June 2025

LJC Office: Chicago
Title/Role: Chief Executive Officer
Focus: Strategy and Leadership
School(s): Bachelors in Business Management with Minor in Leadership from Capella University; Masters in Operations Management from University of Arkansas College of Engineering
Professional affiliations: Knight of Columbus, Wreaths Across America, Autism Speaks

What’s a book you’d recommend to just about anyone? Why? 
The Four Disciplines of Execution by Sean Covey, Chris McChesney and Jim Huling. This is a book I recommend for everyone. We all have goals whether they are tied to a business strategy and execution of the strategy as a leader or a personal goal we are trying to achieve in life. This book provides context on how to execute and hold yourself accountable to achieve your goal. It is a practice I have deployed throughout my career to help drive and achieve success both professionally and personally.

What does a perfect weekend look like to you? 
Friday night pizza ordered and delivered to the house with a relaxing evening with whoever is home listening to music and talking about our week. Saturday – morning yard work as this gives me the opportunity to disconnect for a period to think about things; afternoon with my wife at a farmers’ market or lunch in Michigan at a brewery/winery; followed by grilling something at home. Sunday – 9am mass followed by brunch, 9- holes of golf as a family, followed by Sunday dinner as a family. Sunday dinner is one item we always make sure we are available for as an entire family.

What are you most proud of accomplishing in your life, NOT professionally, so far? 
The nonprofessional accomplishment I am most proud of is being a father to our three children – Bethany, Paige and Taylor. All three of our girls are unique with different interests and approaches to life. Our oldest, Bethany, likes sports and will sit down with me to watch soccer, football, rugby or golf. Paige, our middle daughter, is studying for her double major in English and Secondary Education and loves to read and is currently writing her first teenage novel with hopes of it being published. Taylor, our youngest, plays the violin and has performed in many plays and musicals. All three inspire and challenge me daily to be the best version of myself I can be. I have impressed upon them my strong conviction to my faith and they should live the mantra of “grateful for everything, entitled to nothing”. I am extremely proud of each of them and their accomplishments. I look forward to continuing my most important job in life – being a girl dad!

LJC Office: Chicago
Title/Role: Associate
Focus: Architecture
School: Judson University
Professional affiliation: AIA 

What’s the last TV show you binged and enjoyed? What was so good about it?
This is cheating but I can’t choose between Andor and The Last of Us. Andor is easily the best Star Wars content created since the original trilogy, especially in terms of storytelling. It follows a few key characters as they navigate the difficulties of being at the grassroots stage of what eventually would become the Rebellion. The Last of Us is the show adaptation of one of the most acclaimed video game series of all time. It tells the story of a pair of people trying to survive the end of the world. A bit dark at times, but incredible acting and I’m a sucker for a post-apocalyptic cityscape.

What’s a book you’d recommend to just about anyone? Why? 
Love Does by Bob Goff. No one book has shaped how I try to live my life more than this. It challenges the reader to live fully engaged, be a person of action, and most of all to place love for others at the forefront of everything you do, as Christ would. It’s a radical change from how most of the world and our daily influences encourage us to put ourselves and our own interests first. 

What does a perfect weekend look like to you?
As a blooming golf addict, my Memorial Day weekend was pretty much perfect. I played 18 holes of golf on Saturday and Sunday, went to the Belmont-Sheffield street fest with some friends Sunday night, and then ended the holiday weekend by hosting a small cookout at my apartment on Monday.

What is something about you that you think would surprise your co-workers?
I spent 16 years of my life in Naples, Italy and most of my family still lives overseas in Frankfurt, Germany. I got to go see them in April when my sister got married!

LJC Office: Nashville, TN (it’s just me)
Title/Role: Senior Associate, Building Enclosure Specialist
Focus: TAG Enclosure
School: Drury University (2011)
Affiliations: AIA, NOMA

What’s the most fun you’ve had on a trip or vacation?
Hands down the most fun I have had on a trip was 4 exhilarating days of hiking the Salkantay Trek in the Andean mountains of Peru! The inclines were challenging, the views even more thrilling, and the food along the way (Peruvian ceviche, chicken, fruits, pisco sours) was delicious. And then to end the trek with a leisurely stroll through Machu Picchu was simply breathtaking. Would do it annually if I could!

