AIA’s Jury of Fellows to Recognize Cumming’s Lisa C. Sachs at AIA 2012 National Convention
Published May 2, 2012
Earlier this year, Cumming Managing Principal Lisa C. Sachs was notified by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) of her acceptance into the AIA’s College of Fellows. This prestigious program “was developed to elevate those who have made a significant contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession,” according to the AIA, which also notes that, “Out of a total AIA membership of over 80,000 there are over 3,000 members distinguished with this honor.” A formal Investiture Ceremony will be held on May 17, 2012 in conjunction with the AIA’s 2012 National Convention and Design Exposition in Washington, DC.
Charleston County School District Names Cumming’s Bob Faust Construction Manager of the Year
Published April 23, 2012
Each year, the Charleston County School District recognizes exceptional performance from its team of consultants and service providers. This year, Mr. William H. Lewis, Chief Operating Officer for Capital Programs with the District, has bestowed the honor of Construction Manager of the Year upon Cumming’s own Bob Faust. Bob has been continuously engaged on the District’s construction program since 2000, and over the years has been a key contributor to many of the District’s most important and successful projects. Bob’s most recent contribution, which ultimately led to his nomination, included the management of a series of District 20 seismic retrofit projects.
Bob is credited with developing a strategy to perform the seismic analysis of District 20’s six campuses in a compressed timeframe. Garnering the trust and respect of the community and District leadership, Bob formulated an approach that maximizes student safety, keeps the public fully informed, and ultimately meets the District’s aggressive schedule. When the schools are finalized in 2013, Bob will have been responsible for completely rebuilding the schools that serve District 20, an outcome that will be a transformative change for the students and staff at each of these schools. The goal of the Charleston County School District is to “ensure Excellence is our Standard,” according to Mr. Lewis, who added that Bob, on all of the projects he has managed for the District, “has met the highest standards for his profession.”
Anthony Sanchez Promoted to Vice President, Project Management
Published February 28, 2012
Cumming is pleased to announce the promotion of Anthony Sanchez to Vice President, Project Management. In his new role, Anthony will be responsible for managing capital improvement projects and programs in Northern and Southern California. He will oversee operations for the majority of Cumming’s education and municipal project management assignments, and ensure that clients receive superior services from our project management team. He will also play a key role in monitoring quality and driving the organization’s growth throughout the state.
Anthony joined Cumming in 2001, initially serving as a Regional Director and Senior Project Manager on Los Angeles Unified School District’s $14 billion program. He has received numerous promotions over the years both as a consultant for clients and as a leader at Cumming. Prior to his new role as Vice President, Anthony served as Regional Director with primary responsibility for K-12, higher education and municipal work throughout Southern California.
Anthony is an active member of various industry organizations. These include the Construction Management Association of America, the Design Build Institute of America, the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Cumming Opens New Office in Washington, D.C. Area
Published February 10, 2012
Cumming, a leading project management and cost consulting firm, has officially opened its newest office in Bethesda, MD, in order to better serve the Washington, D.C. market and the company’s many clients who are based there.
The new location is Cumming’s 19th office nationwide. The company specializes in the hospitality, government, education and healthcare sectors, among others, and made the decision to open the new office after several of its D.C.-based clients asked it do so.
“Our mission has always been to serve our clients and exceed their expectations,” said Derek Hutchison, a Managing Principal based in the new Bethesda office who oversees all service lines in the hospitality sector. “When one of our hospitality clients asked us to open an office here to be closer to their own base of operations, we began to consider it. Soon after that, two additional clients made the same request, and we quickly realized that this was the logical next step in the continued growth of our company.”
Since the recent opening of the office, Cumming has already secured new project management assignments in the area as well as additional cost management work for long-term clients in D.C. and New York City.
The cost management side of Cumming’s business will be managed locally by Sandy Gray, a Vice President of the company who will also oversee the operations of the new office. Mr. Gray, who has been with the company for 10 years, will focus on the healthcare, government, education, and science and technology sectors. The new office, says Mr. Gray, is long overdue.
“Cumming’s client base includes not only project owners who contract our services directly, but also a large number of architectural firms who repeatedly utilize our cost management expertise on their – MORE – own projects.” Increasingly, more and more of the company’s architectural clients are based in the D.C. metro area, further solidifying the move as a solid strategi
c decision.
“It was not a matter of if,” says Mr. Hutchison. “It was a matter of when. And we’re thrilled to be here.”
Cumming’s new office is located at 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700, Bethesda, MD 20814, across the street from Bethesda Metro Station.
Tony Williams Joins Cumming as Business Development Manager for Bay Area and Northwest
Published February 9, 2012
Cumming is pleased to welcome Tony Williams to the team as our new Business Development Manager for the Bay Area and Northwest region.
Tony will support all Cumming sectors and services lines, including project management and cost management for Education, Science & Technology, Healthcare, and Corporate, among others.
