Q3 Shortlist

the shortlist News

Q3 | 2013

The Award-Winning Publication of the Society for Marketing Professional Services San Francisco Bay Area Chapter

The Relationships & Personal Growth Issue

The shortlist is produced and edited by the Communications Committee of the SMPS San Francisco Bay Area Chapter.

Editor - Jessica Cadkin, URS Corporation, jessica.cadkin@urs.com Assistant Editor - Al Anderson, NOVA Group, aanderson@novagrp.com Designer - Erin Gardner, Parsons Brinckerhoff, gardnerel@pbworld.com Communications Committee Directors - Christiana Tjhin, GHD, christiana.tjhin@ghd.com Vanessa Pelletier, CSDA Design Group, vpelletier@csdadesigngroup.com

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Events

Education

www.smpssf.org

President’s Quarterly Update

by Ali Bedwell, CPSM, Marketing Manager, Skyline Construction

Ultimately, We’re in the Relationship Business

by Hildegard Dodd, Director of Marketing, Sherwood Design Engineers

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Top 5 Tips from CPSM Day

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Congratulations to the Chapter’s New CPSMs! Dream Big! Build Business Wrap Up

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Arch

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Canstruction 2013

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New Member Spotlight: Lindsay Pincus

by Alethea O’Dell, CPSM, Co-Founder, Brazen Brands

by Katie Spurlock, Marketing Manager, Charles M. Salter Associates

by John Grimes, CPSM

by Sarah Coleman, Senior Marketing Coordinator, WSP

by Sarah Coleman, Senior Marketing Coordinator, WSP

10 Annual Business Meeting and Giants Game Recap 11 New and Transferring Members 11 Upcoming Events

the shortlist Thank you to our 2013 annual sponsors for making SMPS SFBAC such a success.

We couldn’t do it without your generous support!

Platinum

Golden Gate

Silverado Trail

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the shortlist President’s Quarterly Update

by Ali Bedwell, CPSM, Marketing Manager, Skyline Construction

Giving Back is the theme for the upcoming SMPS year and the goal is twofold: to give back to YOU, our members, and to give back to our COMMUNITY through philanthropic events and activities.

2013 Recap - I hope you made it to the Annual Business Meeting in August to recognize the incredible achievements of our 2013 Board of Directors. I’d like to give an additional shout out to Devon Kurcina, our outgoing President. Under her leadership, the board reworked its programs to provide you with the BIG 4 client focused event series, won three marketing communications awards, improved our sponsor benefits, and racked up record breaking philanthropic contributions at Make the Connection…

Thank you Devon, you are a fearless and inspirational leader.

With big shoes to fill, I am excited to share a few of the ways we plan to give back to you, our loyal and tireless members.

Giving Back to YOU Through…

• Reduced ticket prices at events • Membership scholarships to cover National dues (see www.smpssf.org for details) • FREE member only events • Paid speakers to provide top quality programs • Additional networking and social opportunities, including a day in the wine country • Student outreach campaign to bring young and vibrant people into our chapter • Continuation of the BIG 4 client focused programs to give you face time with potential clients • 10 free registrations to the Pacific Regional Conference in Huntington Beach – raffle will take place at this year’s holiday party

With that in mind, you made a wonderful choice by selecting the Cypress Mandela Training Center (www. cypressmandela.org), an organization that offers a 16week pre-apprenticeship program for Bay Area men and women to receive hands-on training for skilled trade jobs in the construction industry. The organization provides job placement, with an 85% success rate of graduates placed in jobs.

In the coming months we will announce an opportunity for you to tour the Cypress Mandela Training Center while we simultaneously work on planning a philanthropy event in January to kick off the new year.

A Personal Note Ideas for GIVING BACK doesn’t just come from the Board— it comes from our members. If you have suggestions of ways we can add value to your membership, or enhance our community involvement, please share them with me.

Cheers to a positive and successful year ahead,

Ali abedwell@SkylineConst.com

Giving Back to Our COMMUNITY This year at the Annual Business Meeting we asked YOU to cast your vote on the charity to support for the year. It was important to the board to select a charity that was both local and tied to our industry.

