whether it was being the first to give a briefing or the first to run an obstacle course, I’ve always seen it as an opportunity to be action-oriented.”

president of business continuity, corporate security, and real estate at Avantax.

“Stepping into the gap is the art of actiontaking. It conditions us to be bold and decisive. As a young person, I tried to overcome fears by always volunteering to go first in a group setting. Whether it was being the first to give a briefing or the first to run an obstacle course, I’ve always seen it as an opportunity to be action-oriented,” he says. “Even though it’s scary and you might fail, you keep raising your hand. Before long, an audacious spirit becomes second nature and others will recognize this leadership quality and naturally want to elevate you.”

His journey began as an 18-year-old Marine Corps recruit at Parris Island in 1988. Though his early days in the military were challenging and riddled with fear, they instilled the discipline and leadership skills he’d need later as an assault team leader, explosive breacher, and close quarters battle instructor.

“The Marines are constantly trying to inoculate you against stress and chaos by introducing those elements into training., That conditioning bled over into other aspects of my life when adversity came knocking. It helped me understand that challenges were just the next adventure.”

From 2004 to 2016, he joined the Global War on Terrorism as a military contractor, serving in Iraq and Jordan. There, he gained experience managing complex projects in remote environments. It was here that he was exposed to construction, supply chains, and logistics while building new training facilities for the US State Department’s Antiterrorism Assistance Program.

When he got back to the US, a friend from the Marines who worked at Avantax, a Texas-based financial services firm, called him to spearhead a plan to build a corporate security department. After successfully completing that project, his responsibilities expanded. He soon took charge of business continuity, real estate, and facilities teams.

“These were some new function areas I had never been responsible for,” he said. “It’s natural to feel out of your depth at first, but I had a long career at that point of stepping into the gap and knew that applying the same fundamentals would result in positive outcomes. I also surrounded myself with some really smart and resourceful action takers.”

As someone who has always needed meaning and purpose in his jobs, his role at Avantax fits him perfectly. That’s because Avantax has a culture of genuinely aiming to improve the lives of its clients “by helping them pursue their financial goals,” he says. “These are people trying to send kids to college, plan for retirement and, in some cases, create generational wealth. It’s a great feeling being

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so devoted to our financial professionals and CPAs who provide tax-focused financial planning to clients across America.”

Redlinger also feels responsible for building and maintaining cohesive teams, a value influenced by his military and law enforcement experience. That’s why he has team members from all the departments he leads do their planning together. He wants them to know each other’s challenges and lean on each other for help.

A great sense of comradery has ensued because of that, a benefit that’s helped influence company culture. “We had a devastating derecho storm in Iowa impact our employees there, and immediately our teams stepped into the gap,” he says. “They loaded trucks with generators, equipment, water, and food. Then, they made the trek from Texas to Iowa and helped them. We witnessed the same spirit of resiliency and teamwork during the historic Dallas Freeze and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“When you have an executive leadership team that encourages that kind of culture, it breeds cohesion and builds trust and empathy from top to bottom,” Redlinger says.

C.K. Redlinger VP of Business Continuity, Corporate Security & Real Estate Avantax

Congratulations, C.K. Redlinger!

We’re proud to be a partner of Avantax.

Founded and headquartered in Dallas, Stream Realty Partners is making waves across the country. We continue to diversify our service offerings, empower our professionals, and expand our U.S. footprint into some of commercial real estate’s hottest markets.

Ellman Photography

We do it all by remaining true to our original vision and investing in our firm’s unique culture that’s guided by our core values. streamrealty.com

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Speed, Efficiency, and Accuracy Jeffrey Bennett brings over three decades of experience to Dutch Bros’ expansion

By Billy Yost

Aaron Fairooz

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Jeffrey Bennett Director of Construction Dutch Bros

Over a storied 35-year career, Jeffrey Bennett has worked on many project types, including roll-out programs for major brands on both the architectural and construction management sides of the development. He served as a proud “Seabee” in the US Naval Construction Battalion, created prototypes from concepts, and developed prototype implementation programs. Those experiences gave him a unique perspective on speed-to-market development. In September of 2020, he took on director of construction duties at Dutch Bros Coffee to help escalate the brand’s rapid eastward expansion.

Dutch Bros Coffee is a drive-through coffee company dedicated to making a massive difference one cup at a time. Founded in 1992, the company now has more than 650 locations in 14 states, with its headquarters located in Grants Pass, Oregon.

Bennett reflects on the invaluable lessons he has

learned time and time again throughout his career.

“Never underestimate the tenets of professionalism,” he says. “Know that empathy is a key component to building professional relationships that are solution-based and efficient.”

“If you know how to be a professional, those in leadership positions will come to trust you,” Bennett explains. “And when they come to trust you, they will teach you. And that which they teach you, you have forever.”

That sort of wisdom was earned en masse, as Bennett pursued a career in design before most had even started college. During the Black Monday recession of 1987, eighteen-year-old Bennett was one of only two people who didn’t get laid off from the architectural firm he worked at.

Early in his career, Bennett, no doubt aided by his military experience, learned how to balance speed, efficiency, and accuracy. His boss explained that he needed to master all three to know which needed to

Aaron Fairooz

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▲ Jeffrey Bennett throws up deuces with Dutch Bros crew members in Texas.

Value-Based Builds Jeffrey Bennett has always made it a point to dedicate time and knowledge in service to community improvement. Bennett has provided design services to projects such as the Loreto House; This Just In, a nonprofit developing the Gethsemane Park Spiritual Retreat in Camden, Arkansas; and the Innercity Community Development Corporation, whose mission is to create stable, safe, and vibrant affordable housing in the South Dallas and Fair Park area.

Building towards community improvement is at the heart of Bennett’s work. “So much has been given by those who have poured into me both personally and professionally,” Bennett explains. “It’s an honor and a blessing for me to give what I’ve learned to help others so they might elevate others. The least I can do is be thankful and share knowledge.”

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“Never underestimate the tenets of professionalism.

Know that empathy is a key component to building professional relationships that are solution-based and efficient.”

