BD+C catches up with two past 40 Under 40 honorees: a designer who credits trapeze work with boosting her confidence, and a security expert who also knows a lot about squash.
BRET EMERSON
President and Owner
Commtech Design, Rockford, Mich.
Class of 2006
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Emerson continues as owner of Commtech, which specializes in networking, security, and A/V design. Government clients who need video security and access control systems are a key market. “We are a growing company that has survived the recession well. The world wants more cameras and access control.”
Working with Michigan’s Department of Corrections to design a new video security system for all facilities statewide.
Also working on: court building for Kalamazoo County; health sciences building for Baker College, Muskegon, Mich.; new telephone system for 26 buildings operated by the Traverse City Area Public Schools.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Regular presenter on security technology design at conferences and meetings (Michigan Department of Corrections, Michigan Department of Education).
Member, Plainfield (Mich.) Township Zoning Board of Appeals.
OFF THE CLOCK
Emerson is building a house, runs to stay in shape, and dabbles in farming. “I have started growing pumpkins as a hobby. It isn’t office work, and it gets me outside. It ties me back to my youth growing up on a farm.”
LORI JAMES
IIDA, NCIDQ, LEED AP ID+C
Principal
SmithGroupJJR, Detroit
Class of 2012
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Since her U40 recognition, James has been promoted to a Principal and stockholder, and elevated to lead the Interior Design group in Detroit.
Represents her site in the companywide Interior Design Discipline Committee, which develops standards and best practices. Has assumed new responsibilities with the firm’s Workplace Practice and led virtual training to teach nationwide staff about the proprietary WorkSIM database and planning tool.
Participated in a two-day Client Advisory Board hosted by the firm’s Learning Practice, attended by leaders in the nursing and allied health community.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Selected for the Urban Land Institute-Michigan’s Larson Center for Leadership, an eight-month program covering land use and economic, governmental, and infrastructure issues.
Mentors interior design students at Wayne State and Michigan State universities.
Leads the firm’s local involvement in Herman Miller’s annual holiday WeCare event, benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Committee member, DIFFA Dining by Design auction and gala supporting the Michigan AIDS Coalition.
OFF THE CLOCK
James has recently taken up aerial yoga. “There is something incredibly exhilarating about suspending yourself in a fabric trapeze. It is physically and mentally challenging. You have to trust in your personal strength and flexibility, as well as the trapeze.”
LAST CHANCE! SIGN UP FOR THIS YEAR'S U40 LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
Related Stories
| Oct 15, 2014
Drones may soon assist code inspectors for construction in the UAE
The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Labour announced that they will start using drones to help inspectors record when construction sites are breaking laws.
| Oct 15, 2014
Harvard launches ‘design-centric’ center for green buildings and cities
The impetus behind Harvard's Center for Green Buildings and Cities is what the design school’s dean, Mohsen Mostafavi, describes as a “rapidly urbanizing global economy,” in which cities are building new structures “on a massive scale.”
| Oct 15, 2014
Final touches make 432 Park Avenue tower second tallest in New York City
Concrete has been poured for the final floors of the residential high-rise at 432 Park Avenue in New York City, making it the city’s second-tallest building and the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere.
| Oct 14, 2014
Slash energy consumption in data centers with liquid-based ‘immersive-cooling’ technology
A new technology promises to push the limits of data center energy efficiency by using liquid instead of air to cool the servers.
Sponsored | | Oct 14, 2014
3 color trends drive new commercial exterior color collections
Collectively as a society, we help create color trends, which shape our businesses, recreational facilities, healthcare centers, and civic buildings. These iconic colors are now appearing in Valspar's new color collections. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Oct 14, 2014
Get inspired with the top 10 TED talks about cities
The TED talks, none of which are longer than 20 minutes, feature speakers such as architect Moshe Safdie, Rio de Janeiro Major Eduardo Paes, and animal behaviorist Amanda Burden.
| Oct 14, 2014
Proven 6-step approach to treating historic windows
This course provides step-by-step prescriptive advice to architects, engineers, and contractors on when it makes sense to repair or rehabilitate existing windows, and when they should advise their building owner clients to consider replacement.
| Oct 14, 2014
Richard Meier unveils design for his first tower in Taiwan
Taiwan will soon have its first Richard Meier building, a 535-foot apartment tower in Taichung City, the country’s third-largest city.
| Oct 13, 2014
The mindful workplace: How employees can manage stress at the office
I have spent the last several months writing about healthy workplaces. My research lately has focused on stress—how we get stressed and ways to manage it through meditation and other mindful practices, writes HOK's Leigh Stringer.
| Oct 13, 2014
Debunking the 5 myths of health data and sustainable design
The path to more extensive use of health data in green building is blocked by certain myths that have to be debunked before such data can be successfully incorporated into the project delivery process.
