John Norris Selected for Elevation to American Society of Landscape Architects’ Council of Fellows
John Norris of Norris Design, a national planning, landscape architecture and branding firm, has been selected for induction into the Council of Fellows of the American Society of Landscape Architects this November.
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) selected 35 members to be elevated as ASLA Fellows for their exceptional contributions to the landscape architecture profession and society at large. Election to the ASLA Council of Fellows is among the highest honors the ASLA bestows on members and is based on their works, leadership/management, knowledge, and service.
Nominated in the Leadership/Management category by the ASLA Colorado Chapter, Norris was recognized for his 36-year career in landscape architecture and the award-winning firm he established in 1985. ASLA also recognized his ongoing involvement with his alma mater, Kansas State University, including fourteen years on the Dean’s Advisory Council, and his
impact on the education of generations of landscape architects. His leadership of the ACE Mentor Program of Colorado has introduced more than 1,000 high school students to the design and construction professions.
Norris influenced landscape architecture in the West by pioneering and implementing strategies that aligned with the region’s climate and recognized the critical need to address water conservation and native landscape protection well before they became best practices. He was also recognized for changing the perception of what a landscape architect can accomplish through his firm’s body of work.
CD Specialty Contractors Expands Footprint to Southwest
CD Specialty Contractors, a Denver-based commercial and industrial insulation and scaffolding company, recently expanded its operations to the Southwest by opening an office in Phoenix and hiring Juan Martinez as COO and taking the lead on the enterprise.
Martinez comes to the role with more than 20 years of construction project management experience.
He will oversee all of CD Specialty’s endeavors in the Southwest, Colorado and overall, which include multiple complex projects ranging from new construction, major demolition to environmental cleanup.
“I look forward to leading CD Specialty Contractor’s. We intend to provide all of our clients the same exceptional quality of work and commitment to safety that the company’s reputation is built on,” said Martinez.
The company decided to expand its national footprint after observing increased demand for their services within the commercial, industrial, power, oil, gas and semiconductor industries. CD Specialty Contractors has already secured contracts with companies such as Mortenson, JE Dunn, AEPCO and Arizona Solar One.
“Based on our track record for recruiting and retaining qualified manpower and the boom in commercial and industrial construction in the Southwest, it was a natural move for our company to expand operations and open office in Arizona,” commented Israel Sanchez, vice president of operations for CD Specialty Contractors.
Paige Leonard joins the Design Studio Interior Solutions team
Design Studio Interior Solutions, a Boulder-based team of interior architecture and design experts offering services to residential as well as commercial clients, is pleased to welcome Paige Leonard to its growing team of professionals. Paige joins the company as a design associate.
“Our clients, whther they are remodeling or redecorating, look to our team of designers, interior architects, and project managers to orchestrate their project from beginning to end,” said Judy Goldman, founder and CEO of Design Studio Interior Solutions. “We are excited to have Paige on board, as she brings value-added interior architectural skills to the design team, assisting us in providing outstanding deliverables for our clients.”
Design Studio’s services include interior architecture, design, value-engineering, product selection, project management, logistics, tracking, procurement, and more–all with the common goal of making the client’s vision a reality.
Paige was inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, having grown-up in Spring Green, WI, the site of his Taliesin home. She is a graduate of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, majoring is Interior Architecture and Design. While at MIAD, she co-founded the school’s first American Society of Interior Designers chapter. Prior to joining Design Studio, Paige was with Ekay Interior Systems, Inc. where she helped design more than 300 McDonald’s restaurants worldwide. She also worked with the firm’s education department and designed cafeterias and administrative lounge areas.
Leading Newmark V&A Professional Relocates From Midwest to Colorado
Newmark announced the relocation of a leading professional, Vice President John A. Kelley III, CHIA, in the company’s Valuation & Advisory, Hospitality, Gaming & Leisure (HGL) practice. Relocating from the Midwest to Denver, Kelley’s move expands Newmark V&A’s HGL capabilities in the Rocky Mountain region.
“John has quickly become well-known in the valuation and advisory industry. His knowledge about the hospitality industry, coupled with his experience within the sports and entertainment arena, are valuable attributes for his clients in the Midwest and throughout the U.S.,” said Bryan Younge, MAI, ASA, FRICS, specialty practice leader for Newmark V&A’s Hospitality, Gaming & Leisure group. “John’s move to Denver brings unique perspective and energy to a market in which some of the most complex hospitality and leisure properties in the country operate.”
With more than a decade of hospitality and leisure real estate experience, Kelley has substantial experience performing valuations and feasibility studies of property types including amusement parks, waterparks, sports complexes and arenas, aquariums, hotels and resorts, bowling centers, convention and conference centers, campgrounds and stayaway camps, family entertainment centers and other leisure-related assets. He has completed appraisals of assets ranging in value from less than $1 million to more than $600 million throughout the United States and the Middle East. In 2020, Kelley was recognized as one of Connect Media’s 2020 Next Generation Award winners and has shared his expertise as a thought leader in articles appearing in highly respected hospitality trade publications.
“We are excited to welcome John to the Denver office. His exceptional abilities as a hospitality and leisure appraiser and his national reputation will strengthen our regional team,” said Brad A. Weiman, MAI, Newmark V&A Rocky Mountain Region market leader.