Since 1952, Castles Design Group, P.C. has offered a combination of creative abilities, technical expertise and project management skills. Our reputation is solidly based on quality design, efficiency, technical expertise, conscientious service and a commitment toward community, society and the environment.

We offer full Architectural Services from project Inception, Planning, and Design through Construction Documents and Construction Phase Services.

FOOD SERVICE | RETAIL | INDUSTRIAL | COMMERCIAL 3801 Kirby Drive | Suite 600 | Houston, Texas 77098 T 713.664.7974 | F 713.664.9756 | www.castlesdesigngroup.com

be sacrificed at times to meet a goal. It wasn’t cutting corners; it was the reality of a fast-moving space. It was one of the most valuable lessons he had ever been given and it fundamentally informs how he works today.

“Dutch Bros is developing stores at a high pace.

That makes effectively communicating a necessity,” Bennett says. “Each person, unit, department, vendor, and consultant must execute in unison. The more we understand each other’s ‘whys’, the more unified our focus becomes.”

Bennett’s hard-driving work ethic is, he says, another reflection of sometimes harsh realities in his life. His daughter was born with sickle cell anemia, providing endless challenges throughout her life, and often making Bennett’s work schedule change at a moment’s notice. Along with his daughter, Bennett and his wife were also dedicating significant time to caring for ailing parents, and Bennett himself had to work back from a serious car accident.

“Most of my professional career has revolved around my family. So, wherever I work, I come with conditions,” Bennett admits. “I had to have flexibility. That’s the bottom line. In this business, it’s all about results. My performance must be based on the results of my work more so than any other metric, so I do what is necessary to keep things where they need to be. That work ethic is just part of me.”

That need for flexibility certainly hasn’t impaired Bennett’s prospects. In 2020, he was contacted by Dutch Bros VP of Design and Construction Daniel Batty to help a successful company grow even more.

He would become the first director of construction at Dutch Bros.

Bennett’s purview is essentially everything east of the middle of Texas. Dutch Bros, initially a west coast phenomenon, is expanding past the Mississippi in a hurry. “We’re having to scale our department and what we’re doing along with the company’s growth.

Through that, I’ve tried to place a high priority on interdepartmental understanding.”

It’s something Bennett has seen go poorly before, and that’s why he’s especially committed to working with the larger organization, vendors, and consultants to understand the importance of learning how

Looking to expand your food service brand rapidly and stress-free? Look no further than Concept Services. Our dedicated 3-person teams make new openings a breeze, from store design to installation. With our highly specialized teams, you’ll get results that align perfectly with your brand’s vision and values. We’re more than just a service provider— we operate as an extension of your organization, delivering world-class service and support. Don’t settle for less. Contact us at (866) 474-2537 or visit conceptservices.co to take your brand to the next level.

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“I’ve tried to place a high priority on interdepartmental understanding.” to work together. Conversations that weren’t happening before are now happening. And tools and efficiencies that weren’t there to aid that kind of collaboration are now there. “In my career, I’ve worked with no team better equipped to grow than ours at Dutch Bros,” he says.

As for Bennett, he’s also continuing to grow. He never wants to stop evolving. He’s always looking to make a process or procedure more efficient. And it might take a little extra hard work, but if there’s anything Bennett knows how to do, it’s deliver.

Award-winning growth solutions Design | Procurement | Project Management

Congratulations Jeffrey Bennett Concept Services is honored to partner with Dutch Bros Coffee and Jeffrey Bennett as they continue their record-breaking expansion.

Aaron Fairooz

(866) 474-2537 | conceptservices.co

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Sustainability Amid Unstable Supply Chains Mark Kerman helps brave industry-wide challenges while fulfilling Greystar’s sustainability goals

By Joseph Stark

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How do you bring sustainability to a market with an unstable supply chain? That’s a question Mark Kerman, senior director of construction services at Greystar, wrestles with constantly as he looks to advance the company’s sustainability objectives.

In 2021, his company set some ambitious goals to cement its commitment to addressing and minimizing sustainability risks and environmental impacts.

The company said it would evaluate and implement capital improvements and new technologies to reduce its carbon footprint and increase the resilience of its communities when faced with natural disasters and other disruptions. The goals also includes reducing the company’s energy and water usage, emissions, and waste by one percent each year and five percent every five years, on a rolling basis.

Those would’ve been lofty goals even before the pandemic, which had a domino effect on material costs, supply chain issues, and labor shortages in the construction workforce. But in the face of those challenges, Kerman, who manages construction and capital planning for Greystar’s properties, hasn’t wavered.

He has directed various efforts to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions through the installation of small, combined heat and power (CHP) systems in some of Greystar’s properties. CHP produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies using a range of technologies and fuels, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. He has also overseen the installation of lighting upgrades, traditional and innovative heating plant control systems, and education programs for property occupants. On top of that, he’s led his team to executing the largest oil to natural gas conversion project in New York City.

Those accomplishments were made possible in part by his leadership style. He looks to support his team in any way he can by giving them the tools they need to achieve their goals. He developed those vital skills at Columbia University, where he worked for over thirty years as an associate VP, director of operations, and assistant VP of residential and commercial operations.

In the former role he managed over 5,000 construction projects of residential, commercial, medical, retail, and academic spaces while supervising more than 300 employees. In the latter role, his responsibilities grew as he oversaw the completion

of 500 construction projects and 40,000 preventative maintenance and repair requests, as well supervising more than 400 employees.

The company’s strides on the sustainability front have also been supported by some of its other efforts.

With its Greystar Green awards program, the company calls on its associates, owner clients, and residents to develop more sustainable practices to lessen environmental impacts. It urges them to turn to sustainability practices, such as using recycled products, supporting carpooling and alternative transportation, and improving indoor environmental quality. The program records changes made at each of Greystar’s communities to track their impact.

Sustainability and abundant green space were huge factors behind the design of a 396-unit garden-style multi-family development in Austin, Texas, that broke ground in February 2023, according to Multi-Housing News. The community, located by Tesla’s Gigafactory and global headquarters, will include studio, one-, twoand three-bedroom floor plans. Interiors will feature stainless steel appliances and high-end features. The property will also include a dog park, a beer garden, a swimming pool, pickleball court, and a fitness lawn.

