LEO A DALY has tapped Kimberly Cowman, a 17-year company veteran, to be its first National Director of Engineering, which will become effective sometime after January 1, 2020.
The 38-year-old Cowman, PE, LEED AP, HFDP, and Senior Associate, will report to John Kraskiewicz, AIA, the firm’s Senior Vice President and COO. She is meeting this week with the company’s brand leadership to discuss her staffing needs, as well as plans for restructuring LEO A DALY’S engineering services with an eye toward growing that practice.
In an interview this morning with BD+C, Cowman said she was “excited and nervous” about embarking on this “new adventure” in a career that is distinguished by her management of myriad healthcare projects. These include, most recently, multiple pharmacy UPS compliance renovations for CHI Health in Nebraska and Iowa, and a $13 million 34,000-sf addition/renovation to Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege, Neb.
Cowman sees her new job as more of a “brand position,” where she’ll be working closely with all of the firm’s design studios and their brand leaders on strategy. She sees herself as an “advocate for engineering” across geographies and market sectors, and for Integrated Project Delivery “which LEO A DALY does really well.”
“One of the primary reasons I enjoy working at LEO A DALY, and have remained here for 17 years, is my commitment to our full-service integrated design practice,” she says.
IPD is “key to creating sustainable, high-performance buildings that deliver the most value to our clients,” says Steve Lichtenberger, LEO A DALY’S President. “Kim’s strategic vision for growing our engineering practice, her deep understanding of our design culture, and her passion for innovation make her the perfect choice to lead engineering for the firm.”
At a time when AEC firms are trying to attract more women to their ranks and corporate suites, Cowman has actively participated in recruiting and hiring engineers for the firm’s Omaha office, and has worked to develop new engineering positions—such as High-Performance Building Engineer—that enhance the practice. Cowman has also demonstrated thought leadership through publishing and speaking engagements.
Cowman is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, from which she earned a Masters in Architectural Engineering. She’s a mother of two boys, six and two, and her husband is a cartographer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Related Stories
| Aug 15, 2013
Nonresidential construction finally gaining momentum: Gilbane summer economic report
Gilbane Building Company today announces the publication of the Summer 2013 edition of Construction Economics – Market Conditions in Construction. Based on an array of economic data, construction starts, and material cost trends, the data continues to show positive growth for the industry.
| Aug 14, 2013
Five projects receive 2013 Educational Facility Design Excellence Award
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on Architecture for Education (CAE) has selected five educational and cultural facilities for this year’s CAE Educational Facility Design Awards.
| Aug 14, 2013
Warehouses go vertical in NAIOP distribution/fulfillment center design competition
NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, has selected Ware Malcomb, a contemporary full-service architectural design firm headquartered in Irvine, California, and Riddell Kurczaba, a design consulting firm located in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, as winners of the 2013 Distribution/Fulfillment Center Design of the Future.
| Aug 14, 2013
Green Building Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms.
| Aug 14, 2013
Military Construction Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of the nation's largest military sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2013 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 13, 2013
DPR's Phoenix office, designed by SmithGroupJJR, affirmed as world's largest ILFI-certified net-zero facility
The new Phoenix Regional Office of DPR Construction, designed by SmithGroupJJR, has been officially certified as a Net Zero Energy Building by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). It’s the largest building in the world to achieve Net Zero Energy Building Certification through the Institute to date.
| Aug 13, 2013
USGBC joins forces with Green Sports Alliance to promote sustainable venues
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced a collaboration with the Green Sports Alliance, a prominent nonprofit organization supporting the development and promotion of green building initiatives in professional and collegiate sports.
| Aug 13, 2013
Thornton Tomasetti announces multiple promotions
The Thornton Tomasetti board of directors and managing principals announce the promotions of Michael J. Squarzini, Lance Parker, and Aaron Beebe.
| Aug 13, 2013
Michael Thomas joins ESD
Mike Thomas has been named Vice President and Business Development Director at ESD (Environmental Systems Design, Inc.), an international leader in the consulting-engineering design of high performance building systems.