Like most students, Andrew Hartnett couldn’t wait to graduate high school. He imagined that whatever awaited him in the “real world” would be more interesting than going to Brentwood High School every day. Little did he know, he’d find his way back there 15 years later, this time by choice. “Clamoring to come back” when […]
Case Studies Region: Midwest
Rick Fox – Timberland Partners
When Rick Fox saw kids using a bike park recently, he couldn’t help but feel proud. As they raced around the colorful tracks, the kids showed Fox the impact of his work with their laughter and smiles. The director of facilities management for Timberland Partners likes knowing the features he adds to apartment complexes are […]
Chad Halley – Hamra Enterprises
The demand for fast food remains high even with the worst of COVID-19 seemingly over. That should keep Chad Halley busy as he helps three popular outlets meet demand while factoring what might be changing consumer habits. More drive-thru lanes or restaurants with only drive-thru lanes? More investment in the technology and machinery strictly for […]
Ralph Knese – Parkway Schools
After 33 years working in the same industry, Ralph Knese had a choice to make. He figured he could stay in his comfortable, predictable job until he was ready to retire, or he could finish his career with a new, exciting challenge. He knows it’s a little unconventional, but he’s happy to have gone with […]
Scott Shirkey – Emprise Bank
There’s a rustic sense to Emprise Bank’s newest commercial lending office. This one is a remodeled second-story flat above a restaurant in the historic Crossroads Arts District, just south of Downtown Loop and north of Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s a lively neighborhood of former warehouses and industrial buildings where coffeehouses, brew pubs, […]
Brian Larson – University of North Dakota
Imagine you’re pulling an all-nighter for a crucial exam at the University of North Dakota, downing enough Red Bulls to fill a bathtub, when you’re suddenly overcome by a craving for a Chick-fil-A sandwich. What do you do? Drive to the fast-food alley in Grand Forks, of course. Before long, though, that late-night run won’t […]
Rick Fechter – School District of Menomonee Falls
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across the country shifted to remote and hybrid models of learning. While many districts invested in virtual infrastructure to help ease the transition (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, for example), others opted for a slightly different approach—investing in physical infrastructure in addition to the requisite tech upgrades. Case in […]
Monica Davis – Kirkwood Community College
Students are often attracted to community colleges for the practical programs they offer. But Monica Davis knows that it’s also where the programs are taught—facilities that are comfortable, well-equipped and modern—that keeps students enrolling. That’s the gamble being made by the community college where she’s senior director of construction and facilities planning. As with other […]
Darren Hess – Fort Wayne Community Schools
Usually when a school gets new lockers, it’s not that exciting. Students at Fort Wayne Community Schools, however, are ecstatic about theirs. That’s because they’re involved in the locker renovations, along with a host of other school upgrades, from design to completion. Darren Hess, director of facilities for the Indiana school district, and his team […]
Weyen Burnam – StorageMart
So what do you do when rain ruins a day in the sun on South Padre Island in Texas? Start a chain of self-storage facilities. That’s how StorageMart was founded by Gordon Burnam, recalls his grandson, Weyen Burnam. While exploring the island with his family, Gordon struck up a conversation with the owner of a […]
