About

About the Oregon Chapter

The Oregon Chapter of the Design-Build Institute of America is committed to educating professionals across the state on how to procure, execute and deliver design-build projects while forging connections, partnerships and friendships throughout the industry. The chapter’s membership includes representatives from architecture, engineering, contractor and developer firms of all sizes from across Oregon and Southwest Washington, as well as numerous state agencies and many cities and counties. Among the chapter’s initiatives are bimonthly breakfasts; an annual owner’s forum, summer social event and golf tournament; and events throughout the year geared toward young professionals interested in learning and networking. Ultimately the chapter works to grow understanding of not just “traditional” design-build delivery but also the growing progressive design-build delivery method and other alternative forms of delivery and helping its industry and owner members best choose the most appropriate delivery method for each of their projects.

Upcoming Events

Chapter Steering Committee

Nick Byers, AIA, LEED GE, Associate DBIA. Associate Principal - Hennebery Eddy Architects

Nick Byers, AIA, LEED GE, Associate DBIA. Associate Principal - Hennebery Eddy Architects

Chapter Chair

Nick incorporates strong design skills and technical expertise in building enclosure into academic and commercial projects. His work has resulted in high-performance and award-winning buildings around the Pacific Northwest. Nick has served on the board for the Oregon Chapter of the Design Build Institute of America for several years and is the current Oregon chapter President. Prior to joining Hennebery Eddy, he worked at the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, in the Urban Design Studio, on the future development of Portland’s Northeast Quadrant plan. Nick is a graduate of the University of New Mexico and earned his Master of Architecture from the University of Oregon.

Jo Wells, Facilities Architect & Principal Project Manager, City of Bend

Jo Wells, Facilities Architect & Principal Project Manager, City of Bend

Vice Chair

Jo Wells is the City of Bend Facilities Architect and Project Manager and is currently working on the Juniper Ridge Public Works Campus and site search for a future City Hall. Previously, she was the Lead Project Manager for the City of Portland on the Portland Building and has been in architecture and construction for over 20 years. She is an advocate for Collaborative Project Delivery and this is her second Progressive-Design-Build project. She has spoken at previous DBIA National Conferences in 2018 and 2021, for AIA National in 2021, and for the local AIA and DBIA chapters. She previously served on the Oregon Board of Architect Examiners for two terms and was a founder of the Forum for Women in Architecture and Related Design early in her career.

Matt Wright, CPA, Shareholder - Geffen Mesher & Company CPA PC

Matt Wright, CPA, Shareholder - Geffen Mesher & Company CPA PC

Treasurer

Matt’s mission is to help others succeed, whether they’re clients or colleagues. With over 20 years of experience, he is a key leader in the firm’s audit department. He serves as a business advisor with a holistic approach, covering accounting, finance, tax, and business best practices.

Matt primarily serves clients in the manufacturing & distribution, construction, and professional services industries. His expertise in financial statement audits and reviews has led to consulting expertise in business consolidations & combinations and tax minimization strategies. He is one of the leaders in the firm’s mergers & acquisitions practice group and has consulted with clients on various business transactions.

An ardent proponent of teamwork, Matt highly values collaboration and concise communication, and he loves nothing more than seeing his clients and colleagues succeed. He believes that constant teaching, learning, and mentorship are crucial for professional growth — regardless of position or industry.

A lifelong Portlander and proud alumnus of the University of Portland, Matt is passionate about the great outdoors. He embarks on hiking and backpacking expeditions whenever he can, and carries his camera nearly everywhere he goes. Recent noteworthy accomplishments include summiting Mt. Adams (12,281 feet) and building indoor monkey bars for his 7- and 11-year-old daughters. Matt sometimes takes recreational volleyball way too seriously (don’t ask).

Jennifer Taylor, AIA, LEED Green Associate, Associate DBIA. Project Delivery Manager - HDR

Jennifer Taylor, AIA, LEED Green Associate, Associate DBIA. Project Delivery Manager - HDR

Secretary

Jennifer’s experience on the LEED Platinum Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building modernization project in Portland ignited her passion for transforming how the design and construction industry delivers projects. Subsequently she led the Design and Construction department at OHSU, Oregon’s only academic health center, for four years where she championed a collaborative delivery model for major capital and sustaining projects. In her current role at HDR she specializes in Alternative Delivery projects. Jennifer earned a Master’s in Architecture from Yale and is a licensed architect in Oregon. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Associate DBIA, and a LEED Green Associate.