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the shortlist Ultimately, We’re in the Relationship Business

by Hildegard Dodd, Director of Marketing, Sherwood Design Engineers

Most everyone in the U.S. workforce was affected by the “Great Recession” of 2007 – 2009. Many of my friends and colleagues were either laid off of good jobs that they had held for many years, or saw their pay or hours drastically cut in an effort to reduce company overhead costs. I too was eventually affected, and what helped me immensely at a time when I might have otherwise lost hope were my personal friends as well as colleagues in the A/E/C industry. They offered me support, consulting leads, and in the end, the information that led to a new position for me. I have spent many years cultivating relationships both in my life and within our industry, and I know now that many of those relationships will probably last longer than any job I have had or will have in the future.

Flash forward to 2013…the market is becoming stable, jobs are returning, lone marketers within firms are able to hire coordinators to assist them in pursuits, and senior marketers are finally earning pay commensurate with their experience. This is all good news, but it also warrants a small warning…no job is secure and no firm can guarantee a person lifetime employment.

Through my experience, I learned that one shouldn’t wait until a layoff or a self-motivated exit from a firm to lead a focused networking effort. Networking is often thought of when looking for work, either for yourself or for your firm, but it’s really about establishing and maintaining relationships. View it the same way you might look at insurance—you’ll be really glad to have it when you need it. Many times your network can help your career grow, create deeper industry knowledge, and expand your skill set, but more often, when done right, a good network can lead to great friendships and long-term industry camaraderie.

Unfortunately, with the popularity of social media, many people feel that by connecting with people on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook one can check off the networking box, but this should never be used as a replacement for face-to-face communication and interaction. It’s often easy, especially when out of work, to network in front of a computer screen, but getting up, getting dressed, and getting out will always be more rewarding…and more fun. And if you’re working, you’ll be glad you gave yourself a much-needed break out of the office.

Whether you have a job, are confidentially looking while currently employed, or out of work and looking, making time for the following will lead to positive relationship outcomes: Once a week, make a lunch date with an industry colleague. If you’re working, you may have more expendable income, but even if money’s tight, you can still afford an inexpensive lunch with a peer. If you’re looking for work, for the cost of a $7 sandwich for yourself, you might find out about a firm who’s hiring, who’s leaving their position, upcoming after-work networking events, or free training webinars being offered. If you’re currently working, don’t think you need to pay less attention to your colleagues.

Even if I know I have a busy week, I always schedule at least one lunch with a new or existing connection. Knowledge sharing leads not only to more potential work for your firm, but assures that the leaders of your firm see you as a valuable asset who has their pulse on the industry.

Once a month, attend an after-work networking function. If you’re working, ask your firm to add this expense to their marketing budget. Make sure the events are applicable to your industry and the work your firm pursues. If you’re looking for work, seek out free events, or ones that have minimal costs. When I was out of work, I would often call the organizer and tell them my situation. More often than not, they were happy to reduce or eliminate the cost for me. The key to these events is continued on the next page Page 4

the shortlist Relationship Business- continued from the previous page

to spend less time with the people you may know already, and more time meeting new connections. I make it a point to meet at least five new people at each event I attend and find out a little bit about them and where they work, and let them get to know me as well. It might be out of your comfort zone at first, but the more you do it, the wider your network will become, and you might make some new friends in the process as well.

Once or twice a year, attend an industry conference. These can be a little more difficult if you’re looking for work, as most times there are no flexibilities on the costs, but if you find one that’s within reasonable driving distance, it might be worth your time to pay for at least the opening reception. Many times conferences need volunteers and will allow you to attend the conference for free, so check into those options as well. If you’re working, discuss with your firm at the beginning of their fiscal year to budget for these conferences.

If national conferences are outside their budget range, look to regional conferences that offer lower costs on both travel and expenses. Most importantly, find conferences that are in your market niche or will attract people or clients that can best benefit your career and/ or your firm. Plan ahead by getting attendee lists and work to target specific people and firms at the event. When you return, come up with an action plan to stay in contact with those new connections.