The community is slated for completion by end of year.

“We’re really excited to be able to bring Interport to the Del Valle neighborhood, an area of Austin that has an immense need for housing,” Alex Perkins, director of development at Greystar, told Multifamilybiz. “The community itself will feature a large clubhouse with indoor-outdoor fitness and coworking spaces. Given the community’s proximity to Tesla’s Headquarters, sustainability and ample green space were major driving forces behind the design. This area is ripe for growth, and we are excited to help pave the path for other major developments to come.”

Citywide Elevator Consulting is a forward-thinking industry leader, providing modern elevator advisory, custom solutions, and economic growth for real estate owners and asset managers. Citywide helps clients maximize the value of their vertical transportation assets using hands-on expertise and a data-driven approach to decision-making from residential buildings to specialized buildings for healthcare, retail, hotel, education, commercial, and more.

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Building a Future for the Next Generation

By Noah Johnson

Courtesy of Rivian

At Rivian, Nicole Sakhleh has helped the company advance its mission by building up her team and supporting her colleagues

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The Rivian flagship venue in Laguna Beach, approved in 2021, includes rehabilitation of the existing South Coast Theatre, which was built in 1934.

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There’s been a lot of building going on at Rivian.

The electronic vehicle manufacturer prides itself on “building the future for our kids and our kids’ kids,” a vision fueled by a dedication to sustainable energy. To do that, the company has done extensive work building up its real estate portfolio that now includes a planned second manufacturing plant in Georgia; the operating manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois; and a historic theater in Laguna Beach, California.

As Rivian’s senior legal director of real estate and construction counsel, Nicole Sakhleh has successfully helped to advance the company’s forward-thinking vision by doing some building of her own.

Sakhleh, who started at the company four years ago as its only real estate and construction attorney, has managed to develop construction and strategic support aspects at all stages of real estate development. In doing so, she has supported not only the company’s efforts to create physical spaces that thrive, but also something that will last a lot longer: a legacy.

“As I watch all the success Rivian has had since I first started—going from 3 locations to about 150 and seeing the impact we’re making and how it’s propelling others to prioritize the EV space—it’s great to be part of this transition of what the future will be,” she says.

“And it’s a transition that’s required; we’ve got to do something about it now.”

While she has always strongly believed in Rivian’s vision, she admits that the early days at the company were “scrappy.” She joined at the same time as key facilities leaders amid ambitious company goals and

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▲ Inside the Rivian manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois

few resources. Together, they worked to set themselves up for long-term success while managing day-today needs. For Sakhleh, that meant coming up with templates, negotiating documents, working cross functionally with various departments, and managing the onboarding of outside counsel.

All the while, this happened during a pandemic in a house with two kids and a baby on the way.

“It was nuts,” she says plainly, noting it was an opportunity as much as it was a challenge. She got a chance to build the company’s real estate and construction legal team from the ground up and build cross-functional relationships with other company leaders.

“We had to figure out ways to strength our relationships, to move forward, and to rely on each other,” she says. Sometimes that meant having virtual meetings to build rapport and respecting each other’s time while working long hours.

These were key experiences in Sakhleh’s development of her servant leadership style. Today, she leads her team with a mind towards collaboration, supports

her team members’ growth in their roles and careers, and helps them feel like they belong and are supported.

“As a team lead that wants to make a particular culture, it’s very important to make sure that everybody knows that there is space for everyone,” she says. “It’s not you or them. We win together and lose together. If a team member is over capacity, someone else is jumping in to take something off their plate.”

“When a company grows at lightning speed and needs extensive real estate expertise to do so, it takes real leadership to navigate the professional challenges and speed of the deal flow while also taking care of your team. Nicole shares our own emphasis on innovation, excellence, collaboration, and inclusion, and she does it with the highest level of integrity and intelligence,” says Meredith Katz, shareholder and cochair of the Chicago Real Estate Practice at Greenberg Traurig.

Her collaborative approach has been a driving force for assisting the company with its expansion goals through key projects, such as the renovation of the production plant in Illinois. As the company modernizes the facility, Sakhleh supports multiple teams in facilities, supply chain, EHS, and manufacturing sectors to plan the expansion and the renewable and sustainability options for powering the plant.

Another key initiative she’s working on is the rollout of Rivian’s second manufacturing plant, which will be a multibillion-dollar investment that will provide 1,500 jobs.

“It’s a really exciting project,” she says. “My team worked with the state to get one of the biggest incentives packages in history for the state of Georgia.”

Sakhleh credits much of her success to lessons she learned from previous work experiences. She started her career as an associate attorney at Potestivo & Associates and at Wood, Kull, Herschfus, Obee & Kull.

There, she learned to understand the needs of her

Ian Ward (Internal plant), Nathan Heleine (Aerial shot)

“As a team lead that wants to make a particular culture, it’s very important to make sure that everybody knows that there is space for everyone.”

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◀ Aerial view of the Rivian manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois

lessons I’ve taken with me and leveraged in my current role,” she adds. Her advice for those aspiring to follow in her footsteps is to create a network and to take nontraditional roles.

“Sometimes you learn more in those roles than you could ever expect,” Sakhleh says. “It is important not to be focused on job titles but opportunities in a role.

Give yourself space to be a continuous learner. Also, don’t be afraid to bet on yourself.”

clients and to communicate with them efficiently. At General Motors, a company where many of her relatives worked, she met mentors who were important to her development. She also learned “how to function in a company that had it figured out,” she says.

“They had processes, procedures, and best-inclass practices, so learning those early on have been

Greenberg Traurig is proud to provide legal services to Rivian. Working with Nicole Sakhleh and her in-house legal team, we have seen firsthand the passion and integrity that they bring to their work. Our real estate practice is comprised of more than 700 real estate lawyers from around the world. We deliver diversified and comprehensive counsel for property acquisition and investment, development, management and leasing, financing, restructuring, and disposition of all asset classes of real estate. Our partnership with Rivian is one we highly value, as their dedication to innovation, sustainability, and leadership reflects our own.

GT L AW.COM

CONGRATULATIONS Greenberg Traurig congratulates Nicole Sakhleh at Rivian for her well-deserved recognition in American Builders Quarterly.