Marriel Taviana, LC, MIES, Associate Lighting Reps., Inc.

Marriel Taviana, LC, MIES, Associate Lighting Reps., Inc.

Programs, Diversity, Equity + Inclusion and Golf

Mariel is a native of Puerto Rico, where she studied Theater and Anthropology with an emphasis in Theatrical Lighting at University of Puerto Rico. In 2006, she joined a lighting rep agency, and in 2010 earned her Lighting Certificate (LC) from NCQLP and co-founded the IES section in San Juan. While in P.R. she worked on multiple PPP DB jobs for the Department of Education and private work.

Mariel moved to Portland in 2013 where she resides with her two daughters and their cat, Anubis. She works with lighting designers, engineers, and electrical contractors in progressive design-build jobs. Mariel stays active in the lighting community as a member and program committee member of IES, WILD, and DBIA, and when she has rare moments of free time, loves to take advantage of the beautiful PNW scenery and get outside to run, hike and kayak.”

Josh Richards, PE, SE, Principal, KPFF Consulting Engineers

Josh Richards, PE, SE, Principal, KPFF Consulting Engineers

Past Chair and At Large Member

Josh is a Principal Structural Engineer with KPFF and has been with the firm since 2003.  He is motivated by the demands for constant learning in structural engineering to stay on the leading edge as codes change, new materials emerge, and technologies evolve. Working for over 20 years with various clients, project types, locations, and delivery methods has helped Josh keep tabs on the pulse of the industry and shape creative solutions. His diverse experience and attention to detail give him a well-rounded approach to deliver designs that provide durability, flexibility, and fit tight project budgets.  He has been an active member of the Oregon Chapter of DBIA since its inception and prior to President was active on the Programs and Promotions Committees.Josh is a Principal Structural Engineer with KPFF and has been with the firm since 2003.  He is motivated by the demands for constant learning in structural engineering to stay on the leading edge as codes change, new materials emerge, and technologies evolve. Working for over 20 years with various clients, project types, locations, and delivery methods has helped Josh keep tabs on the pulse of the industry and shape creative solutions. His diverse experience and attention to detail give him a well-rounded approach to deliver designs that provide durability, flexibility, and fit tight project budgets.  He has been an active member of the Oregon Chapter of DBIA since its inception and prior to President was active on the Programs and Promotions Committees.

Antonija Krizanac, LEED Green Associate

Antonija Krizanac, LEED Green Associate

Legislative

Antonija Krizanac is a former construction professional who draws upon her experience as a project manager in the construction industry to analyze projects from both a legal and client perspective.

As a project manager in various sectors of the construction industry, Antonija has been involved in creating construction-related programs from the ground up and has been involved in more traditional construction project management by managing the technical and financial aspects of her projects.

Currently, Antonija is an associate in Tonkon Torp’s Litigation Department. She works with various businesses as an advocate to help them achieve their goals through trial and dispute resolution strategies.

Herb Yamamoto. CEO - BIM Connection LLC

Herb Yamamoto. CEO - BIM Connection LLC

Diversity, Equity + Inclusion

Herb Yamamoto is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley (Mechanical Engineering, B.S., M.S.) and CEO of BIM Connection LLC, a provider of BIM/VDC services. As a DBIA NW Board Member, Herb Chairs the National DEI Committee and Co-Chairs the NW Committee. After learning Design-Build at Toyota Motors Corporation, he believes inclusion is part of design-build’s DNA because it’s about teaming and collaboration. Herb serves as Vice Chair of the Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs, an organization that pioneered DEI principles in Oregon. Most of all, he values his faith in Christ and his family.

Erika Pham, Senior Design Manager, Skanska

Erika Pham, Senior Design Manager, Skanska

Programs Committee

Erika Pham is a senior design manager for Skanska USA’s Building operations in Portland, Oregon. With over two decades of experience across different parts of the construction industry, Erika has spent the past six years leading design management for a confidential client’s design-build program. Skanska’s work with this client spans three states and hundreds of simultaneous projects in active semiconductor manufacturing facilities. Additionally, Erika has served on the Skanska Women’s Network National Steering Committee for five years and on her city’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee for two years.