These are only a few ways to integrate networking in your business and personal life. I’ve highlighted these, as they are the ones I have used and have been most successful in using. Ultimately, the best way to add value to your firm and to yourself is to continue to build relationships. We’re in the relationship business, and you are the only one truly responsible for your success. Reaching out and expanding your network of connections in both the industry and the community will give you a richer, rewarding, and more fulfilling life and career.

Serve on the committee of a local organization. SMPS, ULI, SCUP, and AIA are just a few local and national organizations that are always looking for smart, talented, and available people to help plan, organize, or assist them in their events or increase their membership.

They often require a longer time commitment, but can give you a chance to work one-onone with many people in the industry you may not have the opportunity to interact or work with otherwise. Often, you can attend some of their events for free or at a reduced cost, which is a real plus if money is tight.

Finally, volunteering connects with people outside the industry, but most importantly, connects you with and gives back to your community. Organizations can range from Habitat for Humanity or Rebuilding Oakland, to local food banks such as Project Open Hand, Alameda County Food Bank, or Second Harvest in Santa Clara, to mentorship organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area. Giving back can reward you personally, benefit the individuals and organizations to whom you donate your time, and can be an excellent addition on your resume.

About the Author

Hildegard Dodd is the Director of Marketing for Sherwood Design Engineers in San Francisco.

Contact her at hdodd@sherwoodengineers.com.

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the shortlist Top 5 Tips from CPSM Day

By Alethea O’Dell, CPSM, Co-Founder, Brazen Brands

1. Branding is as much an internal exercise as it is an external one. It’s important that companies spend time and effort communicating their brand to employees and developing the appropriate systems and processes so that the brand is reflected to the external audience in everything the company does.

2. Strategic marketing tactic: HNTB hosts infrastructure forums which bring various expert viewpoints together to discuss topics of critical importance within the infrastructure industry. The resulting actions and ideas can be used by all participants as a means to advocate for change — in policy, legislation, or public perception. They bring their thought leaders as well as important stakeholders, policy makers, public influencers, and decision makers to the same table to discuss all of the issues and potential solutions. Because these projects are public, the press usually attends the event as well.

The thought leadership, public engagement, and active discussion helps move projects along.

3. If you’re challenged working with someone, you can look into Gallup’s Strengths Finder.

It’s a tool so that you can understand what your strengths are as a leader and understand others. With this knowledge you can find ways to work better together.

4. Social media is a great tool for listening, not just promoting. Before going to an event, look at what your clients are promoting and thinking about on social media so that you will have something to discuss with them at the event.

5. One way to measure return on investment on BD efforts is to track all wins, losses, relationship touches, expenditures, and revenues by client.

About the Author

Alethea O’Dell is the co-founder of Brazen Brands, and former Director of Marketing and Business Development for Degenkolb Engineers. Her work has received more than 30 local and national marketing communications awards, and she is the 2012 recipient of the Chapter President of the Year award. . Contact her at alethea.odell@gmail.com.

Congratulations to the Chapter’s New CPSMs!

Jennifer Wells, Marketing Coordinator, Covello Group

Roberta “Bobbie” Vahl, Marketing Manager, Fugro Consultants

About the CPSM Credential Your marketing skills are vital to the lifeline of your firm.

You further your company’s growth by identifying new project opportunities, developing business relationships, and getting your company’s name in front of prospective clients. SMPS offers a credential that recognizes the marketing expertise you have achieved: Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM).

The CPSM credential is a voluntary certification designed to elevate professional standards in marketing and influence the future of this vital field. The CPSM designation also serves as a mark of distinction for professional services marketers and business developers, raising their standing with their employers, peers, and the public.

A CPSM is recognized as an individual who has met a rigorous standard of experience and expertise in marketing professional services and has demonstrated their knowledge through a thorough examination of marketing competency. This individual further adheres to the ethics and responsibilities of the profession as outlined in the CPSM Code of Ethics.