We are excited to be a part of Rivian’s continued growth.

GREENBERG TRAURIG, LLP

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From the Hart Kevin Hart’s vegan fast-food restaurant Hart House not only serves healthier food at an affordable cost but also commits to the communities it serves

By Andrew Chang

The Southern California food scene is no stranger to the plant-based restaurant craze. With Flower Burger’s colorful buns, Monty’s Good Burger’s pop-up collaboration with singer Role Model, and Mr. Charlie’s TikTok trendy take on McDonald’s, it seems that celebrities and entrepreneurs alike have united to make going vegan go viral. But in 2022, Kevin Hart founded Hart House, a plant-based fast-food restaurant of his own, with aspirations reaching further than trends and instead aiming to make a long-lasting impact on its local and global community.

Hart House’s mission is simple: “to make the food you know and love—better for you, your wallet, and

the planet.” In doing so, Hart disrupted the idea of just how much a fast-food restaurant can do. He revolutionizes the quick-service industry by providing healthier food that is affordable, delicious, and better for the planet. Moreover, he transformed his “flexitarian” diet into a culinary experience accessible to all.

The new vegan fast-food restaurant offers a menu filled with familiar items. From the Signature Burg’r to the Deluxe Crispy Chik’n Sandwich, the menu features classic quick-service cuisine made from the heart, that’s better for yours. Hart House provides 100 percent plant-based food with no added cholesterol, antibiotics, hormones, artificial colors, preservatives, corn syrup, or trans-fat, all served with a smile and a side of fries.

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“It’s one thing when you hear someone’s idea and you get excited about working with a celebrity,” Hart House Chef Michael Salem told Vegconomist. “It’s another thing when you hear about somebody’s idea and it actually really resonates with your life’s work, and that’s what happened to me.”

Not only is Hart House committed to the health of those who dine in or take out, but it also cultivates a sustainable environment in its communities.

Employees receive living wages and benefits that transcend industry standard, the company lowers its environmental impact by responsibly sourcing ingredients and using less energy in their operations, and Hart House donated 10 percent of their opening proceeds to Inner City Arts. On December 19, 2022, Hart House even gave back 100 percent of its sales to local charities for the Holiday Give Back campaign.

The company’s legacy, expansion, and goal to go global would not be possible without the work of Director of Development Adam Krueger. There, he oversees a large construction management group tasked to sustainably build and acquire its new locations. After all, a company whose mission is to

impact the Earth positively seeks to build its locations the same.

Hart House’s Westchester location features vibrant colors, a neon sign, and sleek tiles curated with the help of Kai Williamson’s design team, which is made up entirely of women of color. At the center of it all is a dynamic mural by Nicolette Santos that reads “Change You’ll Crave” for everyone to see.

Since its debut brick-and-mortar operation opened its doors in August 2022, Hart House has expanded to another location in the Los Angeles area and is building its third. Krueger reminds us that the vision is far from over and that this is only the beginning stage of the company. By the end of its first year, it’s possible that Hart House will have as many as ten locations.

“As someone who has been preaching ‘Health is Wealth,’ building Hart House felt like the natural evolution of my flexitarian lifestyle and my business ecosystem,” Hart said in a press release. “I’m beyond proud of this industry-changing restaurant and the amazing team behind it working tirelessly to create delicious, sustainable food that delivers ‘Can’t-Believe-It’ flavor in every bite.”

Studio 7 Design Group is a full service interior design firm specializing in high-end residential and commercial projects. The firm provides clients with innovative, dynamic and functional design solutions that represent livable luxury.

Studio 7 works closely with clients to establish creative direction and project goals. The full service design model utilized allows the firm to be effective in the architecture, construction, renovation, restoration and interior decoration phases of all projects. All team members strive to earn the respect of each client by educating them throughout the design and construction process. The firm’s portfolio and client roster include commercial and residential sites in Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, New York Area, Alabama and Miami.

studio7designgroup.com

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On a Mission Over the 13 years Edward L. Hengtgen Jr. has worked for the University of Miami, his goal has remained the same: supporting patients, families, and caregivers at his hospitals

By Billy Yost

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Edward L. Hengtgen Jr. remembers a time when he had to stop a couple of contractors who were working at his hospital. They were making a lot of noise, which is common enough—but Hengtgen, assistant vice president of facilities operations and planning and design and construction at UHealth-Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, knew they needed to take a minute to think about where they were.

“These guys were just going at it, and so I asked them to stop for a second,” Hengtgen remembers.

“They stopped, and you could hear a patient in pain; you could listen to people that needed something, and I reminded them that you have to be constantly conscious of what is happening in our hospital. This isn’t a Wendy’s or a strip mall. We have patients and stressed-out families, or staff working on the front lines. Whatever we do, we do to support those people.”

Hengtgen is an architect who has never stopped practicing despite a change in title. He still redlines the drawings for any big project on behalf of his organization. He may be managing a department of 40 people, but he’s still focused on the day-to-day details of design.

He’s been told, in fact, that no one else on his side of the construction business asks such difficult questions or examines details with as much intensity as he does.

This doesn’t bother him, though.

Hengtgen has a personal as well as a professional connection to the University of Miami’s hospital system. In 2020, his wife and longtime partner Deb passed away after a lengthy battle with lung cancer. An active runner, Deb worked as a specialty pharmacist, consulting with cancer patients to make sure that they were getting the right kinds of treatment. When faced with her own battle, Hengtgen says, his wife reacted with the same dignity and grace that defined her life.

“It sort of breaks my heart now, but the day before she passed away, I thought we would be going home the next day,” Hengtgen remembers. “She was always so positive and never bemoaned her situation.”

Throughout the entire experience, Hengtgen was able to keep his wife at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she would receive the best care. Because he’s worked for the university since 2010, Hengtgen saw a lot of familiar faces of people he’d met while working on various projects. He might have sought their advice on a design or solicited their input to figure out what would work best for the physicians.

“We have patients and stressed-out families, or staff working on the front lines. Whatever we do, we do to support those people.”

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“We have such a short time on this earth. I want to feel good about what I’m doing while I’m here.”

