SmithGroup Elevates 28 to Principal
SmithGroup, one of the nation’s largest architecture, engineering and planning firms, has promoted 28 to principal.
Shary Adams, AIA, ACHA, EDAC, LEED AP BD+C
Shary Adams has nearly 30 years of architectural experience, specializing in the design and planning for large health care systems across the U.S. and abroad. As a member of the Health Studio at the Washington, DC office, she is currently serving as lead medical planner on the expansive 132,788 square-meter (nearly 1.5 million-square-foot), six-story Manazel Medical City, a comprehensive medical center located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Adams is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Women in Healthcare, Washington DC chapter, and a board certified member of the American College of Healthcare Architects. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Toronto. A native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Adams now resides in Washington, DC.
George Athens, AIA
George Athens joined SmithGroup in September 2016 as the Detroit office’s Workplace Studio leader. Leveraging over 30 years of experience, Athens oversees the studio’s growth, including its project delivery and business development efforts throughout the Midwest U.S. His diverse portfolio includes national and international work for clients such as General Motors, SODIC, ADP and Tata Consultancy Services. Athens holds architectural registration in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and is an active member of the American Institute of Architects. He is a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University where he received a Bachelor of Architecture. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Athens now resides in Birmingham, Michigan.
Leslie Brennan
Leslie Brennan serves as director of business development at SmithGroup’s Dallas office. In her position, she plays a key role in successfully obtaining work and fostering strategic relationships across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, within the higher education, healthcare, science and technology, and workplace markets. Brennan has helped the office procure several significant projects, including the new 200,000-square-foot Engineering Building at the University of Texas Dallas, now under construction and slated to complete in fall 2018. Brennan is active in several professional organizations, including the Urban Land Institute, Commercial Real Estate Women, Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth, Texas Economic Development Council, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, and American Institute of Architects. She earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree from Texas A&M University and now resides in Plano, Texas.
Gregg Calpino, PLA, LEED AP
Gregg Calpino is a senior landscape architect who specializes in urban waterfront development, destination parks and trails, and community engagement projects throughout the Midwest U.S. With more than 27 years of experience, Calpino is skilled at identifying and understanding design and planning issues, and quickly responds with creative solutions that improve projects and provide value-added services. He has worked on several award-winning projects, including Chicago Park District’s Northerly Island Framework Plan; and Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation’s Central Park, a 160-acre community park located north of Indianapolis, Indiana. Calpino is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the American Planning Association. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Calpino is a resident of Middleton, Wisconsin.
Gabriel Cervantes, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Gabriel Cervantes is a skilled architect and project manager who regularly leads complex science and technology projects. He has served as project manager for the new $150 million Multidisciplinary Research Building at University of California, Riverside, set to open fall 2018; and the recently opened 44,000-square-foot Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Cervantes is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Toastmasters International and the UCLA Alumni Association. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, followed by a Masters of Architecture from the University of California, Los Angeles. Cervantes resides in Los Angeles.
Alexis Denton, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Alexis Denton is an internationally recognized expert in the design and implementation of senior living spaces. As leader of SmithGroup’s Senior Living Studio, Denton consistently pushes the envelope in the U.S. and abroad to create more contemporary and human-centered designs for senior living. Notable work includes a new, 96-bed, 130,000-square-foot skilled nursing facility for Masonic Homes of California in Union City. Denton is a member of the American Institute of Architects and its Design for Aging Advisory Group. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, followed by a Master of Architecture and Master of Arts in Gerontology from University of Southern California. She currently resides in Berkeley, California.
Wade Fuh, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Wade Fuh is a technically adept architect who specializes in designing and executing multifaceted programs for a broad range of project types. Recent work includes the much anticipated U.S. Holocaust Museum’s David and Fela Shapell Collections and Conservation Center, slated to complete in early 2017; and the $62.5 million, 155,000-square-foot S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City (2015). Fuh is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Washington, DC Chapter, and the U.S. Green Building Council. He earned a Bachelor of Art in Architecture and a Bachelor of Art in Fine Arts from Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. He is a resident of Washington, DC.
