Alumni
Council

Director, Transaction Management, Global Occupier Services at Cushman & Wakefield

A real estate veteran with more than 29 years of experience, Brian Adelstein is the Director of Transactions for a global C&W client in the financial advisory segment and is responsible for the delivery of lease acquisition services Globally. In addition to managing day-to-day management of between 45-50 active global leasing initiatives, Brian is also responsible for the strategic integration of best practices and process improvements into the service delivery methodology for this client.

Previously, Brian led C&W’s Global Portfolio Administration practice and was responsible for the coordination of C&W’s lease administration services worldwide and audit and recovery services in the United States. Brian was also an Account Director in C&W’s Portfolio Management Group. In this role, Brian oversaw C&W’s relationship with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and other federal government agency clients.

President at Quinn Evans Architects, Washington D.C

As President of Quinn Evans Architects, Larry provides leadership that promotes a sense of responsibility reflective of the pedigree of the firm’s portfolio. He advocates innovation and inspires design quality at all levels.

Larry thrives when working on cultural heritage projects such as performing arts spaces and museums. As a creative thinker, he appreciates these environments for their ability to provide a special forum for the interaction between art, the artists, and the viewing audience. Larry is proud that, in many cases, QEA is able to truly transform buildings while strengthening their connection with people.

Principal, Lamar Johnson Collaborative

Lina Chiu is a Principal with Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC) and a design management consultant to the Obama Foundation. She is multi-disciplinary, leading both ground-up construction and interior build-out projects. Notable projects include Chicago McDonald’s Corporate Headquarters, Block37, Marriott Marquis at McCormick, and the Boston Consulting Group. In addition to leading project delivery, Lina is an architecture studio director with LJC and co-leads a team of over 65 industry professionals and works actively to recruit top talent for and provide mentorship within the firm.

Lina’s achievements are far-reaching and her commitment to impacting communities extends beyond her daily work in the studio. She consistently serves as a team leader for the Habitat for Humanity Women Build in Chicago, is a mentor with the ACE (Architecture, Construction, Engineering) Mentor Program, in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, and provides pro-bono design work for First Tee of Greater Chicago. Lina has also garnered many awards for her work on projects that have been honored by Chicago Building Congress, Interior Design Magazine, IIDA, American Institute of Architects and Interior Design Magazine. She was recently honored as Woman of the Year in 2023 by the Illinois Real Estate Journal. She earned her BS in Architecture from UM Taubman College and M.Arch from Rice University.

Principal at Trivers, Saint Louis, MO

Amy bases her leadership on the conviction that successful projects begin with building great relationships. She brings a focus on creative problem solving to every aspect of the work from developing a vibrant project team to ensuring complex solutions are supportive of design intent.

Along with two partners in the summer of 2015, Amy successfully led Trivers, an architecture firm located in St. Louis, through the firm’s first ownership transition since its founding in 1975. As Principal with over 20 years of experience heavily focused on historic and civic projects, she has played a key role in some of the firm’s most visible projects. Among her key projects are the Old Post Office renovation, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Ranger Station and the Old Courthouse renovation in St. Louis, as well as American Cancer Society Hope Lodge projects throughout the United States. Through strategic alignment of Trivers’ vision and expertise, Amy has recently begun expanding the firm’s civic portfolio winning work across the country as a Small Business Enterprise.

Founder and Managing Principal, Eternal Companies

Damon Healey is Founder and Managing Principal of Eternal Companies with over 20 years experience in hospitality, retail, multifamily, office, and urban mixed-use real estate.

Prior to Eternal, Mr. Healey led Brookfield Asset Management’s nationwide expansion of its extended stay hospitality portfolio leading to a $1.5B sale to The Blackstone Group and Starwood Capital Group. Also, Mr. Healey oversaw a $1.8 billion expansion into United States for LIDL US, Europe’s largest grocer. Mr. Healey’s also served in roles at Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners, KeyBank Real Estate Capital, and Marcus & Millichap.

Mr. Healey holds a Bachelor of Science in Business & Finance from Oklahoma State University and a Masters in Urban Planning & Real Estate from the University of Michigan.

Planning and Design Director, Compass Development

In her role as Planning and Design Director for Compass Development Marketing Group, Whitney collaborates with developers and real estate experts focused solely on Multifamily New Development projects across the country. She recommends potential collaborations with architects and interior designers, assists in feasibility, zoning, and massing studies; and helps guide direction on unit mix, floor plan layouts, finishes, amenity programming and sales gallery layouts.

As a liaison between the sales and development teams, Whitney helps translate real-time sales data into design strategies for a competitive marketplace. She ensures that the design team’s vision is accurately translated into the project branding, renderings and creative assets for marketing. Whitney is a registered architect in New York and holds a U.S. Green Building Council LEED-AP certification. Her previous roles include Chief Architecture and Design Officer at Brown Harris Stevens Development Marketing and Project Architect at Selldorf Architects. Her project experience covers single and multifamily residential developments, high-end private residences, retail, and commercial buildings.