Courtesy of Edward Hengtgen

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Edward L. Hengtgen Jr. Assistant VP of Facilities Operations & Planning and Design & Construction UHealth-Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami

◀ Edward Hengtgen and colleagues at a breaking ground ceremony.

After Deb passed away, Hengtgen returned to the hospital months later to personally thank all those who had taken part in her care. “I saw the excellent care that they provided,” Hengtgen remembers. “That’s what gives me the mission to make sure family members like myself and those caregivers have the best possible experience within our health system.”

At present, the university is in a building boom.

Hengtgen is currently overseeing seven major projects, plus additional work that was delayed by the pandemic. And then, of course, there’s the work that Hengtgen’s team oversaw during the pandemic.

“During COVID, everything got put on hold because we were too busy building treatment wings, testing and vaccination clinics, research labs, and modifying our patient rooms to be completely isolated,” Hengtgen explains. “While a lot of our organization moved home to work, my team was onsite every day.”

The construction of the Transformational Cancer Research Building is just one of the projects on Hengtgen’s plate at present, and its scope is impressive.

The 12-story, 244,000-square-foot facility will be located at the University of Miami’s downtown campus.

Its multimillion-dollar cutting-edge equipment and

laboratories will serve as a hub for the latest in cancer treatment breakthroughs and innovation. Its opening is slated for 2024.

There is also the University of Miami’s UHealth at SoLé Mia, a 7-story, 363,000-square-foot medical center that is slated to be completed in 2025. It will be the largest ambulatory care center in North Miami-Dade and South Broward counties.

With so much going on, Hengtgen jokes that he’s too busy to even think about retiring. He may be well into his career, but he still has plenty to do.

“The rearview mirror is small, and the windshield is so large,” he explains. “We have such a short time on this earth. I want to feel good about what I’m doing while I’m here.”

Delta G Consulting Engineers Inc. is a full-service consulting engineering firm dedicated to providing our clients with the highest-quality electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and fire protection engineering services at a competitive cost. Clients trust us to conduct research, present options, and deliver thorough, accurate, timely construction documents, reports, and analysis. We look forward to the continued relationship with Edward Hengtgen and University of Miami.

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What It Means to Leave a Legacy Mark Helms planned to retire several years ago. Instead, he took a job at the University of Florida, where he’s been working to rebrand its facilities department

By Billy Yost

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Mark Helms was ready to call it a day. After 31 years at Virginia Tech in virtually every single role that could have possibly been linked to facilities, Helms was prepared to step down as director of operations. He’d already been contacted by a recruiter for another role and turned them down.

“I got a call about a position at the University of Florida [UF] and said, ‘Thanks. I’m not interested. I’m going to retire and flip houses,’” Helms remembers.

“But he called back a week later.”

More than six years later, Mark Helms is ending his calls with “It’s great to be a Florida Gator!” Far from being retired, he says he’s just getting started.

As assistant vice president of facilities services, Helms saw a number of opportunities in coming to UF. For one, he instantly connected with the team. The 30-minute interview (one that he admittedly refused to fill out paperwork or assemble a résumé for) wound up lasting over two hours. There were utility and energy plant challenges he thought he could tackle.

Additionally, UF was using AssetWorks for its work order system, which Helms had already been using at Virginia Tech. “I already knew all about the system, so I figured I could settle in pretty quickly,” he says.

The job entailed servicing twice as many students as Helms had previously, with twice as many square feet of buildings, and almost three times as many employees. Upon arriving, Helms found one area that needed to evolve quickly.

“The biggest thing I noticed off the bat was the culture here,” he explains. “It wasn’t bad, but it was stagnant. There was a lot of nomenclature from the 1970s being thrown around and we didn’t really have a financial tool as a work order system or a data collection system.”

“I want the guy or gal that’s in this chair 10 or 15 years from now to think, ‘Wow, they were really thinking about the future when they did all this work.’”

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“When it comes to issues like carbon neutrality, the most impactful thing you can do is use less energy. That’s the number one home run.”

Additionally, Helms saw a department that didn’t want to be noticed and was happy to operate in the background. But in order for a department—and more widely, a university—to celebrate its successes, the broader world needed to know what was actually happening on campus.

So Helms started arranging a town hall tour of different departments and department heads, talking about their new vision and their plans going forward.

“This allowed me to come back and show them the progress and success from when this started in 2017,” Helms explains. “This rebranding was essential to aligning us with the rest of the university and building relationships going forward.”

The rebrand included radio spots on the university’s radio station and school newspapers. Helms’s view is that a project shouldn’t be covered up and shielded from the rest of the school (within reason, of course).

Let people know what new feature is going to occupy a space or why a sidewalk is blocked off.

One of those successes to celebrate comes from the task Helms was brought on to address in the first place: utility and energy plant challenges.

“When it comes to issues like carbon neutrality, the most impactful thing you can do is use less energy.

That’s the number one home run,” Helms says. “So we have optimized our energy plants.”

Most of UF’s buildings exist on a central loop, or a series of central loops, so the facilities team is currently unifying them all. Additionally, UF has optimized its chiller plants with energy efficiency in mind.

“We recently partnered with Siemens on a project that we’re both very proud of for our veterinarian medicine precinct,” Helms says. “It operates at less than six kilowatt hours per ton of cooling. With the humidity we’re talking about in Florida, those are what I would consider world-class numbers.”

Helms says that success is being leveraged to continue innovation on campus for its other energy plants.

Maybe most importantly, Helms has helped get facilities a seat at the table for important conversations.

He says the COVID-19 environment was the moment for

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the facilities department to truly demonstrate its worth and how its future-forward planning helped mitigate what might have been even more difficult times when working to integrate students back on campus.

“Facilities has really had the opportunity to sit at the table and build a relationship with our board of trustee members and some of the upper administration,” Helms explains. “It puts UF facilities in a great place to grow. I want the guy or gal that’s in this chair 10 or 15 years from now to think, ‘Wow, they were really thinking about the future when they did all this work.’

That’s how you leave a legacy. It’s not your name on a building. It’s much more than that.”