Dimitri Englert, Senior Associate, TVA Architects

Dimitri Englert, Senior Associate, TVA Architects

Programs Committee

Dimitri’s 24 years of architectural experience includes a wide range of research laboratory and healthcare environments, corporate commercial, K-12 and high-end residential design and construction projects. His hands-on approach during the course of each project has allowed him to be an intricate part of each phase of design, including programming, design development, construction document coordination, construction administration, and overall project management. He has been the senior management leader on multi-million dollar construction projects for clients such as SOU, UO, OHSU, IASIS Healthcare, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Baylor and Nike. He has been involved with Oregon DBIA since 2019 where he currently serves as Programs Committee Co-Chair.

Kallen Gatherer, Director of Project Development, Mortenson

Kallen Gatherer, Director of Project Development, Mortenson

Promotions Co-Chair

Kallen brings 15 years of experience in the industry and is an integral part of Mortenson Portland’s leadership team. She leads the company’s strategic planning and business development efforts for the Oregon and Southwest Washington regions. She’s responsible for fostering and maintaining relationships with customers, architects and engineers for markets including sports, higher education, healthcare, hospitality, municipal, manufacturing, and corporate.

Kallen is a champion of diversity and inclusion and is an advocate for creating more opportunity for women in the construction industry. In addition to her involvement as co-chair for the DBIA NW promotions committee, she also participates on the Middle/High School Committee for the Architect Foundation of Oregon (AFO), is a member of Greater Portland, Inc. and WISE. She also serves as a board member for ACE Oregon Chapter. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with a major in Marketing from Washington State University.

 John Medvec, Design Manager, Skanska USA Building Inc.

John Medvec, Design Manager, Skanska USA Building Inc.

Promotions Co-Chair

John brings over 30 years of experience as an architect and project manager working on projects all over the world. Prior to joining Skanska in 2016, John spent eleven years delivering US Embassy projects through its design-build delivery program. John has recently been focusing on healthcare projects delivered through both design-build and collaborative project delivery methods. John is a registered architect in the State of Oregon since 1993 and gained DBIA certification in 2018.

Lynette Todd, Senior Marketing Manager - Mortenson

Lynette Todd, Senior Marketing Manager - Mortenson

Marketing

Lynette has over 20 years of marketing experience in the construction industry. She has spent the majority of her career at Mortenson’s Minneapolis location and recently made the move to the company’s Portland office to oversee marketing efforts in the Oregon and Southwest Washington regions. She leads the marketing strategy and execution for pursuits, social media, public relations, website and media outreach.

Jake Tonnessen, Senior Project Manager, Mortenson

Jake Tonnessen, Senior Project Manager, Mortenson

Young Professionals Committee

Jake is a Senior Project Manager for Mortenson Construction in their Portland Office. After graduating from the University of Colorado with both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Civil Engineering (Construction Engineering & Management), he moved to the Pacific Northwest. Throughout his career, he has worked on projects ranging from Wastewater Treatment Plants, Higher Education, Hospitality, Healthcare, Class A Offices, to Research & Development facilities. In Jake’s free time, you can find him camping, skiing, fly fishing, or traveling the world… all documented through his trusty camera.

Ian Anderson, Assistant Project Manager, Mortenson

Ian Anderson, Assistant Project Manager, Mortenson

Student Activities Committee

Ian graduated from Oregon State University in 2018 with a B.S. Ecological Engineering degree and a Leadership minor. He spent the first four years of his career as a Project Engineer with Andersen Construction, where he worked on two design build medical clinics, two high-rise apartment & mixed-use buildings, and a large high-school modernization. After joining Mortenson in the summer of 2022, he began working with the design phase, business development & strategy team with a focus on Advanced Manufacturing. As an Oregon native, Ian enjoys spending most of his free time in the outdoors.

Jon McGrew, AIA, DBIA , LEED Green Associate. Associate Principal, Hennebery Eddy Architects

Jon McGrew, AIA, DBIA , LEED Green Associate. Associate Principal, Hennebery Eddy Architects

Diversity, Equity + Inclusion / Past Chair

Jon is a leader for the firm’s commercial, academic, civic, and design-build projects. From new university buildings to transformative commercial renovations, he takes great pride in helping clients achieve their vision. Jon has more than 35 years of experience and an architecture degree from the University of Oregon. Jon became fully DBIA certified in 2014 and remains active at the local, regional, and national levels of the organization.