Senior VP, Suffolk Design, Suffolk Construction

As Vice President of Suffolk Illuminate, Chris Lanzisera is responsible for leading the strategic development and oversight of Suffolk’s design-build vertical. This new division leverages innovative technologies and processes to deliver design excellence with a focus on efficiency, constructability, and cost and schedule predictability. Prior to joining Suffolk, Chris served as Vice President of Architecture at the Irvine Company where he co-led the Company’s Apartment Development Design Studio, consisting of architects, interior designers, and landscape architects responsible for managing the planning, design and execution of all multifamily new development and reinvestment projects across the Company’s portfolio of over 60,000 dwelling units.

Prior to the Irvine Company, Chris was Regional Vice President of Design Services for Hyatt Hotels Corporation where he led internal and external teams of architects and designers, responsible for overseeing design direction, programming and functional planning of all new construction, renovation, and conversion projects throughout the Americas, across the portfolio of Hyatt’s multiple full-service hotel brands. Chris began his professional career working for Nagle Hartray Architects where he learned under Jim Nagle, a member of the ‘Chicago Seven’ architects. Chris is a Registered Architect in the state of Illinois and a member of the American Institute of Architects. Chris earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning and his Master of Architecture from Princeton University.

Principal and Campus Studio Leader, SmithGroup

Lauren Leighty is a Principal and Campus Studio Leader with SmithGroup. She is an integral member of the firm’s leadership team for campus planning and higher education. Lauren focuses her talents on addressing the multi-layered challenges facing colleges and universities both today and into the future.

Her expertise in urban design combined with a strong background in landscape architecture provide a distinct vantage point from which she approaches each campus planning project. Her training and wide range of national project experience has given her the ability to comprehend a project from its regional context down to a detailed implementation level.

Lauren has worked with many respected higher education institutions across the country such as the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, North Carolina State University, Boston University, and University of California – Riverside, as well as with leading corporations such as Dow, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and BMW.

Lauren received her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her Master of Urban Design from the University of Michigan. During her time at the University of Michigan, she served as a MUD Research Assistant and was named a 2010 Taubman College Charles Moore Scholar.

Lauren is a frequent contributor to the national dialogue on higher education through recent presentations at the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) conferences. Lauren also serves on the SmithGroup’s Board of Directors and the Board of Directors for the Landscape Architecture Foundation.

Principal and VP, ASD-SKY

Jessica Loovis, AIA, is a Principal / Vice-President at ASD|SKY. Jessica leads ASD|SKY in developing new business opportunities across the company’s twelve locations nationwide. She is a Registered Architect and a LEED Accredited Professional.

Jessica attended the University of Michigan and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 2005 and went on to obtain her Master of Architecture from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2010.

Jessica is an active member of ULI, NAIOP, CoreNet, CREW, and ICSC. She is currently on Georgia Institute of Technology’s, College of Design Advisory Board and a Board Member with Dad’s Garage, a non-profit comedy theatre whose mission is to transform people, communities, and perspectives through laughter. Additionally, Jessica was selected to participate in the 2019 Marvin C. Goldstein Black-Jewish Project Understanding Retreat and the Anti-Defamation League’s 2019-2020 Glass Leadership Institute. She is a member of NAIOP’s Redevelopment Forum; graduate of ULI Atlanta’s Center for Leadership, Class of 2014; NAIOP Georgia’s Future Leaders, Class of 2014; LEAD Atlanta’s Class of 2017; Atlanta Regional Commission Millennial Advisory Panel, member of the Young Women’s Leadership Forum (YWLF), and an active volunteer and team lead with Back on My Feet Atlanta.

Principal and Co-Founder, Mathison | Mathison Architects

Evan Mathison is Principal and Co-Founder of Mathison I Mathison Architects (MMA), an award winning architecture and interiors firm in Grand Rapids, Michigan. MMA is founded on the conviction that architecture, planning, and design elevate lives through an inclusive and dynamic relationship-based process.

Since co-founding MMA with his father, Tom Mathison, FAIA in 2013, Evan has helped build and lead a talented team of architects and designers to complete a number of award-winning projects. Evan’s current projects include the new Sports and Inclusion Center for Special Olympics Michigan which will be the largest Special Olympics facility in the world, a new production facility and visitor center for the biggest whiskey distillery in Michigan, multiple higher education and secondary education projects throughout Michigan, and many residential projects throughout Michigan, Massachusetts, New York and Florida.

Evan was named a “40 Under Forty” business leader in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2015.

Associate Principal, CO Architects

Parini Mehta brings over 15 years of experience in architecture, design and medical planning to CO Architects. A leader in healthcare design, she has managed projects for LAC+USC Medical Center, UCLA Health, Cedars-Sinai Health, Scripps Health, Kaiser Permanente and Stanford. She guides the planning and design of complex, high-performance buildings through an integrated and collaborative process with clients, consultants and contractors. Parini holds a Master of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan.

Director of Design, Cedar

In 1998, Kristen earned her BS in architecture at the University of Michigan, and then received her Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. For the first decade of her career, she worked primarily at Brininstool + Lynch, a boutique architecture firm in Chicago, IL. Her projects included high-end custom homes, condo and office renovations as well as ground up high-rises.

