Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Leadership Transition

Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA), based in Santa Rosa, Calif., recently announced a leadership transition that will take effect on Jan. 1, 2023. A news release reports that the architecture firm’s Founding Principals—Mark Quattrocchi, FAIA, and Steve Kwok, AIA—will take on Principal Emeritus status, continuing to work with select clients and offer mentorship while moving away from direct leadership.

QKA Principals Aaron Jobson, Jim Theiss, John Dybcak, Lyanne Schuster, Kevin Chapin, and Nick Stephenson will take on management and strategic planning responsibilities while also continuing with their existing roles in client service. Jobson, Thiess, and Dybczak are long-serving QKA Principals, while Schuster, Chapin, and Stephenson recently assumed those titles, the news release reports.

“We take profound pride in the integrity, quality, and culture that Mark and Steve have instilled in the fabric of our firm,” said Jobson. “The values and vision they established have been instrumental in the success and ongoing progress the firm has enjoyed throughout its history. My fellow principals and I view this next chapter as an opportunity to utilize this framework as we embrace the challenges and opportunities of the moment, continuing the firm’s evolution and building on our work in designing exceptional learning environments that have a positive impact on their communities.”

Jobson joined QKA in 2001 and will take on the role of CEO and President. Theiss joined in 2000 and will serve as COO. Finally, Dybczak joined in 2013 and will become the CFO. The three spearheaded QKA initiatives like the Employee Stock Ownership Plan and the JUST Scorecard for transparency and equity.

Other promotions and transitions will include Eddie Van Slambrouck, who will take over for Quattrocchi as director of design. Tiffany Young will move up to the position of director of operations, and Claudia Tannehill will serve as the director of construction.

“As our firm has grown, the cultivation of leadership is a vision we have long held for its future,” said Quattrocchi. “We have complete confidence that the next generation of QKA leadership will continue to drive innovation internally, as they have in our DEI awareness and efforts, and in the design of education facilities. It is with enthusiasm that we look forward to the future of a firm that represents so much for Steve and me.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • R.I. District Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New Elementary School

    Cranston Public Schools in Cranston, R.I., recently announced the completion of Gladstone Elementary School, according to a news release. The 100,000-square-foot facility serves as a replacement for the 1950s-era former building, and it consolidates the student, faculty, and staff populations of Gladstone and Arlington Elementary Schools.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.