Please contact Tracy Allen for more information at tallen@sandis.net Page 6

the shortlist Dream Big! Build Business Wrap Up

by Katie Spurlock, Marketing Manager, Charles M. Salter Associates

Sunny Orlando was the perfect backdrop for this year’s national Build Business conference, with the theme of Dream Big! The conference took place at Walt Disney World, so dreaming was on everyone’s mind. The conference began with a keynote by Mark Matheis of the Disney Institute, “Building a Business Through Storytelling,” in which he described the importance of storytelling to create and maintain a firm’s brand. To get his point across, he told several interesting anecdotes about his early days working at one of the resorts and about Walt Disney himself.

From talking with employees at Disney World, I learned that the staff virtually never says no to guests. It’s part of their corporate culture – they will go out of their way to make guests happy. This is an important reminder for how we should treat our own clients. Is your firm doing everything it can to make clients and project stakeholders satisfied? Going above and beyond for clients engenders effective stories that enhance your firm’s message.

For the first set of educational programs at Build Business, I attended “Steps to the C-Suite,” where successful marketers shared their advice and stories of their own professional development. For them, the dream of being an executive did come true, through hard work and rigorous self-analysis. They constantly considered how they could help their firms and not the other way around. In “AEC Business Development: Today and Tomorrow,” a key take-away was that non-technical business developers are declining as more project managers are expected to develop business. Business development is trending towards being an educational process with the client instead of a sales process.

My favorite session of the conference was “Dream BIG: Use Storyboarding to Reach New Heights.” Perryn Olson explained how his marketing firm, Brand Constructors, was inspired by the storyboard concept, popularized by Walt Disney, to facilitate brainstorming sessions. I was so motivated by his presentation that I recently practiced the concept with co-workers to come up with this year’s holiday piece for our firm. With storyboarding, participants write down as many ideas as they can on index cards (one idea per card). After 5 or 10 minutes of private brainstorming, the group shares its ideas and then removes duplicates and categorizes each idea card. There are no bad ideas, only stepping stones.

After all the ideas are laid out, you can decide whether you want to move forward with one idea, modify one, or combine some. With my firm, the concept for our next holiday piece was a combination of ideas that we progressed to the next level. We all enjoyed the exercise and can’t wait to share our holiday greeting with you in a few months!

The first day of the conference ended with the fabulous Awards Gala, where so many great SMPS leaders and firms were recognized. I was honored to receive three awards on behalf of the entire SFBAC Chapter. Our Chapter won the three awards that we submitted for - hurrah! Thank you to all our dedicated volunteers and, in particular, a huge thanks to Jessica Cadkin for our 1st Place Newsletter Award, Kristin Quiroz Bayona for our Outstanding Website Award, and Daniel Carfora-Hale and Devon Kurcina for our 1st Place Educational Program Award (for the Business Leaders Forum).

Though we may have been a bit bleary-eyed the morning after celebrating, the second day’s educational sessions were on point. In “Demystifying Graphic Design” by Carolyn Bligh, I learned that the more you understand how people see things, the more you can design to control what they see. Another thought-provoking session was, “Inspire Genius in Yourself and Innovation in Your Company” by Brent Darnell. Through small group exercises, Darnell demonstrated how limitations and preconceptions hurt creativity, so that if you are constantly judging, you will never reach the innovation. When developing an innovative solution, instead of responding “yes but,” whether to colleagues or yourself, say “yes and.” In this way, you are building on an idea instead of negating it. For the final program, we got to hear representatives from Microsoft Corporation, eBay Inc., and Walt Disney World discuss their cutting-edge workplace designs and challenges.

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the shortlist

Arch

Canstruction 2013

by Sarah Coleman, Senior Marketing Coordinator, WSP

by John Grimes

On September 22, teams of architects, engineers and contractors gathered at One Rincon Center in San Francisco to build gigantic structures out of canned food, all of which was later donated to the San Francisco and Marin Food Banks. The evening marked the beginning of the third annual San Francisco Canstruction event, and marked the culmination of many months of hard work by the nine teams that participated.