In 2011, Kristen and her husband moved to Austin, Texas to create the design team for StoryBuilt, an urban infill development company. Their in-house architecture team went on to design over 50 communities ranging from 4-6 single-family homes to multi-acre city blocks with a variety of commercial and residential mixed-use buildings. Over these years, Kristen’s skill set transformed from understanding single-building projects, to becoming an expert at land planning, zoning and community design. She is equally passionate about arranging 100 homes around a central green belt as she is reconfiguring a kitchen layout to maximize storage and natural light. Figuring out the puzzle of residential design is Kristen’s happy place. Currently, Kristen runs her own residential design firm, focusing on projects that range from home renovations to small urban infill communities.

Executive Vice President & COO, Tower, Crown Castle

Cathy Piche was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer-Towers in September 2021, responsible for management of Crown Castle’s tower operations. Prior to this, she built the Project Delivery function for our Network organization acting as a tireless champion of customer-centric thinking. Cathy has more than 25 years of expertise in the telecom industry and has served in varying roles at Crown Castle including Area President for multiple markets and supporting the company’s small cell portfolio. Before joining Crown Castle, Cathy held various leadership roles at American Tower. She holds a BA in Economics from Michigan State and received her Masters in Urban Planning and Architecture from the University of Michigan.

Principal, Health Practice Director, CannonDesign

Mike is a collaborator and leader who generates new ideas for healthcare environments by drawing on his decades of experience while still being inquisitive and informed about new perspectives and trends. As co-director of CannonDesign’s health practice, he thrives on collaboration and shapes the leading-edge strategy and direction of the practice, one of the largest in the world. He has also served several terms on the firm’s Board of Directors, driving the growth and reputation of the firm overall.

Mike started his career during college at the University of Michigan Hospitals Planning Design and Construction department where he found his passion for Healthcare Architecture. He has taken that launching point and grown it to lead some of the largest investments in healthcare environments for many of the top institutions in the world.

Principal Architect, Arcadis

Kyle Schertzing is an accomplished architect with over 18 years of experience internationally and across the United States, especially California. He has worked for a number of prestigious architectural firms throughout his career, including Foster + Partners (Architect and LEED AP); InForm Studio (Project Architect/Manager in Detroit); Safdie Rabines Architects in San Diego (Principal), where he led teams on several high-profile projects, including the Epstein Family Amphitheater, the Outback Adventures Recreation Facility, and the North Torrey Pines Living & Learning Neighborhood at the University of California San Diego.

As of January 2023, Kyle was appointed the Principal Architect for the San Diego Arcadis office. In his new role, he will build on Public and Private relationships in San Diego to develop projects within Life Sciences, Multi-Family Housing, Mixed-Use development, and Transit Oriented Development. Kyle aims to build on his experience and support the sustainable growth of cities across San Diego County.

Kyle received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning in 2005. Kyle went on to earn a Master’s degree in Architecture from The Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, England in 2010.

Principal, Quinn Evans

As Principal and Cultural Practice Area leader, Katie provides innovative design solutions for public facilities. Working to integrate buildings with surrounding site systems and environments, she is skilled at balancing disparate project needs and coordinating complex interdisciplinary systems. She brings an exceptional ability to ensure a project’s design intentions are fulfilled through a clear, proactive, and positive management and communication style that is a key contributor to project success.

Katie received her BS in Architecture from the Catholic University of America 2001 before returning home to Ann Arbor to receive her Masters in Architecture from Taubman College in 2003.

Deputy Director, Current Planning Division of San Francisco Planning Dept.

In his role as Deputy Director of the Current Planning Division for the San Francisco Planning Department, Rich Sucré serves as the lead for San Francisco’s historic preservation initiatives, planning information counter and intake/support team. Rich has a background in architecture and architectural history and has previously worked as an architectural historian with a historic preservation architecture and planning firm. Since 2010, he has worked for the San Francisco Planning Department and has had several roles including Preservation Technical Specialist/Senior Planner and recently as a Principal Planner for development review in the Southeast Quadrant. His past work at SF Planning has included numerous historic preservation projects, including the New Mission Theater rehabilitation, and planning entitlements and long-range planning efforts at Pier 70, the Port of San Francisco and within the Mission, SoMa and Bayview neighborhoods. Rich received his BS in Architecture from the University of Michigan Taubman College.

Senior Design Coordinator, STL Architects

Before joining STL Architects, James was the principal and founder of Gridwerk Architecture, with more than 25 years of diverse industry experience in architecture, design, and project management. He has worked and collaborated with notable firms on projects ranging from commercial, retail, and corporate interiors to larger core and shell and adaptive reuse projects, seeing numerous significant projects from design concept through construction for clients including theMART, Haworth, and Glassdoor.

James approaches each project with a sense of artistic pragmatism, seizing each as an opportunity to create something new that balances art, design, and technology. His work has been published in Interior Design, The Architect’s Newspaper, and Architectural Record, among others, and has been recognized through awards from national and local AIA chapters. James earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Architecture from University of Michigan A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.