Name: Catherine Fritz, AIA Pacific Northwest Region President City Architect City and Borough of Juneau E-mail: Catherine_Fritz@ci.juneau.ak.us Member Since: 1990 City & State: Juneau, Alaska Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington

Why did you join CEFPI?
I inherited an old copy of the CEFPI Planning Guide on my bookshelf. When our community passed a large school bond measure, including funds for the design and construction of our first middle school (as opposed to junior high), I found myself needing resources. I eventually found the Alaska Chapter of CEFPI.

What is the major benefit you have gained from being a CEFPI member?
CEFPI is a tremendous resource of information - not only through written text, but also through the people who are affiliated with it. I live in an isolated area of the US, but find myself very connected to information about school planning and design because of CEFPI.

What do you like most about what you do?
I am not the typical school facilities staff person. As the Chief Architect of the City & Borough of Juneau I am in responsible charge of all of the community's building projects. In addition to our schools, I work on our airport, hospital, recreation facilities, and support facilities (offices, maintenance buildings, etc.). I have extensive diversity in my work, which includes small repair projects to major new facilities. I am especially fortunate in my work because I get to see, firsthand, what the role that all public facilities play in the make-up of the community. We have many shared-use and integrated-use facilities and programs because in Juneau, "them is us."

What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
I returned to graduate school in 2001 after 20 years of work experience and raising a family. The completion of my architectural research degree focused in school facility planning and design. It was an intense and rich experience, despite significant personal challenges, which included a major injury for my 15-year-old son (he's fine now, by the way!)

Describe the biggest asset you bring to your job:
I am a process person and a problem solver. I strongly believe in the "gray zone" in life - most things are not black and white. It is much more about how you reach the solution than the solution itself. I have found this to be especially true in school planning and design because teaching and learning are so varied and such individual experiences. I work hard on being a leader, as well as a good manager, recognizing that there are substantive differences in the two. Good outcomes will come when good processes have been used to get there.

What is your second choice as an occupation and why?
Medicine. Because I grew up in a blue-collar family and community, I really wasn't aware of the "professions" that were out there. I fell into architecture by accident in college (neither of my parents attended college, and my father did not graduate from high school). My interest in medicine grew later, especially as I had children. I am very pleased with the path that I have taken, but had I been exposed to a different course I might well have been in a totally different field of work.

Tell us about the most motivating meeting you have attended:
Following an inspiring international CEFPI conference about 7 or 8 years ago, I asked for a meeting with the City Manager, Deputy City Manager, School Superintendent, and School Board President to share some ideas from the conference. We were charting the course for our community's high school education and had many challenges to address. It was such a phenomenal meeting, to all be on the same wavelength - the energy was intense, the tone was total optimism, and my community leaders were motivating and inspirational. I left the meeting feeling like I had just spent an evening in a resort hot tub with my closest friends, having found the answer to the age-old of human existence, "What is the meaning of life?"

What is your greatest personal accomplishment?
Having three healthy and happy sons, and having 25 years of marriage with a fabulous husband.

Complete this sentence..."I wish I knew how to..."
fly. It's on the "to do" list, but haven't yet had time!

Favorite thing to do on your day off:
Go to our cabin on a wilderness island and work in my garden.

If you could have any person (alive or dead) to your home for dinner, who would it be? Why? What would you talk about?
Dr. Maria Montessori. As a physician and an educator she had incredible insight to human behavior that has fascinated me for many years - way beyond the school choice that we made for our sons. I would talk to her about the state of public education in the US today. It would be especially cool to have her share my dinner table with Thomas Jefferson and John Dewey! Boy, could we straighten things out!

Best book you have read
I read constantly (all types of books) - can't chose a "best" but I just finished reading a hilarious literary slapstick by Ann Ross entitled, "Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind."

Do you have a favorite quote? What is it?
I have many, but here's one I keep at my desk: "Every valuable end of government is best ensured by the enlightened confidence of the people." George Washington, 1790.

Return to CEFPI Membership Home

Name: Cheri Hendricks Washington Chapter President Principal Broadview Associates, Ltd. E-mail: Cheri@Broadview.US Member Since: 1992 City & State: Seattle, WA Birthplace: Portland, OR

Why did you join CEFPI?
To be part of a network of people who are interested in sharing best practices for school design.

What is the major benefit you have gained from being a CEFPI member?
The state, regional and international conferences provide a forum in which to share the best ideas from various regions of the nation.