Structures were based on the theme “From CANdyland to WoW.” The structures were on display from September 23-27 at One Rincon Center as a free art exhibit open to the public. On the evening of the 27th, the structures were taken down and all food was brought to the Food Banks. In total, the event raised over 27,000 lbs. of food and $10,000, or enough for the Food Banks to generate $60,000 worth of fresh produce to help feed the hungry.

The San Francisco Canstruction committee would like to thank SMPS members for their generous support over the past three years. We have raised over 125,000 lbs. of food and nearly $50,000 for the two food banks and could not have done it without our members help!

Please visit www.sfcanstruction.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoCanstruction

About the Author

Cartoonist/Illustrator/Marketing Manager John Grimes, CPSM, recently left his position at Gould Evans to focus on several freelance projects. However, he’s likely to be back in captivity before long, just as assuredly as tanned shivering tourists will flock to Union Square in the summer.

Learn more at www.grimescartoons.com.

Thank you to our photographer, Paul Mourraille!

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the shortlist New Member Spotlight

Meet Lindsay Pincus, Business Development Manager, STUDIOS

by Sarah Coleman, Senior Marketing Coordinator, WSP

It’s been a good year for Lindsay Pincus, the focus of our New Member Spotlight this quarter. She joined STUDIOS as Business Development Manager in April, and married her husband shortly after, in May. A seven-year veteran of the industry – including four years at architectural firms and three in real estate – Lindsay had previously heard of SMPS but finally got involved when she joined STUDIOS. “It is a crucial part of my role at STUDIOS to build new relationships and strengthen existing ones for the firm,” she says. “[Joining] SMPS would allow me to quickly familiarize with an incredible group of people!”

To take full advantage of her membership, Lindsay has joined the Outreach and Development committee, and will be co-running the Coordinators Have a Talk (CHAT) Program (San Francisco) with Margot Kenney. Additionally, she looks forward to attending as many programs as she can.

“My SMPS membership will not only enable me to build relationships with great people in the industry, but also improve my professional development skills that will set me up for a future of great success,” Lindsay says.

She’s building on a strong foundation already. After working for a real estate investor in Las Vegas and Los Angeles for a few years, Lindsay felt like she had received an MBA on the job. “It was an incredibly intense environment,” she says, “but those few years learning on the job and wearing so many hats (including hard hats!) helped shape me into the businessperson I am today.”

Her life in Business Development is not much different. She’s constantly on the go, and has found new technology to be a vital part of staying ahead. All the applications on her phone help her keep organized, and she maintains a “productivity” folder that is crucial to her daily routine. As for other essentials: “My calendar is always up-to-date and backed up in Tempo, all of my lists are stored in Evernote, and hopefully soon I’ll be up-and-running with mobile CRM,” Lindsay says.

A native of Long Island, New York, Lindsay spends time outside of work in Bay Area parks with her dog and husband. She is also involved with the Princess Project, which provides prom dresses and accessories to underprivileged girls. If she were not in the A/E/C industry, she would be living life as a food critic – and would be a judge on Iron Chef.

About the Author

Sarah Coleman is Senior Marketing Coordinator at WSP. She is a member of the SMPS Communications Committee and is handling the public relations efforts for this year’s Canstruction event. Contact her at 415.402.2288 or sarah.coleman@wspgroup.com.

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the shortlist Annual Business Meeting & Giants Game Recap SMPS SFBAC held it’s 2013 Annual Business Meeting on August 22, 2013. The event began at Pete’s Tavern and ended at AT&T Park. The Chapter holds its Annual Meeting to celebrate the past year’s achievements and introduce the incoming board.

Dream Big!- continued from page 7

The closing event of Build Business was a reception at Epcot Theme Park, where we networked beneath fireworks, visited with old friends, and connected with new colleagues.

I certainly left the conference with big dreams for myself and my firm. As my 6th national SMPS conference, I can unreservedly say Build Business: Dream Big! was one of the best I’ve been to. Maybe it was the magical setting or seeing so many marketing friends I’ve made across the country, but I had a blast while learning valuable marketing practices for my firm. Check out the official conference photos here: http://sohmphoto.smugmug.com/Events/ SMPS-2013-National-ConferenceI hope to see you at next year’s national conference in San Antonio, where you can experience SMPS Texas-style!