Mark Helms Assistant VP of Facilities Services University of Florida

Serving the education facilities community for over 30 years. GoAssetWorks is a facilities management solutions provider exclusively dedicated to the management of education-focused built environments. Our purpose is to streamline facilities management from start to finish for our education partners and empower them with innovative solutions to build a better future. We are proud to support and partner with Mark Helms and the University of Florida with their continued facilities’ success.

Start your journey to a smart campus.

Courtesy of Mark Helms

Digitally connected to the next generation and for the next generation, a Smart Campus helps students do their best learning and attracts the best and brightest faculty. Start your journey today.

To learn more, contact Marc Craddock at (407) 718-8774 or Steve Moore at (904) 472-8836. usa.siemens.com/smartcampus

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Days of Future Past New designs at New York’s American Museum of Natural History make architecture part of the entire experience

By Will Grant

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How do you connect 23 separate buildings that, collectively, make up New York’s American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)? The answer, it turns out, resembles a hybrid of a cave, architecture from Star Wars, and possibly one of Kanye West’s precancellation interior designs. It’s fluid, it’s beautiful, it’s futuristic, and somehow, it’s natural.

The new entrance to the museum, located on Manhattan’s Columbus Avenue, seeks to repair a museum layout that has led to confused and lost museumgoers for far too long.

“The visitor experience was one of getting totally lost and constantly having to backtrack,” Jeanne Gang, founder of firm Studio Gang who led the redesign, told the Art Newspaper. “Of course, it’s not always a bad thing to get lost in a museum, but that was where we had to start, by fixing the flow.”

Gang explained that the museum’s original design from way back in 1877 was modest and precise, mapping out a four-square space around a central tower. But as more rooms and buildings became available, the flow was quickly complicated.

The new interior is a nod to those who gather at Stonehenge in Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, every year during the summer solstice to watch the sun rise between the massive stones.

Gang noted that the goal of the architecture was to blur the line between the man-made and the natural.

The central atrium was built utilizing a sprayed concrete solution usually reserved for subway construction, but Gang said it was the perfect finish for making the interior of the atrium feel like a cave.

Amazingly, the process used to create the finish (called shotcrete) was invented by an employee of the museum over 100 years earlier. Carl Akeley—a more well-known taxidermist, biologist, and photographer—invented the material to repair a building in Chicago’s Field Museum. That invention is paying off dividends a century later.

Senior Director of Construction Robert Williams has certainly accomplished a great deal in a short period of time. He has been with the AMNH since only 2019, and in his present role for a year. Williams leads the development and execution of capital and special projects both for the main campus and other assets under the museum’s umbrella.

Prior to his work at the museum, Williams worked as a capital project planning and execution consultant, a lighting designer and consultant, and even on behalf of the United States Golf Association.

His expertise is celebrated by those who have had the opportunity to collaborate with him. “Robert is a proven leader—and remarkable partner. He has spearheaded work that has made science, learning, and exploration accessible to countless museum visitors, today and for generations to come,” says

Carla Sciara, executive vice president of AECOM Tishman. “At every stage of our projects, Robert’s leadership and guidance has brought the museum— and knowledge—to life in new, meaningful ways.”

The atrium isn’t the only new addition to AMNH. The new 230,000-square-foot Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation—a project that Williams worked on—will feature 4 million scientific specifics including an insectarium (ants, bees, and anything else that creeps or crawls); a vivarium with up to 80 species of butterflies; a library (the largest freestanding natural history library in the western hemisphere); and state-of-the-art classrooms whose photographs appear to be straight out of a Star Trek episode.

The new center also includes an immersive experience entitled “Invisible Worlds” that will cover everything from the human brain to the bottom of the ocean. In this case, “immersive” includes projections on 23-foot-high walls that allow visitors to bounce neurons around the brain or virtually splash ocean water.

The museum debuts its newest addition “in a time when the need for science literacy has never been more urgent,” AMNH President Ellen Futter told Time Out New York.

AMNH Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, New York, NY

Congratulations to our friend Robert Williams We are proud and honored to partner with AMNH, building your every vision.

AECOM Tishman is one of the world’s leading builders,

responsible for managing the construction of iconic projects such as American Museum of Natural History’s Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall and the new One Times Square.

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Bravery and

Jeremiah Robinson

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Dion Irish proactively develops new projects that address the needs of Boston residents and improves their quality of life

By Frank DiMaria

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When the city of Boston undertakes a capital project, its residents want to be involved in every stage of the project. “I appreciate that,” says Dion Irish, chief of operations in the City of Boston.

The city’s latest project, “The Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools”—which seeks to reimagine city schools as full-service community hubs—is no exception and is, by far, Irish’s most ambitious endeavor in his 27 years in local government. “We’ve already held 8 public sessions and 12 focus groups. At every stage we reengage the community and provide updates to show the adjustments based on prior meetings,” Irish says.

This long-term facilities action plan combines several projects, including the development of new design standards for the city’s public schools. To reduce student transition between education levels, the city is moving from an elementary, middle, and high school model to a pre-K through 6th grade and a 7th through 12th grade model.

Rather than attending three separate schools during their pre-K through 12th grade education, Boston students will only need to attend two. “This study allows us to get input from an educational planning standpoint and from a design standpoint,” says Irish.

The project will shave a year off all future education construction projects.

Irish’s team is conducting a study that evaluates current school buildings and analyzes the projected enrollment to see which buildings can accommodate the city’s new education model. This process includes 3D scans of all school buildings to determine which ones need immediate remediation.

“These two studies will combine and help us develop a long-term action plan and a sequence of projects for our school system. By the end of [2023], we want to give our community an understanding of which buildings we plan to utilize and the sequence of the projects,” Irish says. Overall, Irish wants to provide Boston residents with a detailed plan, so they know if a school in their neighborhood will be renovated or rebuilt.

Satisfying the desires and needs of Boston’s nearly 700,000 residents might sound like a daunting task, but Irish says it’s not that difficult. Boston is a city of neighborhoods, he says, and keeping Boston residents in the loop about projects that affect their neighbor-

Experimentation

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Dion Irish Chief of Operations

hoods is half the battle. “There are projects that folks may have issues with, but we’re lucky that we generally get support from residents about our projects, because we’re building libraries, community centers, and places that people want and appreciate,” says the chief operations officer.

