Archive for category: Team

Michael is a first-generation Italian who keeps his family traditions alive, making salami, sausage, and prosciutto with his sons.  As a teen, he worked as a laborer and bricklayer for his father’s construction company.  He would find himself looking at the buildings and wondering how they were put together, leading him to pursue a career in architecture.  Keeping a calm, unruffled demeanor while working through stressful situations is his greatest strength. 

You can tell that Michael’s proudest personal achievement is raising his three sons and seeing them turn into healthy, hard-working individuals.  He hopes that they continue to believe in the importance of family.  When Michael is out of the office, he enjoys golfing, tailgates and getting together with family and friends.   

At work, Michael is motivated by the satisfaction he gets from his clients’ approval after a project is completed.  Although he has worked on many projects throughout his career, Michael’s most outstanding achievement was being the Construction Administrator for the Michigan State University Spartan Stadium North End Zone Addition.  At this stage in his career, Michael’s goal is continued successful project management and to be a resource and mentor. 

“Watch your words; they become your actions.  Watch your actions; they become your habits.

Watch your habits; they become your character.”   – Vince Lombardi 

Tracie is a woman of many talents and hobbies.  At one time, she was enrolled in a culinary arts program before transferring to Las Vegas to work on Las Vegas City Center Project as a Construction Administrator. Over her years as a Construction Administrator, she developed and has refined her most significant strengths of handling multiple tasks at a time and knowing where to find answers/resources for often unique Project challenges as they arise.  Tracie has worked on several projects at Michigan State University, Notre Dame, and has provided professional services for various other clients over the past 15-20 years, with her primary role as the lead Construction Administrator. When she first started in the industry, she initially found architecture intriguing and later discovered that construction administration suits her since it brings something different regularly, like Mass Timber Construction. She looks forward to this ever-changing industry, never ceasing to amaze her.

Tracie’s most outstanding professional achievement in her career at IDS is the positive relationships with her team members. She appreciates and values the positive relationships she has created working as a project construction administrator. Tracie built these relationships by vital communication with her project-specific teams and working with team members to accomplish tasks during critical (And non-critical) times of a Project. Working on multiple projects has shown Tracie that one of her favorite periods of a project is when she meets with the Project Designer, Architect, Engineer, etc., at the start of construction administration.  She finds it necessary and beneficial for a CA to be aware of the Designers Intent, necessary project technical or performance criteria, the reasonings behind Design decisions, materials selections, etc., as construction progresses. Tracie’s goal is to practice and demonstrate ways to close the communication gap between AE professionals and the construction community. She believes that there is so much that can be learned if team members communicate and work together.

Tracie’s work relationships are not her only achievement, just her professional achievement. She served as an active board member and volunteered for a local Dog Rescue group outside of work. One day soon, she hopes to do this again and get together with her group of seven girlfriends that she has known since Elementary School. When she is not spending time with her friends, she thinks of ways to make her friends laugh or new foods or drinks to make for them to try.

“I work hard so my dogs can have a better life” – Unknown

Matt graduated from the University of Toledo with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, but did you know that he was also on the Varsity Cheerleading squad? What started from wanting to have good seats for all the football and basketball games turned into him becoming a member of the Varsity Cheerleading squad for three years. While attending The University of Toledo, Matthew learned that he could use a computer to help with his writing, and he picked up a personal computer as a hobby.  His interest in technology was furthered when he took a computer class.  It was in this class that he met an important person in his life, a young woman named Marilyn, who would later become his wife. After college, Matt was able to parlay his hobby into a full-time job. His time in the industry has given him extensive experience with technology, especially educational technology.

After serving in various technology leadership and project management, Matt served for 15 years as Executive Director of Technology for Clarkston Community Schools in Clarkston, Michigan. Matthews’ grandest professional achievement thus far was earning his Project Management Professional certification on his first attempt. Matthew helped shepherd the district through a period of explosive growth in educational technology. He has always been motivated with the desire to be helpful. His chief professional goal is to help IDS and the customers he works alongside.

Outside of work, he envisions his greatest achievement is having partnered with his wife Marilyn to guide his children to grow into kind, confident, and successful adults. Matt’s talents extend past his job into his enjoyment of playing the guitar, mandolin, ukulele, and Cajon. During the summer months, you might find him traveling, day-hiking, or even on his boat enjoying a relaxing day on the water.

“The greatest bit of advice I ever received was, ‘Don’t worry, no one else knows what they are doing either.’” 

– Ricky Gervais 

Rachel McCorkle is an architect; this is something that you can tell just by looking at her title. But what you may not know is that she was on a Division 1 Rowing team for the University of Buffalo and won two conference championships. To this day Rachel says, “Thinking about it today still makes me breathless!” She helped win her first championship by the last five strokes her and her teammates made, hearing her talking about it you can tell this is one of her greatest personal achievements. These things are all things she can tell you about. But what she may not tell you about is her greatest strength, the ability to have a great memory.  You will for sure want her on your team if there is ever a trivia competition. On top of having a great memory Rachel enjoys having dinner parties, making treats for the office (keep your eyes out for those) and being active outdoors.

Specializing in healthcare architecture, Rachel is a part of our health care team. Her interest in health care architecture stems from her mother being sick most of her life. She visited several hospitals and medical facilities with her over the years. Sadly, many of the facilities architecture or engineering did not positively impact the visits. Sometimes there were unpleasant smells that permeated the room, or the room was so noisy you could not think straight, let alone rest, and recover. She is interested in healthcare architecture because she believes that the built environment can positively impact the users.

Rachel is motivated by knowledge and synthesizing that knowledge into ideas, solutions, and plans. Probably why her professional goal is to be involved in projects that have a positive impact on individuals that use the building. But her daydream is being involved in something like the Maggie’s Center. The Maggie’s Center is a UK based organization that provides cancer care outside of the hospital setting. These centers are special places and have one of the kind architecture. Each center is unique in response to its site and population. They are researched and at the cutting edge of healthcare design.

“Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams
for when dreams fade
Life is a baren field
Frozen with snow.”

– Langston Hughs