What do you like most about what you do?
Providing leadership for school design integrates my deep curiosity about the nature of learning, my love of beautiful places, my fascination with how to make organizations more effective at accomplishing their mission, and the opportunity to do work that makes a difference.

What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
Successfully completing over $200 million in school projects in the last 10 years, and winning significant national, regional or state awards for two of them (including the MacConnell award in 1999).

Describe the biggest asset you bring to your job:
My genuine interest in all of the varied disciplines that are at the heart of effective leadership for school design...learning, architecture, organizational culture and the dynamics of change. Before I decided to pursue an architecture degree I was a science major, so I continue to bring that fascination that's at the heart of the sciences: 'how does this whole system really work anyway?' I truly enjoy pursuing in-depth understanding of the advances in brain science and their implications for learning. And I'm intrigued by what makes our organizations truly effective, so much so that in the early 1990's I pursued a master's in management that was focused on organizational learning and leadership for change. And of course many of us who studied architecture are truly moved by beautiful spaces and seek to bring to all of our work the qualities of wonder and delight that are fundamental both to authentic learning and to successful architecture.

Another significant asset arises from my experience in all three of the primary roles within the school design and construction world. After I completed my architecture degree I worked three years as an intern, then to get some construction experience I began working for a contractor. I enjoyed that more extroverted role so much that I went back to school and got a degree in construction management, and continued for a total of 8 years working as a project manager for a general contractor. In 1990 I decided I wanted to focus exclusively on educational work, so I became a project manager for a large public school district. Each time I have changed roles I have learned SO much...my perspective is much broader than it would have been had I remained in any one role.

What is your second choice as an occupation and why?
A plant ecologist - for many of the same reasons I'm drawn to what I'm currently doing. I'm intrigued by the intricate and complex systems of both individual species and communities, and the symbiotic relationships that have developed with pollinators and other animal species. There's an aspect that's purely aesthetic - I love the endlessly varied patterns and textures... that's the gardener in me. I think that developing a deeper understanding of biological systems will continue to inform our understanding of human systems and enable us to design more effective ways of working. And training in biological systems prepares us to find more sustainable ways to live without damaging them, which is arguably the most important and urgent work in which anyone could be engaged.

Tell us about the most motivating meeting you have attended:
This year we scheduled two of our CEFPI chapter dinner meetings at small public high schools that are intentionally created to provide environments where students are known and can truly meet their potential. One was Truman High School in the Federal Way School District, which is 200-student alternative high school led by a principal who believes we have a moral imperative to change the way that high schools are organized. Her vision is compelling. The second was the Tacoma School of the Arts, which is a 350-student arts-focused school located in the urban core, built on community partnerships with arts and cultural organizations, and sharing facilities and programs with a variety of other institutions including the University of Washington, the Washington State History Museum, the Museum of Glass, and local theatres. The students led tours of their new facility and performed for us during dinner - it was very inspiring to see how much more engaged all students can be when they are doing work that has meaning for them and are known and valued by all the adults in their learning community.

What is your greatest personal accomplishment?
Completing a Master's in management in two years while working full time.

Complete this sentence..."I wish I knew how to..."
Play the piano, speak fluent French, identify birds from their songs, cook more Thai and Vietnamese dishes, and change the political process so it's more effective.

Favorite thing to do on your day off:
Bicycling on one of the islands in Puget Sound - you can get exercise and great views at the same time. And of course, gardening.

If you could have any person (alive or dead) to your home for dinner, who would it be? Why? What would you talk about?
Thomas Jefferson. Not only was he one of the most interesting public figures in our nation's history, he was incredibly well-read, and I share an interest in several of the topics with which he was fluent - the imperative of public education for a democracy, architecture, botany, to name a few. And of course, given recent events, I'd love to hear his critique of how our political structures have evolved since their founding.

Best book you have read:
I love to read, and I can't possibly pick just one.

On learning, I'd have to choose Howard Gardner's work - Frames of Mind, which originally laid out his theory of multiple intelligences, as well as subsequent work such as The Unschooled Mind, Creating Minds, Leading Minds, and his most recent that I'm currently reading, Changing Minds - The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People's Minds.

On organizational learning, Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline - The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization. He lays out important life skills, not just those that are key to an effective organization.