Brandon Guzman, Assoc. AIA, Assoc. IIDA, EDAC, LEED AP ID+C
Brandon Guzman specializes in healthcare interior architecture, and is passionate about designing environments that positively affect the overall well-being of patients and stakeholders alike. Notable projects include the award-winning Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, now under construction in Downey, California; and the new 9-story, 169 bed Highland Hospital Acute Tower Replacement for Alameda County, Oakland, California (2016). Guzman is an associate member of the International Interior Design Association, an associate member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), a member of the AIA California Council’s Healthcare Facilities Forum, and serves as 2017 chair of the Interior Architecture Committee for the AIA’s Los Angeles chapter. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Houston’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture. A native of San Antonio, Texas, Guzman now resides in Los Angeles.
Bryan Jehling, PE, LEED AP
Bryan Jehling is an electrical engineering lead at the Phoenix office. With more than 25 years of experience, primarily in the healthcare, data center and laboratory sectors, Jehling is a frequently sought-after technical resource. He is currently serving as project electrical engineer for the 160,000-square-foot San Diego County Crime Lab, the largest public works project in the history of San Diego County, slated for completion August 2018; and the 111,950-square-foot Texas A&M University-Commerce Nursing & Health Sciences building, set to open in 2019. Jehling earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Northern Illinois University. A native of Galesburg, Illinois, Jehling now resides in Tempe, Arizona.
Bill Katz, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Bill Katz joined SmithGroup as a design principal in January 2016, working to elevate the San Francisco office’s Higher Education and Science & Technology Studios. In his 26 years of practice, he has established himself as a leader in architectural, interior and industrial design for higher education, science and technology, and corporate environments. Katz recently sat on a SmithGroup Perspectives panel to discuss prevailing design challenges facing modern-day campuses with industry leaders from TMG, Google, SPUR and Stanford University. He is currently serving as lead designer on University of California Berkeley’s new Joint Chemistry and Engineering Building. Katz is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Docomomo, and San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University and is a resident of San Francisco.
Alexis Kim, IIDA, NCIDQ
As a senior interior designer at the Detroit office, Alexis Kim delivers strategic workplace solutions through research-based design. She is currently providing workplace strategy, programming and planning efforts for Ford Motor Company’s Dearborn Campus Master Plan, including its World Headquarters Campus where she serves as project designer. Slated for completion in 2026, the 10-year endeavor will consolidate three campuses into two, while accommodating for future growth. Kim is a member of the International Interior Design Association and received a Bachelor of Science in Interior Architecture from Woodbury University in Burbank, California. A native of Los Angeles, Kim now resides in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan.
Dan Kinkead is co-leader of SmithGroup’s national Urban Design Practice. With nearly 20 years of experience in urban design and research, he is passionate about the reutilization of existing conditions in urban environments. Kinkead, along with Urban Design Practice co-leader Michael Johnson, will collaborate with Pink Zoning Detroit, an effort led by the City of Detroit’s Planning and Development department to conceptualize the revitalization of three vacant commercial corridors. Kinkead is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the Architectural League of New York. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kentucky’s School of Architecture, followed by a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Kinkead is a resident of Detroit.
Tyler Krehlik, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C
Tyler Krehlik is a registered architect whose expertise lies in material transparency and sustainable healthcare design. He is serving as project manager on the new three-story, 220,000-square-foot Dublin Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Dublin, California; and Adventist Health, Sonora Regional Medical Center’s new $36 million Diana J. White Cancer Institute, slated to complete in October 2017. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects’ Materials Knowledge Working Group; U.S. Green Building Council, Northern California Chapter; and the Bay Area Leaders in Sustainable Architecture. Krehlik earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University, followed by a Masters of Architecture from the University of Oregon. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Krehlik now resides in San Francisco.
