Announcing our 2019 Promotions

Join us as we congratulate these outstanding individuals on their well-deserved promotions. As an employee-owned firm, our people are our greatest strength. We are thrilled to recognize the following leaders who engage people and places to create designs that enrich our world.

PRINCIPALS

Corey Chang, Architecture

Throughout his career, Corey has led an array of higher education projects, including academic and research facilities with a focus on health sciences, nursing, and STEM. He delivers the highest caliber of service with his attentiveness to an institution’s needs coupled with responsive designs and execution of the details. Corey is a leader in our employee-owned business structure, ensuring that everyone is engaged and invested in the success of the firm.

Joel Fidler, Architecture

Joel leads with a clear architectural vision and open communication to discover what drives clients’ needs. His experience ranges from college and university campuses and local school systems to housing and commercial development. Joel is the President of AIA Maryland and has served on its Board of Directors since 2016.

Christine Hurt, Finance

Christine is Chief Financial Officer of Ayers Saint Gross. Her expertise includes corporate accounting, financial reporting and analysis, budgeting, audit requirements, regulatory reporting, treasury management, tax compliance, and risk management. Christine is on the Board of Trustees for the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and recently held leadership positions at her church and with Boy Scouts of America.

Linnea Kessler-Gowell, Interiors

Linnea has deep expertise as an interior designer for higher education and multifamily projects with significant experience on interior renovations, including detailed furniture, fixtures, and equipment packages. Bringing valuable knowledge from work on the client side, she understands how to best design vibrant and integrated interior environments for flexible learning and living, keeping maintenance and costs in mind.

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPALS

Sally Chinnis, Planning

A campus planner and urban designer, Sally helps institutions create dynamic mixed-use precincts, enhance the student and residential experience, expand open space networks, and develop phased implementation plans to realize their vision. Her projects span strategic planning, programming, and physical planning for university campuses and individual schools, colleges, and administrative units.

Alyson Goff, Space Analytics

With practical knowledge at the governing board and campus levels, Alyson understands the inner workings of higher education and possesses deep understanding of institutional operations. Through analysis and planning of short- and long-term space needs, she provides valuable insight to institutions to inform their space planning and management strategies, allowing institutions to align academic, financial, and physical planning goals.

Hans Graf, Architecture

Hans has dedicated his career to the design of student life buildings, with a particular focus on residence halls that elevate the living-learning experience. Working closely with residence life departments, the office of facilities, and other stakeholders at colleges and universities to verify their programming needs and then translate them into built forms, Hans envisions and executes innovative and creative designs.

Katy Hunchar, Marketing and Business Development

Katy is the firm’s Director of Marketing and Business Development. With more than 12 years of experience working with design firms, she leads strategic marketing and business development efforts across all disciplines for higher education, cultural institutions, and other mission-driven clients.

Jessica Leonard, Planning and Architecture

Jessica brings comprehensive programming, space planning, strategic planning, and design skills to the firm. She leads large, complex master planning efforts and is passionate about engaging stakeholders to guide decisions that shape the character of an institution and its vision for the future. Jessica is a member of SCUP and received the Alpha Rho Chi Medal and a University Fellowship from the University of Maryland. She is a founder of the SHARPkids program in Baltimore City, where she also serves as a youth mentor.

Cooper Melton, Architecture

Cooper has devoted his design practice to housing and higher education, steering successful and award-winning projects to completion. Cooper’s extensive background in both market-rate and student housing allows him to find inventive solutions that bridge the goals of the private sector with the ideals of academic institutions. Cooper has spoken at national and regional conferences, including ACUHO-I and SEAHO.

SENIOR ASSOCIATES

Erin Estep, Architecture

Laura Hall, Architecture

Cormac Phalen, Architecture

Angelo Pirali, Architecture

William Story, Planning

Michael Taylor, Architecture

Amber Wendland, Planning

ASSOCIATES

Bohdan Baida, Space Analytics

Matthew Doeller, Architecture

Igor Hercegovac, Architecture