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
Laboratories | Jul 10, 2023
U.S. Department of Agriculture opens nation’s first biosafety level 4 containment facility for animal disease research
Replacing a seven-decade-old animal disease center, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility includes the nation’s first facility with biosafety containment capable of housing large livestock.
Market Data | Jul 5, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending decreased in May, its first drop in nearly a year
National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.2% in May, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.06 trillion.
Mixed-Use | Jun 29, 2023
Massive work-live-play development opens in LA's new Cumulus District
VOX at Cumulus, a 14-acre work-live-play development in Los Angeles, offers 910 housing units and 100,000 sf of retail space anchored by a Whole Foods outlet. VOX, one of the largest mixed-use communities to open in the Los Angeles area, features apartments and townhomes with more than one dozen floorplans.
Architects | Jun 28, 2023
CSHQA hires first CEO in company's 134-year history
The Board of Directors of CSHQA announced the appointment of Ryan D. Martin, AIA NCARB as Chief Executive Officer.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 28, 2023
Sutton Tower, an 80-story multifamily development, completes construction in Manhattan’s Midtown East
In Manhattan’s Midtown East, the construction of Sutton Tower, an 80-story residential building, has been completed. Located in the Sutton Place neighborhood, the tower offers 120 for-sale residences, with the first move-ins scheduled for this summer. The project was designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen and developed by Gamma Real Estate and JVP Management. Lendlease, the general contractor, started construction in 2018.
Apartments | Jun 27, 2023
Average U.S. apartment rent reached all-time high in May, at $1,716
Multifamily rents continued to increase through the first half of 2023, despite challenges for the sector and continuing economic uncertainty. But job growth has remained robust and new households keep forming, creating apartment demand and ongoing rent growth. The average U.S. apartment rent reached an all-time high of $1,716 in May.
Apartments | Jun 27, 2023
Dallas high-rise multifamily tower is first in state to receive WELL Gold certification
HALL Arts Residences, 28-story luxury residential high-rise in the Dallas Arts District, recently became the first high-rise multifamily tower in Texas to receive WELL Gold Certification, a designation issued by the International WELL Building Institute. The HKS-designed condominium tower was designed with numerous wellness details.
University Buildings | Jun 26, 2023
Addition by subtraction: The value of open space on higher education campuses
Creating a meaningful academic and student life experience on university and college campuses does not always mean adding a new building. A new or resurrected campus quad, recreational fields, gardens, and other greenspaces can tie a campus together, writes Sean Rosebrugh, AIA, LEED AP, HMC Architects' Higher Education Practice Leader.
Standards | Jun 26, 2023
New Wi-Fi standard boosts indoor navigation, tracking accuracy in buildings
The recently released Wi-Fi standard, IEEE 802.11az enables more refined and accurate indoor location capabilities. As technology manufacturers incorporate the new standard in various devices, it will enable buildings, including malls, arenas, and stadiums, to provide new wayfinding and tracking features.
Green | Jun 26, 2023
Federal government will spend $30 million on novel green building technologies
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will invest $30 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to increase the sustainability of federal buildings by testing novel technologies. The vehicle for that effort, the Green Proving Ground (GPG) program, will invest in American-made technologies to help increase federal electric vehicle supply equipment, protect air quality, reduce climate pollution, and enhance building performance.