Naomi Kruger, IIDA, LEED AP BD+C, NCIDQ
Naomi Kruger is a skilled healthcare interior designer whose expertise lies in new product development and patient experience improvement. Recent projects include the $160 million Lakeland Medical Center Pavilion integrated project expansion and renovation, St. Joseph, Michigan, set to complete in 2020; and the 237,000-square-foot, 93-bed Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Germantown, Maryland (2014). In addition to serving on the Women in Healthcare board of directors, Kruger is also a member of the International Interior Design Association and the U.S. Green Building Council. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Design and Environmental Analysis from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, and is a resident of Washington, DC.
Herb Moussa, AIA, LEED AP
Herb Moussa joined SmithGroup in 2015, bringing with him over 30 years of healthcare architecture experience. Moussa specializes in the planning, management and construction administration of large-scale medical office buildings and multifaceted healthcare facilities for clients such as Intermountain Healthcare; University of California, San Francisco; and Kaiser Permanente. Moussa is currently serving as project manager and architect on Fresno Community Regional Medical Center’s new five-story, 185,000-square-foot medical office building, Fresno, California, scheduled to open in 2018. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Architecture. Moussa is a resident of Pleasant Hill, California.
Bettina Neudert-Brown, AIA, LEED AP
Bettina Neudert-Brown has over 15 years of experience as an architectural designer. Her focus lies in the design of museums, visitor centers and performing arts facilities, for which she creates memorable guest experiences. Notable work includes Carr Properties’ new 189,000-square-foot office and retail building located at the intersection of Wilson and Clarendon boulevards, Arlington, Virginia; and the highly anticipated 430,000-square-foot Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC, slated to open fall 2017. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects, DC Chapter, and received a Master of Architecture from Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany. Originally from Weimar, Germany, Neudert-Brown now resides in Washington, DC.
Mike Nowicki, PE, REP, LEED AP
Mike Nowicki serves as leader of the electrical engineering discipline at SmithGroup’s Detroit office. With a specialization in renewable energy systems, Nowicki is regularly sought after to work on complex, sophisticated projects. He is currently lead electrical engineer on the new 120,000-square-foot Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business in Detroit, slated to open in 2018. Nowicki is involved in several professional organizations including the Engineering Society of Detroit, Association of Energy Engineers and Toastmasters International. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, followed by a Master of Science in Alternative Energy Technology from Wayne State University, Detroit. Nowicki is a resident of St. Clair Shores, Michigan.
Todd Rinehart, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Todd Rinehart joined SmithGroup in 2015 as leader of the Los Angeles office’s Science & Technology and Higher Education Studios. With more than 26 years of architectural experience, Rinehart’s expertise lies in the design of advanced technology and research laboratory facilities, as well as academic and healthcare facilities. Recent work includes the new 180,000-square-foot Multidisciplinary Research Building at University of California, Riverside, set to open fall 2018; and the University of California, Santa Barbara’s new 122,000-square-foot Physics Building. Rinehart is a member of the American Institute of Architects, and earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Ball State University. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Elizabeth Robinson
Elizabeth Robinson joined SmithGroup in July 2016 as the Workplace Studio leader at the Dallas office. She has more than 30 years of interior architecture experience leading projects for corporate, retail and hospitality clients, such as Microsoft, Samsung, T-Mobile, The Boeing Company and Marriott International. Robinson is currently leading interior design efforts on the 50,000-square-foot College of Arts and Sciences, a renovation to the existing Business Building at the University of Texas at Tyler (2018). Robinson is a member of Commercial Real Estate Women, Urban Land Institute, CoreNet and the International Facility Management Association. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio. A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Robinson now resides in Dallas.
Russ Sanders, AIA
Russ Sanders is a skilled registered architect whose 26 years of experience includes extensive knowledge in the development, implementation and deployment of new technologies. Sanders is currently serving as project manager on the phased modernization of Terminal 3 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport; and the newly announced 150,000-square-foot regional headquarters for Caterpillar’s Surface, Mining & Technology Division, Tucson, Arizona. He is a member the American Institute of Architects, Arizona Forward and the Support Sky Harbor Coalition. Sanders graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Design, followed by a Master of Architecture, from Arizona State University. A native of Montauk, New York, he now resides in Gilbert, Arizona.