In addition to heading up the Public Facilities Department, Irish also leads the Inspectional Services Department and the Property Management Department.

He was hired by the city as a housing inspector in 1995 and soon became the constituent services liaison for the Inspectional Services Department. Eventually, he was appointed assistant commissioner for housing code enforcement. He’s also held other posts in Boston government, including executive director of the city’s office of civil rights and the city’s commissioner of elections.

Irish, a self-described fixer and problem solver, uses what he calls the “align with possibility” leadership style. This style encourages bravery and experimentation that allows the leader to discover new possibilities.

As an inspector, for example, Irish performed a deep dive into housing codes and found the city standards inadequate, adversarial, and reactionary. “Housing inspectors generally educated landlords of their responsibilities after they’d gotten a complaint from a tenant with a notice to correct and a threat to take them to court if they don’t,” says Irish.

He implemented a new proactive system. Rather than relying on tenant complaints to trigger remedial action, he created a system in which every property is inspected every five years. “Landlords know the things we’re going to be looking for. If they fail, it’s about giving them a checklist and an opportunity to bring their property into compliance,” says Irish.

His plan paid off. While on a routine inspection one

“Landlords know the things we’re going to be looking for. If they fail, it’s about giving them a checklist and an opportunity to bring their property into compliance.”

Jeremiah Robinson (Irish), Robert Benson (Boston Arts Academy)

City of Boston

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▼ The newly renovated City Hall plaza showcases what the City is trying to accomplish: accessible across the entire plaza, the new playspace for families, and the new green infrastructure features.

Robert Benson (Boston Arts Academy), Matthew Arielly (City Hall Plaza Renovation)

▲ ▶ The Boston Arts Academy (BAA) is one of two public high schools in Massachusetts for the visual and performing arts, and the only extended day program in the state.

A key objective is to provide optimal indoor environmental quality in support of the best learning conditions, which includes daylighting with glare control, thermal comfort, acoustic comfort, and air quality.

The results for the BAA energy model analysis project is that the proposed design will achieve energy savings of 50 percent and energy cost savings of 52 percent over the LEED v4 Baseline condition. Additionally, systems selection resulted in all electric systems for HVAC, which means that these systems do not depend on burning fossil fuels on-site in anticipation of Boston’s 2050 goals for carbon neutrality. The project has a minimum requirement of achieving LEED v4 for Schools Silver Certification, but is currently tracking to achieving Gold Certification.

—Courtesy of the City of Boston

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“There are projects that folks may have issues with, but we’re lucky because we generally get support from residents about our projects because we’re building libraries, community centers, and places that people want and appreciate.”

day, Irish ran into a tenant for whom he’d previously performed an inspection. The tenant insisted he come back to the residence to see firsthand the improvements the landlord made as a result of Irish’s inspection. “That was so rewarding and emotional to me,” says Irish.

Irish’s goal is to improve the lives of Boston residents through the governmental policies that he plays a role in enacting and through the construction projects he supervises. Where once there was a “brick tundra” on City Hall Plaza, there now lies a playground and trees that welcome families, even when the plaza is covered with snow.

“That’s how I view achievement,” Irish says. Those who wish to serve others, Irish advises, should explore operations. “It really gives you the ability to make a difference, to solve problems, and to make things happen in people’s lives,” he says.

Sasaki is a proud partner to the City of Boston and Chief of Operations Dion Irish. Sasaki has collaborated with the City on a range of projects that have positively impacted the built environment, including the recently completed renovation of Boston City Hall Plaza. The project transformed the infamously vast and inaccessible plaza into a welcoming, dynamic, and fully accessible front yard for downtown Boston. The project epitomizes Sasaki’s interdisciplinary, collaborative, and community-focused approach to design.

Better design, together.

BOSTON CITY HALL PLAZA RENOVATION SASAKI.COM | @SASAKIDESIGN

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Planet Fitness Is in Great Shape New members, new locations, and new technology show that Planet Fitness is thriving

By Will Grant

The world just seems to be getting more purple, and there’s a good reason for it. In February 2023, Planet Fitness (PF) was lauded by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers.

Although the company is one of the country’s largest and fastest-growing franchisors, exponential growth is not always synonymous with quality of experience. If anything, significant growth can be one of the heaviest stress tests of workplace culture and community.

Luckily, Planet Fitness has found a way to encourage growth without losing the identity that made it strong in the first place.

“It is an honor to be recognized on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers,” said Kathy Gentilozzi, chief people officer at Planet Fitness, in a prepared statement. “We are extremely proud of the culture of belonging and inclusivity that we foster at Planet Fitness, and of the shared passions among our team members is to improve people’s lives through fitness.

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Our team members are inspired by our purpose and mission, and we are incredibly grateful for all they do in our clubs each and every day to create a welcoming, non-intimidating fitness environment where everyone feels comfortable regardless of their fitness level.”

Planet Fitness has more members than any other fitness brand, some 17 million at present—an increase of 1.8 billion since the end of 2021. In 2022, PF franchised 154 new locations and opened 158 new stores, for a total of 2,410 locations in countries including the US, Canada, Dominican Republic, Panama, Mexico, and Australia.

“We continued to grow the Planet Fitness footprint and brand presence, resulting in the largest fourth quarter membership growth on record, driving strong momentum heading into 2023,” Chris Rondeau, CEO of Planet Fitness, said in a prepared statement.

Vice President of Construction, Design, and Franchise Development Michael Ng has certainly had his hands busy since coming to the organization in 2018. The executive is a veteran of commercial real estate with more than two decades in the space.

Ng got his start as a planning coordinator at the Art Institute of Chicago before moving into architecture and management roles.

He’s a registered architect who has LEED AP BD+C certification from the US Green Building Council.

Ng also has a master’s in urban planning from the University of Southern California. All of that experience has been key to supporting the massive growth at Planet Fitness.

But the organization has also found a way to evolve its digital footprint.

The end of 2022 marked another highlight for the company as it unveiled an updated digital experience for current and prospective members.