About the Author

Katie Spurlock is the Marketing Manager at Charles M. Salter Associates, an acoustics, audiovisual, telecommunications, and security consulting firm.

She’s a member of the SFBAC Communications Committee, having recently served two terms at Communications Director. She can be reached at catherine.spurlock@cmsalter.com.

A special thank you to our photographer, Paul Mourraille for capturing this event!

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the shortlist New & Transferring Members

A Look Ahead

Dennis Bush, Operations Manager, Hinman Consulting Engineers

October:

Marketing and BD Best Practices for Technical Staff

Nicole Franklin, Business Development Manager, Turner

November:

Exploratorium Building Tour

Construction Company

December:

Awards Ceremony & Holiday Party

Jennifer Castellanos, Marketing Services Specialist, AMEC

Michael Garavaglia, Principal, Garavaglia Architecture Inc. Alyssa Goulding, Marketing Coordinator, Turner Construction

VIEW SMPS CALENDAR OF EVENTS http://smpssf.org/programs-and-events/calendar/

Candice Rauter, Director of Business Development, Architectural Dimensions Colleen Salveson, Marketing Coordinator, Callander Associates Becca Selin, Marketing Manager, Gould Evans

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Sponsors’ Spotlight

the shortlist

Shaken, not stirred.

In the event of an earthquake, where does your business stand?

As the nation’s oldest and largest earthquake engineering firm, we work with owners to determine an appropriate level of performance for their facilities. Buildings, no doubt, will shake. But operations need not be stirred.

To see what you can do to protect your business, visit degenkolb.com.

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Sponsors’ Spotlight

the shortlist THE FUTURE OF BUILDINGS IS HERE, AND IT’S SOCIAL.

www.teecom.com

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the shortlist

Sponsors’ Spotlight

The Bay Area is all about innovation.

So are we.

Skanska’s people are changing the construction industry – and our region – with new ways of working.

usa.skanska.com

CA licenses 817578 and 140069

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Sponsors’ Spotlight

the shortlist

Architectural-Engineering Consulting Firm Expertise Building Envelope Roofing Garden Roofs Waterproofing Curtain Wall Below Grade Solutions for Architects Design Consultation Peer Review Construction Administration Office Locations San Francisco Bay Area Los Angeles Irvine San Diego Sacramento Seattle Honolulu

“Our passion is to create beautiful, enduring and meaningful places that inspire the human spirit”

415.383.7900

mvstudio@rhaa.com www.rhaa.com

(800)378-3405 / www.abbae.com / info@abbae.com

990 Commercial Street, Palo Alto, CA 94303 Page 15

the shortlist

Sponsors’ Spotlight

Infrastructure © NC3D Media

Buildings

Designing Integrated Technology Solutions

©Tim Griffith

Guidepost Solutions Technology Design Consulting is a full-service consulting and design firm that specializes in helping organizations assess and address their security, fire alarm, audiovisual, and communications infrastructure needs.

Consulting

Our highly experienced consultants provide an integrated suite of technology design, project management, and operational consulting services that balance our clients business needs with industry-best, cost-effective solutions.

©Arup

w w w. a r u p . c o m ©Paul Mourraille + Arup

388 17th Street, Suite 230, Oakland, CA 94612 | T.510.268.8373

Physical Security Systems Fire Alarm Systems Command & Control Centers Data & Voice Networks Audiovisual Systems Systems Design Project Management Assessments & Master Planning Contractor Selection

www.guidepostsolutions.com/tdc

Helping build the San Francisco Bay Area for over 30 years.

405 Howard Street, Suite 500 San Francisco, CA 94105 T: 415.398.3833 www.wspgroup.com/usa

ENGINEERING SERVICES • Mechanical • Electrical • Plumbing

• Fire Protection • Fire Engineering • Lighting Design

• Information Technologies • Security • LEED/Sustainable/Green

• Commissioning • Building Information Modeling • Infrastructure

Image courtesy of Gensler

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