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

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.

  • S4L Announces 2026 Education Design Showcase Winners

    Spaces4Learning is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Education Design Showcase! Now in its 27th year, the annual awards program honors innovative solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction across K–12 and higher education.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.