Returning Members

Wendy Rogers has designed and promoted innovative, high-performance learning environments through her work at Irvine, Calif.-headquartered LPA Inc., where she has practiced since 1987. She has worked collaboratively in both public and private schools to create informed solutions for future learners. Serving nine years as the Green Schools Chair for the U.S. Green Building Council, Rogers has been an advocate for the adoption and design of green schools. An experienced educational designer, Rogers uses data and evidence to demonstrate the principles and strategies at work in sustainable school design. Named CEO at LPA in 2017, Rogers’ role will include working with President Dan Heinfeld on the day-to-day operations with a focus on increasing the role of LPA’s propriety research unit, LPAred, and using LPA’s unique informed design approach to differentiate the firm in the marketplace. As chief talent officer, Rogers is responsible for developing the culture and lifestyle at the firm to retain and attract the best and brightest people who want to make a difference in the built environment.

Since establishing Santa Rosa, Calif.-based Quattrocchi Kwok Architects in 1986, Mark Quattrocchi has been at the helm as a lead architect, innovator and renowned industry authority. With K-12 design expertise spanning 30 years, he is an authority on designing environments for 21st century teaching and learning. Quattrocchi frequently publishes substantive articles related to architecture, historic renovation and sustainability, and regularly speaks at events and workshops, including California’s Coalition for Adequate School Housing and the California Association of Independent Schools conferences.

Bill Dobyns has extensive knowledge of the construction industry with more than 30 years of construction experience on public and private projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. His expertise lies in alternative delivery methods, including design-build, general contractor/construction manager and construction manager at-risk. He is also well-versed in all facets of construction such as estimating, purchasing, scheduling, contract administration, marketing and overall management. Dobyns is vice president of business development for Lydig Construction Inc., located in Bellevue, Wash., and leads the company’s education sector. Lydig has completed more than 150 K-12 projects in 47 districts as well as several higher-education projects.

Celine Larkin, AIA, LEED AP, heads Urban Design/Master Planning at HGA Architects, Engineers + Planners, and directs planning across the firm’s healthcare, higher-education and corporate-practice groups nationally. With more than 28 years’ experience in architecture, urban design and master planning, her notable projects include a Campus Master Plan for Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., and currently, the Pasadena City College Centennial Master Plan in Pasadena, Calif. Larkin has written extensively for industry journals and spoken at leading trade conferences, addressing issues of campus safety, designing for campus well-being and the impact future generations will have on evolving cultural and social norms that inform tomorrow’s environments. She taught design at MIT, Brandeis and Roger Williams universities, and served as a guest critic and lecturer at Harvard, Georgetown, the University of Southern California and California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo. She holds a Master of Architecture from MIT and a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University.

Tracy S. Carusi, AIA, is a principal at Collins Cooper Carusi Architects (CCCA) in Atlanta and a LEED-certified professional, having graduated magna cum laude from the University of Tennessee in 1983. Carusi has been an integral part of CCCA’s growth since 1990. An industry leader in design, she leads studio teams in various award-winning community-based projects, including public and private K-12, college and university, religious, cultural and recreational/wellness. Her notable projects include the Emory University Candler School of Theology Center for Ethics and Pitts Library, Mt. Pisgah Christian School and North Atlanta High School.

Susan Tully LEED AP, BD+C, has managed education construction projects for more than 25 years. Since joining Gilbane Building Company of Philadelphia in 2000, Tully has accumulated an impressive portfolio of large construction projects throughout the northeast, with a concentration in the K-12 and higher-education markets. She serves Gilbane as senior project manager, with experience working with owners, design teams and engineers. She has managed elementary school construction projects for the School District of Cheltenham Township in Pennsylvania since 2007 — projects totaling more than $50 million and renovations/additions totaling more than 200,000 square feet. She has also managed construction of high-profile projects for several national educational institutions, including Community College of Philadelphia, Princeton University, Rutgers University and Trenton School District.

David Johnson, LEED AP, BD+C, vice president and higher-education practice strategist for the Detroit office of SmithGroupJJR, is actively engaged in understanding and articulating the forces shaping higher education. Johnson guides design teams to align programming and planning with client strategy, develop design narratives for multiple audiences, envision hybrid space types and facilities, and advance design research that informs the practice and profession. Johnson has broad experience in design leadership and has completed work at numerous university campuses, providing master planning, programming and architecture.