What does a perfect weekend look like to you? 
Perfect weekend would be a few hours of solo hiking on Saturday morning, leisurely garden and hammock time in the afternoon, then live music and delicious food with friends in the evening. Sunday a complete day of rest, reading and board games.

What are you most proud of accomplishing in your life, NOT professionally, so far?
I am very proud of becoming a Core Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity! I spent 8 hours every Saturday for about 12 weeks volunteering at Habitat job sites, learning and executing each step of the Habitat home construction process. Placing and securing wood roof trusses by hand is no joke! Even more rewarding than the construction knowledge and experience has been the opportunity to teach and empower other community member volunteers.

Office: St. Louis 
Title/Role: Senior Associate, Architect 
Focus: Architecture
School: Kansas State University 
Affiliations: AIA

What’s the most fun you’ve had on a trip or vacation?
While it’s hard to pick just one instance, I look forward to spending time during the summer each year with my wife and her family on the east coast in Beach Haven, New Jersey. There we take time to unplug by relaxing in the sun, paddleboarding, and testing our sailing skills in the bay. 

What’s the last TV show you binged and enjoyed? What was so good about it?
Shrinking – I love the cast and the mix of drama and humor they bring to each episode.

What does a perfect weekend look like to you?
A perfect weekend to me involves relaxing in the mornings by reading on the couch with coffee, working on a house project in the afternoons and barbequing in the evenings.

What was your first job, and what is most memorable about it?
I was a courtesy clerk (aka “bagger”) at Dierbergs. I enjoyed the active nature of the job, including perfectly packing a bag of groceries, and the variety of people seen each day.

Office: Chicago
Title/Role: Principal, Economic Development
Focus: Operations
Schools: University of Michigan, University of Illinois Chicago
Affiliations: Urban Land Institute, Lambda Alpha Chicago, Intersect Illinois Executive Advisory Committee, Lake County Partners Board of Directors, City of Evanston Economic Development Committee, Chicagoland Opportunity Zones Oversight Committee

 What does a perfect weekend look like to you?
Weekends allow the luxury of time: a date with my husband, Scott; time with my boys when they’re available; time spent with friends; time spent outdoors – hiking, biking, or swimming somewhere beautiful; an opportunity to discover something new; a great latte; the morning paper, and maybe a little digging in my garden.

 What are you most proud of accomplishing in your life, NOT professionally, so far?
I’m most proud of my happy 25+ year marriage and raising two boys to be productive, kind young men.

What was your first job, and what is most memorable about it?
One of my first jobs was an A&W “car-hop.” For those not from the Midwest, it’s a drive-in root beer and coney hot dog type of place, where car-hops deliver food to your window to eat in your car. Most memorable was the great money I made as a 13-year-old kid! And no, I did not wear roller skates. :)

LJC Office: Chicago
Title/Role: Associate Principal
Focus: Architecture
School: University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC)
Affiliations: AIA, NCARB, CTBUH. 

What’s your most niche, non-work-related interest?
Sometimes when I have some spare time, I like to create VJ loops in a 3d software called blender. It is a way to let my brain be truly creative in design without having to worry about the more restrictive parts of architectural design (like codes, material properties, or gravity). These designs also tend to be studies in lighting and cinematography, which I’ve always personally found very intriguing.

If you could travel to any time/place, what would it be and why?
I think I would travel to the future and see if we ever make commercial space travel a reality for everyone. Plus being able to see how we adapt our thinking of designing structures for earth to designing structures on other planets or moons would be very interesting. I loved to visit the space section of the Museum of science and industry as a kid and was always amazed at all the technology and engineering that went into everything space-related. Seeing how that advances in the future 100 years from now would be something to see!

What was your first job, and what is most memorable about it?
My first job was doing façade inspections on swing stages in Chicago. It was both terrifying and awe-inspiring at the same time due to being high in the air on the sides of buildings overlooking the great architecture of Chicago. Being able to see the details of masonry and steel supports up close was a great learning experience and helped start my early career in tall vertical structures.