Celebrating the one-year anniversaries of Valerie Reynolds, Jose Silva, and Anna Hermann.
As MWA continues to grow, we want to highlight three individuals who have become integral members of our team. We welcomed Marketing Manager Valerie to the Marketing team and Designers Jose and Anna to our Portland Housing Studio in the past year. Valerie’s ambitious energy and drive have contributed to the firm’s growth, while Anna and Jose’s experience with sustainable and equitable design practices have enhanced our housing projects. We’re so happy to have them on board and thrilled to see where their talent and creativity take them.
VALERIE:
“Since the moment Val (virtually) arrived at MWA, she has hit the ground running. With only one year at MWA, Val has become a valued member and resource to all things marketing, BD, recruiting and her creativity in improving our culture – while we all continue to work from home. I look forward to her leadership and long term impact on MWA.”
– Jeff McGraw
What projects are you working on right now?
So many. My job consists of traditional marketing and communications and crosses over into human resources, recruiting, employee engagement, education, business development, and more. I enjoy it all, though, and feel lucky that I get to explore so many areas.
The project that I am most excited about launching next month is an internal development and growth brown-bag series.
What’s your favorite thing about working at MWA?
That I have been able to explore and grow, and there is such an appreciation and respect for hard work here. My responsibilities have expanded so far past what I was hired to do, and I love it.
How do you maintain work/life balance? During COVID, how have you been maintaining your sanity?
I have blurred lines between my work life and my personal life, and I recognize that my healthy balance looks different from others. It’s not uncommon for my ‘personal’ to inspire what I do in ‘work-life,’ and vice-versa.
That said, since COVID, I have made a few changes. I designed my home office to be a space that I enjoy spending time in, but when I’m done for the day, I close the door and don’t open again until the next business day. I also really enjoy the flexibility to work out at home and take snuggle breaks with our dog, Belmont.
I also keep up a few hobbies, like knitting, and I started taking golf lessons.
What do you hope to do more of in the next few years?
I have enjoyed the opportunity to help develop and guide people towards their next goals; my team members and other people at the firm. Thus far, it has been primarily business development-related, but the skills that they need are applicable across their job. I am excited to launch the development mentioned above brown bag series, and we will see where it takes us.
I am passionate about expanding what we are good at, learning new skills, and applying lessons from other industries.
What is the next career goal that you would like to tackle?
My next career goal is in part about me, but very much about my team and my colleagues. The marketing team has doubled in size in the last year, and I think that the dust needs to settle a bit to see where everyone’s strengths and passions lie before we take on anything too dramatically new. That said, I want to continue striving to be a better mentor and teacher.
“Val genuinely wants everyone on our team to succeed in our careers. She recognizes our strengths before we do and then engages those qualities in ways that benefit the company and employees alike. She is strategic, an inspiring mentor, and she knows how to have fun. I am lucky to learn from her!”
– Cassidy Beckley
Is there a particular book/podcast that inspires you? Why?
There are so many! I like to run to podcasts, so I store up my favorites for sunny days. I’m a fair-weather runner. My current favorites are The New Way We Work, Practice Disrupted, TED Radio Hour, and Hidden Brain, but I am always looking for more. I read a lot more articles than books these days; Fast Company and Harvard Business Review are two magazines that I always make time for.
JOSE:
“Jose does high-level production work and always delivers on time. He adds value at SD, DD and CD phases of projects. I see Jose helping any team he joins. He advocates for better design for everyone on the team and on top of that Jose cracks jokes when you do not expect it. His ability to be serious about work, but offer levity makes Jose a joy to work with.“
– Ian Flood
What projects are you working on right now?
I just submitted the St. Helens Housing project expecting to be under construction soon, but right now I am having a great time collaborating on a new project, West Powell Apartments (WPA).
What project phase is your favorite? Why?
Schematic design is my favorite phase because it’s when projects start to take shape and the ideas you have in mind can come to life, that is when magic starts happening.
“Jose has a good eye for “clash detection.” That gives confidence to the team that he is attending to the details.”
– Diana Moosman
What’s your favorite thing about working at MWA?
The ability to collaborate with great people and the support I get from my peers.
“Jose is wonderful to work with – he designs with a strong focus on the experience of the resident, has high standards for quality of work and a sharp sense of humor. He is a valuable part of the team and it will be great to see where his talents lead.”
– Anna Hermann
What is your next career goal that you would like to tackle?
I would love to get licensed next year. This is going to require hard work, studying and gaining more experience to make this goal possible.
Is there a particular architect’s work that inspires you? Why?
Miller Hull Architects inspire me. Pushing architecture to be a living system more than just walls. Architecture must care about the future and care about the impact of each building.
ANNA:
“Anna is great to work with as she brings a sensibility and thoroughness to everything she does. She came onto the Alder House project at the permitting stage and from day one worked on identifying aspects of the design that needed attention and completion to the project and clients benefit.”
– Bill Lanning
What projects are you working on right now?
A renovation of Alder House in Portland. For the past year I have also been working on the St Helens Apartments.
What project phase is your favorite? Why?
Conceptual and schematic design phases tend to be a favorite time period. These phases lay the path conceptually for the work and set up the dialogue for the entire project.
“I’ve super appreciated being able to pull Anna into our team for a big lift on our permit package. Her attention to the details and push to figure out the potential problems has been a relief and will help our next steps. Having fresh eyes and input on design intent will certainly benefit the future residents. I look forward to working on Troutdale together here shortly!”
– Taryn Wheeler
What’s your favorite thing about working at MWA?
Sense of mission and purpose to the work and the firm’s effort to ask questions, grow, and change.
How do you maintain work/life balance? During COVID, how have you been maintaining your sanity?
I read a lot. During COVID I started reading fiction and older works of literature again, helps to think about different time scales of human experience and history and keep things about our modern-day experience in perspective.
And a lot of walks around my neighborhood photographing plants.
What do you hope to do more of in the next few years?
Spend time with family in Portland and enjoy the outdoors. I grew up in Portland and returned recently, so I look forward to discovering new landscapes.
What is your next career goal that you would like to tackle?
I look forward to becoming licensed soon.
Is there a particular architect’s work that inspires you? Why?
For years I have admired the work of Lacaton + Vassal and was pleased they were given the Pritzker this year. Their work strives to do the most with the least and I appreciate that they ask careful questions of the context while designing.