Daniel Yankelovich's Coming to Public Judgment was both encouraging and helpful regarding how to provide leadership for changing public opinion.

And for narrative non-fiction that's enlightening, thought-provoking and beautifully written, David Quammen's The Song of the Dodo, and Johnathan Weiner's The Beak of the Finch and Time, Love, Memory.

Do you have a favorite quote? What is it?
"When I am working on a problem I never think about beauty. I only think about how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong." - R. Buckminster Fuller

Return to CEFPI Membership Home

Name: David C. Edwards Saskatchewan Chapter President Architect Edwards Edwards McEwen Architects E-mail: eema@sasktel.net Member Since: 1992 City & State: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Birthplace: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Why did you join CEFPI?
It is a wonderful opportunity to meet great people with the common interest or creating high quality educational environments, and see what the current trends in school design are.

What is the major benefit you have gained from being a CEFPI member?
Being able to apply interactive design activities in our projects, which we have been exposed to in presentations at the CEFPI conferences, along with meeting a great bunch of people.

What do you like most about what you do?
The wide diversity of architectural projects we undertake and the clients we work with. Every day is different.

What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
Being able to lead a highly qualified team to successfully complete an $8,000,000 fire restoration of a post-secondary school in a six-month time frame.

Describe the biggest asset you bring to your job:
Always listening to our client's needs and trying to think "outside the box" to provide unique, cost effective solutions to each problem.

What is your second choice as an occupation and why?
Professional musician. I enjoy the creative aspects of all types of music.

Tell us about the most motivating meeting you have attended:
There were two most motivating meetings. These were my first "meetings" with my newborn children in the delivery room.

What is your greatest personal accomplishment?
Being able to help our children develop into responsible, accepting and caring young adults.

Complete this sentence..."I wish I knew how to..."
Sing well.

Family:
Wife: Carol, Daughter who is 20, Son who is 16.

Favorite thing to do on your day off:
Spend the day at the cabin at the lake.

If you could have any person (alive or dead) to your home for dinner, who would it be? Why? What would you talk about?
Robin Williams. I am sure he would be extremely interesting, kind of like having dinner with 12 different people.

Do you have a favorite quote? What is it?
"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need" -M. Jagger.

Any other comment you would like to make?
Say Hi to a new member at the next CEFPI event!

Return to CEFPI Membership Home

Name: Lorne McConachie Washington Chapter Member Principal Bassetti Architects E-mail: LmcConachie@bassettiarch.com Member Since: 1992 City & State: Seattle, WA Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan

Why did you join CEFPI?
Initially, to expand my knowledge of educational facility planning & marketing. Subsequently, networking and sharing ideas & information have also become a motivation.

What is the major benefit you have gained from being a CEFPI member?
Depth of understanding about educational facility planning. Good ideas, examples, techniques and processes.

What do you like most about what you do?
I love to engage in meaningful conversations about a project and then translate those ideas into a design.

What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
Revitalizing my company during the transition from first to second generation of owners.

Describe the biggest asset you bring to your job:
Balance of the numerous complexities of design, management, communication, teamwork, hard work & fun.

What is your second choice as an occupation and why?
Landscape or urban design. The synthetic, collaborative design process is a joy. If I couldn't design buildings, I'd likely seek out landscapes or cities to engage my passion.

Tell us about the most motivating meeting you have attended:
As a young man, coming of age during the turbulent Vietnam War years, I attended a meeting of non-violent war resisters at my church. Their courage in following their convictions motivated me to come to grips with my beliefs and attempt to live & act accordingly.

What is your greatest personal accomplishment?
My kids, who appear to headed down paths of lifelong learning & happiness.

Complete this sentence..."I wish I knew how to..."
Play the saxophone.

Family:
Wife: Mary Beth; daughter: Elizabeth, 32, teacher, married mother of twin granddaughters; Son: Justin, 20, junior at the University of Washington studying environmental planning.

Favorite thing to do on your day off:
Go exploring - a river, a trail, a park, an historic town…

If you could have any person (alive or dead) to your home for dinner, who would it be? Why? What would you talk about?
Thomas Jefferson. A great thinker about liberty. Democracy, design, slavery, revolution, Lewis & Clarke, good food & wine!

Best book you have read:
Recently, Natural Capitalism by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and Hunter Lovins.

Do you have a favorite quote? What is it?
"There is more to life than increasing speed". -Gandhi

Return to CEFPI Membership Home