Tony grew up in the Bay Area and has worked in the A/E/C industry for 15 years. Prior to joining Cumming, Tony served as a marketing and BD manager for a mid-sized San Francisco-based structural engineering firm.
Tony is an active member of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), Real Estate Construction (RECON), and the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS). He is currently supporting SMPS in the planning of “Build Business. Take Action”, their national conference being held in San Francisco from July 11-13.
Additionally, Tony is active in his community. Among other activities, he currently serves on the Board for the Friends of Joe DiMaggio Playground, an organization dedicated to maintaining this park, which is owned and operated by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.
Cumming Selected as Project Manager for New Viejas Hotel
Published October 21, 2011
Cumming has been retained by the Viejas Tribe to serve as project manager on its new 150-room, 5-story upscale hotel. The facility will be connected to the main Viejas Casino, creating a full-service destination resort for the Tribe. In addition to the new hotel, the project will include a buffet expansion, relocation of the bingo operation to a new and improved space, and a new resort-style pool.
The new hotel is currently in the planning phase. The project’s design is expected to be finalized next month, with the 12-month construction effort set to begin in late March. The Cumming team, led by Project Director Steve DeWulf, is providing design coordination, along with master scheduling and budgeting during the design phase, and will manage all elements of bidding and construction as the project progresses. Most importantly, Cumming is tasked with ensuring that the project stays within budget throughout the entire development process. The new hotel is being completed under a design-build delivery method by a team comprised of Swinerton Builders and JCJ Architects.
Dakota Jones Joins Cumming as National Hospitality Manager of Business Development
Published August 29, 2011
Cumming today announced the hiring of Dakota Jones as Business Development Manager within the firm’s national hospitality vertical. Based in Southern California, Dakota’s primary responsibilities include business development – through hotel owners and developers – and supporting Cumming’s growth initiatives nationwide.
Dakota has a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought from Amherst College in Massachusetts. After graduation, he began his career at Chicago-based Graycor Construction, a national construction firm with annual revenues approaching $600 million.
Dakota is credited with helping Graycor grow its client base, expand into new geographic regions, and develop new federal contracts. His career with Graycor included work with such clients as Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, Hilton, Host Hotels, the Pyramid Hotel Group, and Sunstone Hotel Investors. His efforts helped Graycor secure its position among the nation’s top hospitality builders.
A highly involved member of the building industry, Jones is an active participant in such industry events as the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), Lodging Conference, Hospitality Design Conferences, and the NYU Hospitality Conference.
Cumming Shifts U.S. Headquarters to San Diego
Published August 15, 2011
Cumming, a cost-management firm, has moved its corporate headquarters from Orange County to Carmel Corporate Plaza, 15015 Avenue of Science, in San Diego.
The company established Orange County as its home base in 1996 and opened a San Diego office three years later, which has grown to one of its largest. “San Diego is the right place for our business to develop and flourish,” said Michael Jensen, president of the company. Other company leaders are Chief Operating Officer Peter Heald and Executive Vice President Derek Hutchison.
The firm has worked on Several San Diego County projects for the Grossmont Union High School District, San Diego Community College District, the Doubletree Hotel in Mission Valley, UCSD Medical Center, Sharp Grossmont Hospital and the Lindbergh Field expansion. [Read More]
Debbie Murray Joins Cumming Corp.
Published June 13, 2011
Debbie Murray, a 20-year construction industry veteran, has been hired by Cumming Corp. as director of the company’s education sector practice in San Diego. Murray has expertise in school expansions and renovations, including K-12 construction. Prior to joining Cumming, Murray served as program planning coordinator for Grossmont Union High School District. While there, she managed more than $75 million worth of public works projects and oversaw both the architectural design and construction side of the Proposition H program. She was also responsible for the development and implementation plan for the newly passed $417 million Proposition U bond program. The plan — called “Building a New Grossmont”, and for which Murray provided educational specifications, budgeting, and phasing — included modernization and new construction at various schools throughout the district, along with the construction of a new high school in the eastern part of the county. [Link]
Welcome Changes: Hotels Prepare for Better Times
Published June 6, 2011
Four San Diego area hotels are in the midst of renovations to bring the properties up‐to‐date and prepare them for the improving travel and business climate predicted — and hoped for — in the coming year. “Hotels regularly plan and schedule renovations ‐‐ they are almost always routine,” said hotel consultant Robert Rauch, president of R.A Rauch and Associates Inc., a San Diego‐based hotel consulting and administration firm. “Guest rooms get done every seven to 10 years. Public spaces don’t get the abuse that rooms do, but renovations and upgrades happen there pretty regularly.” Hotels, including the DoubleTree San Diego‐ Mission Valley, the DoubleTree Golf Resort San Diego in Rancho Penasquitos, the La Costa Resort and Spa and the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina, look at renovations and upgrades as a way to hold onto their market share, he said. [More]