The redesigned Planet Fitness app is aimed at the 80 percent of consumers who don’t currently have a gym membership.

The app features hundreds of on-demand digital workouts that are ideal for workout rookies and enthusiasts alike. Video content has been updated to include yoga, Pilates, and barre, with premium subscriptions offering even more workout content.

The new home screen allows members to monitor the gym capacity at their preferred locations via the “Crowd Meter.” And the new “My Journey” section

allows members to track their own activities and goals, and keep track of their club check-ins, average workout durations, and milestones along the way.

As Planet Fitness continues to grow its customer base, the company is strengthening both their internal and external operations to live up to their reputation as one of America’s Best Employers.

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“Big Ass Fans helped us cut down on our air-conditioning load and our utility bill. We cut 15 percent off our bill at a time when everybody else is seeing a 20 percent increase.”

—Dave Leon, Planet Fitness, Owner

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Powerhouse Expansion With a record number of new locations in its pipeline, Meritage Hospitality Group continues to shine with its investments

By Will Grant

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If you’ve ever grabbed a meal at Wendy’s, Taco John’s, or Stan’s Tacos, you’ve come “face-to-food” with the Meritage Hospitality Group (MHG). With a footprint across 16 states, nearly 350 restaurants, and 11,000 employees, the franchise operator has seen transformational growth.

MHG was on an acquisition tear in late 2022 and into 2023, having acquired 43 Wendy’s locations in the Midwest, which are likely to boost sales and contribute to the establishment of over 500 total restaurants via acquisitions and new builds.

“Acquisitions, renovations, and new restaurant developments are integral parts of our Wendy’s business model as we grow into new market areas,” said Meritage CEO Robert Schermer Jr. in a prepared statement to MiBiz. At the same time, MHG also signed a 50-store development agreement with Taco John’s to bring new locations online by 2026.

The sheer number of new restaurants in its pipeline is a Meritage record, and its projected sales growth for 2023 is slated between 10 and 15 percent to total about $688.6 to $719.9 million.

In September 2022, Wendy’s named Meritage its 2022 Monument Award for “visionary growth and expansion in the large franchise” category.

The award recognizes partners that “strengthen the Wendy’s brand through their commitment to restaurant development, quality, service, value, and sustainability.”

“Four years ago, we set a plan in motion with our teams to be the best operator in the system. This is a culmination of that dream and is a huge collective achievement for Meritage. We are so proud of our teams and their efforts that are recognized with this year’s award,” Gary Rose, Meritage president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.

One of the principals expanding Meritage’s footprint is Director of Design and Construction Aaron Besmer. The director has been with MHG since 2015 when he came to the organization after working with Meijer, Fishbeck, and C2AE in managerial roles. After

coming to Meritage as a construction department manager, he was promoted to his current role in August 2022.

While Meritage continues riding high, the overall climate for franchisors continues to be challenging. Restaurant Dive reported in January 2023 that as high costs continue to squeeze margins, new and existing franchisees face difficulties in making ends meet. Incredible competition for real estate, ballooning technology costs, and the already well-known, temperamental nature of the restaurant business offer reasons not to get involved.

Yet growth continues at an amazing rate.

“Franchising is growing as fast as it’s ever grown right now,” said Mark Siebert, CEO and founder of consultancy iFranchise Group, told Restaurant Dive.

“We’re just seeing a lot of people getting into business for themselves.”

Despite inflating costs, consumer demand to eat out is still stable, if not high, and an expected economic downturn will likely slow inflation along with wage growth. It’s an odd perspective, getting into the fast-casual business during an economic downturn, but the market creates strange bedfellows.

While it may be incredibly difficult for small-unit franchise operators to break into the market at present, it’s not a concern for an organization with the infrastructure of Meritage. The numbers keep shaping up right for MHG, and with its current pipeline of projects, economic downturn or otherwise, Meritage is going to be very busy for the foreseeable future.

Newco Design Build is a commercial construction and remodeling company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We specialize in custom commercial structures, remodeling, and renovation projects. We have a team of experienced professionals who work closely with clients to bring their ideas to life and create unique, functional spaces that reflect their personal style and needs. We are known for their attention to detail, quality craftsmanship, and commitment to customer satisfaction. Newco serves the greater Midwest area and has a reputation for excellence within the communities.

INDEX

INDEX OF PEOPLE & COMPANIES

ABCDE Abraham, Naveen Plus Power Ariaban, Navid Bowery Farming Baker, Evelyn City and County of Denver Bennett, Jeffrey Dutch Bros Besmer, Aaron Meritage Hospitality Group Betlock, Clint MD Now Urgent Care Beyer, John Regent Homes Burkley, Calvin Pinehurst Resort & Country Club Clough, Chad Camp Bow Wow Connors, Christy Caltrans Ernest, Kim The Learning Experience

40 20 120 154 187 110 66 130 146 44 54

FGHIJKL Garrett, Valerie Fifth Third Bank Hanson, Sam Everside Health Harale, Ketki Achievement First Helms, Mark University of Florida Hengtgen Jr., Edward L. University of Miami Hudson, Michael Fanatics Irish, Dion City of Boston Jennings Golich, Jill City and County of Denver Kerman, Mark Greystar Krueger, Adam Hart House Leggett, Dee Dallas Area Rapid Transit

140 70 62 174 170 48 180 120 162 168 30

MNOPQR McElroy, Paul Highgate Moore, Dale Cava Mott, Chris Burger King Ng, Michael Planet Fitness Onken, Matthew Wawa Inc. Poleshek, Jeff Samford University Porcher, Bryan Next Insurance Real, Darla Resorts World Las Vegas Redlinger, C.K. Avantax Rezk, Jemmy New York City Department of Transportation Roedel, Alex Nextracker

106 24 10 185 74 86 96 100 150 114 36

STUVWXYZ Sakhleh, Nicole Rivian Schidlovsky, George Curaleaf Severance, Chad Westgate Resorts Singh, Phil The Salty Donut Snow, David City of Miami Tierney, Mike Energy North Group Toftely, Mike Stanford Health Care Topping, Harry City National Bank Williams, Robert American Museum of Natural History

164 80 136 16 58 84 92 124 178

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