What did you love most about the job? Let me tell you what I liked the least: the selection process. Utah has some of the best architects ever. When we’re trying to select an architect, we try to be as fair as possible. I know some firms felt like we weren’t, but to overcome that, we would select a committee that could outrank us or outvote my director and me, and ofttimes they would. We would vote for them, but we wouldn’t get them because the committee would select someone else. That marketing process is so important, especially if you’ve got a non-expert committee selecting the firm. They’re going to be sold on what the marketers present. I noticed with one of the top firms in Utah, and probably the nation, that the architects were so nervous that they didn’t present well. It hurt them. Selecting architects was very difficult because you always had to call somebody and tell them they weren’t going to get the job and they wanted to know why. My advice is don’t ask why. Just know that you didn’t get it and there’s nothing you can do to change the decision other than make the client uncomfortable, and you don’t want to do that. Just say thank you so much for the opportunity. What I liked best was just the reaction from our students, from the parents. We went to an open house in Clearfield for a new elementary school for an underserved community. When they walked in, their jaws dropped. They could not believe that this was for them. One of the elements in that school was a fireplace with really comfortable seating so that Mom and Dad could sit in front of that fireplace and have a cup of coffee and wait for the principal. It was a homey place. We started putting pickleball courts in, and my boss thought I Sunset Junior High interior Endeavor Elementary School, Kaysville Davis Catalyst Center, Kaysville West Point Junior High School 13
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