Jason Smith, AIA
Jason Smith is an architect and design leader who seeks to solve project challenges and improve building performance through an integrated, multidisciplinary and holistic design approach. Smith served as a project designer for the $100 million Center for Advanced Care at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago (2015); and the Duchossois Group’s new 223,000-square-foot corporate headquarters for its leading brand, the Chamberlain Group Incorporated, Oak Brook, Illinois, slated for completion in 2017. Smith is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the Chicago Computation Group. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. A native of Bloomington, Minnesota, Smith now resides in Chicago.
Robert Thompson, PE
Robert Thompson is the chief mechanical engineer for the Science & Technology Studio at the firm’s Phoenix office. Leveraging over 20 years of experience, Thompson develops engineering tools that deliver creative solutions and improve project performance. Most notably, Thompson was lead mechanical engineer on the award-winning National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Energy Systems Integration Facility, Golden, Colorado (2014). He is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers; American Society of Plumbing Engineers; and the program chair for the International Institute of Sustainable Laboratories, Arizona chapter. Thompson graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and currently resides in Gilbert, Arizona.
Jerry Tims, AIA, CSI
Jerry Tims is the national specifications leader and part-time director of operations at SmithGroup’s Dallas office. As a skilled specifications writer and technical resource, Tims is frequently sought after by clients and staff to work on complex projects. Recent work includes the new 140,000-square-foot, $56 million College of Business and Technology at the University of Texas at Tyler, slated for completion June 2018; and the new 200,000-square-foot University of Texas Dallas Engineering Building, set to complete fall 2018. Tims is a member of the American Institute of Architects, and the Construction Specifications Institute. He received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Texas Tech University and resides in Plano, Texas.
Liz Vandermark, AIA
Liz Vandermark is an information analyst based at SmithGroup’s Ann Arbor office. A member of the firm’s Technology in Practice group, Vandermark leads the Research and Data Solutions team, working to develop data-rich digital solutions for present-day design challenges. Promoting applied research opportunities across the firm, her team works with staff to foster inquiry and exploration through the collection and graphic analysis of information from project performance to business operations. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. Vandermark received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, followed by a Master of Architecture and Master of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She currently resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Larry Wilson, PE
Larry Wilson provides design leadership for both the Chicago office and the firm’s national Health Practice. With nearly 35 years of engineering experience, Larry has served a wide range of clients across various markets including healthcare, science and technology, commercial and mixed-use. He is currently serving as project manager and mechanical engineer for the $160 million Lakeland Medical Center Pavilionexpansion and renovation, St. Joseph, Michigan, scheduled to be completed in 2020. Larry is an active member of several professional organizations, including National Society of Professional Engineers; American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers; and American Society of Healthcare Engineering. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and currently resides in Chicago.
Robert Wright, PE
Robert Wright is a senior civil engineer leader at the firm’s Madison office. Leveraging more than 20 years of experience, Wright specializes in managing interdisciplinary design teams for complex waterfront projects across the U.S. Wright has served as project manager on the 60 acre, 419-slip Marina at Caesar Creek State Park, Warren County, Ohio, a long-awaited facility that expands local recreational opportunities and improves water quality and shoreline ecology; and the rehabilitation of the 250-slip Edgewater Marina on Lake Erie, Cleveland, Ohio. Wright earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Platteville. Originally from Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, Wright now resides in Middleton, Wisconsin.
Kay Wulf, IIDA, RID
Kay Wulf joined SmithGroup in 2016 as Workplace Studio leader at the Chicago office. With more than 25 years of interior architecture experience, Wulf’s expansive portfolio includes workplace interiors, asset repositioning and corporate headquarters work for clients such as Bank of America, University of Illinois, McKesson, and ConocoPhillips. She is an active member of Chicago Women in Architecture and the International Interior Design Association. Wulf earned an Associate of Applied Science in Architectural Technology, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, and currently serves on the advisory board for the university’s interior design program. She is a resident of the Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago.
For more information about SmithGroup, please visit our Company Fact Sheet.