SSOE’s Adriane McGillis, Girmay Berhie, and Linda Boylan were recently honored at this year’s SAY IT LOUD South Carolina Exhibition from Beyond the Built Environment, which celebrates the contributions of diverse designers and advocates for equitable built environments and communities. #PressRelease #SSOEsoutheast
SSOE’s sustainability efforts span the globe! We’re thrilled to sponsor the International Mass Timber Conference 2024 from March 26-28 in Portland, Oregon. Representing SSOE’s Sustainable Design Strategy Group, Structural Engineer Nicole Johnson will dive into discussions about mass timber construction, design, and adoption. Our mission? Deliver design solutions that enhance value while championing sustainable principles, promoting wellness, building resilience, and advancing our AIA 2030 Commitment: reducing our carbon footprint through carbon-neutral projects by 2030.
Welcome home! YKK AP America Inc. has officially opened its doors to a new era of manufacturing with its state-of-the-art residential manufacturing facility in Macon, Georgia. Spanning 400,000 square feet, this plant is set to become a cornerstone of residential window and door manufacturing in the Southeast region. Not just a factory, this facility is where technology meets sustainability, and where YKK AP America Inc.’s workforce of 250—and growing—can thrive. Oliver Stepe, President and CEO, shares, “It provides a best-in-class facility where employees have a comfortable, safe and well-equipped work environment to provide quality products and service to our customers.” The homecoming follows 18 months after SSOE was awarded architecture and engineering services on the project. The new facility will serve as a model plant for our future North American facilities, boasting advanced technology and enhanced work environments, and provides the client with the ability to double production capacity as the demands of the housing markets continues to rise.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge our most recently appointed women principals: Betsy Hurner, Carey Russell, Perlita Schorfheide, and Robin Whitney. These women have achieved vice president status or above and truly represent the best in class in terms of AEC professionals—with each of them having their own unique career journey and making history in their own right. These four illustrate a growing collective of women leadership at SSOE. Thanks to our growth, there are plenty of opportunities for upward mobility for those ready to rise to the challenge and we celebrate the women who elevate SSOE. #WomensHistoryMonth #chooseSSOE
Today is one of our favorite holidays: Pi Day! Our Toledo office’s Employee Club offered a variety of pizzas and pies for employees to choose from. All 18 pies were made by Employee Club President (aka Chief Fun Officer) Ronda Friesel, a special treat that has become an annual tradition at our world headquarters. Run by employees, for employees, SSOE Employee Clubs promote educational, social, and recreational activities to encourage intra-office fellowship. As a full-time, part-time, or contract employee, you automatically become a member and can immediately participate in the various activities and programs offered. #PiDay #chooseSSOE
We’re excited to announce that Perlita Schorfheide has joined our firm as Vice President, Program Manager, in our Complex Projects Division. With a remarkable 30-year tenure in project delivery and experience spanning various industries including solar, electric vehicle, battery, pharmaceutical, and more, Perlita’s role will be instrumental in guiding our project management teams to deliver exceptional results. Senior Vice President Scott Bussell quoted within. #PressRelease
SSOE’s Jen Breault, Senior Architect and Chair of our Sustainable Design Strategy Group, and Heather Judge, Senior Architect and LEED Administrator, will attend Responsible Business USA 2024—North America’s premier sustainability event that brings industry pioneers together to take action on sustainability integration—in New York March 26-27. At Responsible Business, our specialists will explore industry trends, ways to integrate sustainability across all functions and further support our commitments to AIA 2030, Net Zero, and beyond. Their insight will be instrumental in driving change and fulfilling our responsibility to our clients, communities, and future generations.
Episode #3 of A Blueprint for Equity, a podcast powered by SSOE, is now available! In our latest quarterly episode (and our third to date), host Candice Harrison talks with Sarah Nelson-Woynicz, AIA, Project Architect and Associate at HKS, Inc. and Founder of Pride by Design. A seamless blend of personal and professional, this conversation explores Sarah’s dedication to the inclusion and visibility of LGBTQIA+ architects and design professionals. She shares her experience growing up in Raleigh, going to college in Virginia, and landing in Atlanta where she’s built a very successful career in the AEC industry. Listen at www.ssoe.com/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. #BlueprintForEquity
SSOE’s Vince DiPofi, CEO, recently joined host Tom Dioro on the Architecture and Innovation podcast. Vince candidly shares some of his philosophies on servant leadership, building a team, and the importance of empathy. They also discuss our recent growth, including SSOE’s significant success in the battery / EV market—a direct result of our firm’s specialization in semiconductor design (ranked #2 nationally by ENR).
March is Women’s History Month, and today marks International Women’s Day. Here at SSOE, we honor the women before us, elevate the women who inspire us, and pave the way for the women of the future. We also recognize the need to continue to improve women’s equality in the AEC industry and are committed to forging an organization that emulates the world around us by pioneering change and modeling progress with a purpose. #InternationalWomensDay
