Wow, 2017 was a fun one! Right? Many events have shaped our country this year - from our new president and his use of Twitter, massive hurricanes and floods, the solar eclipse, fake news, increasing world tensions, and a sky rocketing stock market just to name a few! Every day brings change to our world with new and exciting ways to enjoy this life we’ve been given. For CMBA, 2017 was one of continued growth and development of our staff expertise. Internally, we made a determined effort to build the skills and knowledge of our staff members, either through enhanced continuing education or the dissemination of staff experience and “things we’ve learned.” This effort has proven to be beneficial in many ways, such as deeper understanding of market trends and future developments that we can pass along to our clients. This knowledge transfer has provided richer designs that our clients will experience every day.
We are the Champions
Not really, but we did develop market “champion” groups this year. These champions are CMBA market sector leaders that are continually researching their sector trying to understand the forces affecting our clients’ business models. Our architectural designs can deeply affect daily operations and business outcomes. We need to ensure our work supports and furthers any efforts our clients are trying to achieve.
January is National Mentoring Month
As a kick-off to 2018, we launched an effort to restructure our mentoring program for all levels of staff. Historically, when one said ‘mentoring’ the typical model was a more seasoned firm member teaching a younger staff member. Over the years, we have seen this model fail because mentoring is not a one-way street. If the mentor decides the topic for instruction, the mentee has no buy-in to the outcome. At CMBA, we see the mentoring relationship as a two-way highway, with multiple on-ramps, off- ramps, and merge lanes. We have brought together groups of professionals from multiple disciplines and differing experience levels. We have architects, interior designers, graphic designers and administrative staff all interacting to bring their unique perspectives and knowledge to the group. We believe that staff at all experience levels should strive to be life-long learners.
New Beginnings
CMBA has had a long history of continued service by our employees. With that said, we did say ‘good-bye’ to a few wonderful employees in 2017. Todd Moss and Rick Dean both retired this year to enjoy life and fulfill other passions. We want to thank both of them for their commitment to CMBA and wish them well in the future. We were also fortunate to say ‘hello’ to a few wonderful employees this year. Patrick Leahy, Adam Van Gorp, Mackenzie Barton, Hannah Anfinson, Jennifer Nielsen, and Jacob Doyle all joined the ranks of CMBA. Each one brings a distinct passion for design and for helping our clients succeed. Welcome to the CMBA team everyone!