Kirk Marchisen, AIA, LEED AP, is principal and vice president at Stevens & Wilkinson, an Atlanta architecture, engineering and interiors firm. Marchisen is also a project manager with extensive educational facility experience. He works closely with the project team during all phases of a project, including programming, concept design, design development, construction documents and construction administration. He earned both a Bachelor of Science and a master’s degree in technology from the Georgia Institute of Technology and is a registered architect in the state of Georgia. Throughout his 31-year career, he has successfully completed dozens of education projects throughout the state, including the renovation and addition to Oakhurst Elementary School in Decatur, the design of Sandtown Middle School in Atlanta and the Gwinnett Technical College Horticulture Center in Lawrenceville.

New Members

Pam Loeffelman, FAIA, is a K-12 education leader at national architecture firm DLR Group, elevating education for local school districts across the country. Loeffelman has been actively engaged in a dialogue about the return on investment of educational designs for more than three decades. She believes a combination of economic, social and pedagogy trends along with benchmarking can better shape the built environment so as to engage and inspire students, educators and local communities. She has served multiple leadership roles within the industry, including AIA national vice president and on the board of multiple AIA Knowledge Communities. She also participated in the initial American Architecture Foundation Mayor’s Institute on School Design in 2005 in Washington, D.C.

David Schrader, founding/managing partner of Philadelphia-based Schradergroup Architecture, is responsible for the design leadership, management and business development for the firm. For a quarter of a century, his professional experience has focused on the design of facilities of public interest, with a specific emphasis on educational facility design. Acting as principal in charge and lead planner/designer for close to 100 K-12 projects, Schrader’s daily involvement spans from initial design through to project completion. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania as well as Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Architecture degrees from Pennsylvania State University. He is a registered architect in more than 14 states and is an active member of a number of professional organizations, including the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE), formerly the Council of Educational Facilities Planners International (CEFPI).

Jackie Avello is a project manager for JE Dunn Construction whose 10-year career — five with JE Dunn — includes overseeing multiple complex renovation projects for Atlanta Public Schools, and providing key leadership of JE Dunn’s process improvement efforts using lean construction and other tools. Her portfolio includes transformation of an IBM corporate campus into the new North Atlanta High School and modernization of the 1920s-era Brown Middle School. The Brown project won a first place honor in the 2017 AGC Build Georgia Awards Program as well as a 2017 CMMA Project Achievement Award. Avello is a member of Construction Owners of America and is active in various industry organizations. She is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction with Highest Honor as well as a Certificate in Entrepreneurship.

Ian McQuoid is a project director at McCarthy Building Companies Inc., a national construction contractor. With a focus on lease-leaseback and design-build, McQuoid serves as project executive on education projects, managing all phases of construction. McQuoid has worked with San Juan Unified School District in Sacramento County, Calif., on projects that range from an innovative performing arts center to STEM classrooms to elementary schools. He believes in constantly elevating his craft by incorporating cutting-edge technology and tools. McQuoid received his Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from California State University, Sacramento.

Check out the entire list in the January/February issue of School Construction News.

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The first to open was the 1,100-student Ooltewah Elementary School in August 2013. When the $19.5 million school opened, it was the largest elementary school in the district. East Brainerd Elementary School will debut this August with the same 1,100-student capacity.

Later this month, county officials will unseal construction bids for the new Ganns Middle Valley Elementary School. It, too, is expected to hold roughly 1,000 students, and it will replace two of the county’s oldest school buildings: the 77-year-old Ganns Middle Valley Elementary and the 102-year-old Falling Water Elementary. The $27 million project is currently scheduled for a 2016 opening if the accelerated construction schedule is met, according to Times Free Press.

Additionally, the Hamilton County Department of Education hopes to build another 1,100-student elementary school to replace Alpine Crest, DuPont and Rivermont elementary schools.

While an increase in student population is driving these massive construction projects, the Basic Education Program, the state’s funding formula for public education, is another factor. Per the program, the state requires one teacher for every 20 children in kindergarten through third grade, which can be easier to balance with a larger school, Hamilton County Department of Education Assistant Superintendent Auxiliary Services Gary Waters told the Times Free Press on April 12.

The Times Free Press reported that there can also be disadvantages to the massive buildings, as elementary schools are seen as part of the community. With one centralized location for elementary schools, transportation and parent involvement can become an issue.

Despite potential disadvantages, there are also several advantages to building larger elementary schools. For instance, these schools are often less expensive to staff, operate and maintain. A larger school needs only one principal and one kitchen as opposed to the two principals and two kitchens needed for two smaller schools. East Brainerd Elementary School, designed by locally based TWH Architects Inc., will also feature a geothermal heating and cooling system, which will help cut the school’s utility bills in half.

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