the shortlist News
Q4 | 2014
The Award-Winning Publication of the Society for Marketing Professional Services San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
From the Client’s Perspective
Events
Education
www.smpssf.org
3 President’s Quarterly Update by Ginger Kelly
5 Getting a Client’s Perspective on Marketing 7 Looking at SMPS From the Sponsor’s Point-of-View by Clarissa Chiang
9 The Society Page
by Daniel Carfora, CPSM, LEED AP
10 Arch
by John Grimes, CPSM
11 New Member Spotlight: Erin Clinch by Tina Barni
The shortlist is produced and edited by the Communications Committee of the SMPS San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. Managing Editor - Al Anderson, NOVA Group, aanderson@novagrp.com Assignment Editors - Erin Clinch, Architectural Resources Group, e.clinch@argsf.com and John Covington, WSP, john.covington@wspgroup.com Designer – Ali Wasserman, Dome Construction, awasserman@domeconst.com Communications Committee Directors - Christiana Tjhin, GHD, christiana.tjhin@ghd.com and Traci Vogel, RMW, tvogel@rmw.com
by John Covington and Dennis Paoletti, FSMPS, FAIA, FASA
12 New and Transferring Members 12 Committee Member Spotlight: Erin Gorton by Tina Barni
13 Upcoming Events
the shortlist Thank you to our 2014 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 Ginger Kelly, RIM Architects
Sha re t h e Merry!! I saw this phrase used for a marketing campaign from Starbucks and thought this is a great way to consider sharing some merry with our members, clients, and colleagues. The whole idea of the campaign is to “enjoy a festive favorite with a friend.” Let’s share some of our favorite things that happened this year with each other and our clients!
accepting the award on behalf of our chapter. Strategic Planning with the 2014-2015 Board at Trek Winery.
August:
Annual Business Meeting & Giants Game; we had no idea at the time we were watching the World Series Champions for the third time in five years.
Sept e m b e r: Urban Placemaking program with very thoughtful
Some of my favorite things that happened at SMPS SFBAC this year include: Ja nua ry: The Levi’s Stadium Tour took us through the $1.2 billion construction project, the home of Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
Fe b rua ry: The Pacific Regional Conference in
Huntington Beach, one of my favorite conferences. Our Membership Masquerade at Umpqua Bank.
Marc h : The speakers at our fracking program. We took a risk with a very controversial subject and I was glad to hear all sides of the story to be able to form my own opinion.
Ap ril: Presidents Leadership Symposium in Virginia,
where I met the SMPS National Board and staff. The Evening Professional Series was a huge success with a marketer and principal from local firms sharing their processes.
Ma y: Submitting and winning the Striving for Excellence “Chapter of the Year” Award.
Ju n e: Volunteer event at City Impact serving hot and
healthy meals to the homeless and helping out in their thrift store.
Ju l y: Attending Build Business in San Antonio and
insight on our cities.
Octob e r: Good, Bad and Ugly of BD from the Client’s Perspective; great insight about the public procurement process. Nov e m b e r: Striving for Excellence Party at Project Frog. The Cruise Ship Terminal Tour at Pier 27.
Since sharing my goals for the year, I wanted to give you an update on the status of each goal. I really want your input, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me. •
Get to know each member and make sure each member feels they are getting value out of their membership. I have had some great conversations with long-time SMPS members as well as very new SMPS members. I am still finding a common thread that the value of SMPS is in creating long-term relationships and a pool of resources to navigate the complex world of marketing and business development in the building industry. We also want to make sure we meet the needs at all of our different levels of experience: we have our Senior Business Leaders Forum for our people with over 10 years of experience, and we have CHAT/ Forums for coordinators or those new to the industry, so we are going to look at what the “tweens” might be looking for from SMPS SFBAC. Please be on the watch for a survey to get input from those who have been in the industry for 6-9 years. continued on the next page
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the shortlist President’s Quarterly Update- continued from the previous page
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Discounts to small/sole proprietor businesses. I have reached out to a couple of sole proprietors, but I am still looking for input as to how this can help us in recruiting small firms to join SMPS.
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Find new sector members if there is an opportunity such as vendors and other professional service firms, financial institutions, insurance, etc. We are grateful for our new member from Umpqua Bank and continue to look for opportunities to widen the membership with building industry firms. The MARKETER had the excellent adjacent graphic showing our number of members by field; it is surprising that “Others” is over 25%.
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Continue to give back to members with discounted program fees and reduce non-member program fees to encourage more potential member attendance. We continue to offer our programs at a discounted rate to members and non-members. We are also continuing to provide scholarships for a free membership, so please submit an application that can be found on our website. Outward community focus with philanthropic activity such as serving homeless, volunteer days, etc. We have two philanthropic events planned in 2015. The first will be on January 9th as we return to City Impact in San Francisco to serve healthy hot meals to the homeless. Serve and respect each other as volunteers. I have been your president for three months now and I have to say that we are very fortunate to have an organization with such dedicated volunteers. We are also very thankful to our firms that are so supportive of our using time to serve the needs of this award-winning organization. Thank you to each and every member that gives their time to serve on a committee and help to serve SMPS SFBAC.
Sha rin g t h e Merry wi t h o u r COMMUNITY We have kicked off our charity of the year, SF CANstruction 2015, with an amazing event at the 7th floor plaza at One Market. We are still planning for a late summer 2015 competition, so stay tuned for more information in January. For now, please support the community service event by buying a raffle ticket at our upcoming Holiday Party, reaching out to volunteer on a committee, and/or starting to form or join a team to build in the competition. We also have one of the two philanthropic events planned for January 9, 2015, as we will spend the afternoon serving the homeless. We are looking for your input for the second philanthropic event this summer, so watch for a survey in early 2015. We have more “Merry” coming with our exciting calendar line up for 2015 and look forward to seeing you at the events. Please be sure to look over the list of Upcoming Events in this Shortlist and pick up one of our handy bookmark calendars that we will be giving out at upcoming programs. Please take a moment and drop me an email to share some of your favorite things that happened in 2014, and I will try to share them in our next Shortlist. With warm holiday cheer,
Ginger vkelly@rimarchitects.com
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the shortlist Getting a Client’s Perspective on Marketing by John Covington and Dennis Paoletti, FSMPS, FAIA, FASA
Marketing Professionals seldom get an opportunity to sit down with a client and have a candid one-on-one with them to learn tips on how to win their projects. On October 16, however, SMPS San Francisco held a roundtable that gave attendees the chance to hear directly from individuals representing four different Bay Area public agencies. The intent was to gain insight into what each of them looks for from A/E/C firms before, during, and after the procurement process.
The topic of who should engage the agency came up, with seniorlevel technical staff being the common answer between the speakers.
A part of the on-going Big 4 Series, the client-focused event, “Good, Bad, Ugly, BD from a Client’s Perspective,” featured Edric Kwan, Public Works Director for the Town of Moraga; Trinity Nguyen, Senior Transportation Engineer with the Alameda County Transportation Commission; Leigh Sata, Executive Bonds Manager for Solano Community College; and Michael Tognolini, Manager of Water Supply Improvements for the East Bay Municipal Utility District. Moderated by SMPS San Francisco members Devon Kurcina, CPSM, and Marion Thatch, FSMPS, CPCC, the open forum delved into information marketers want to know. Focusing on the life cycle of an opportunity, speakers shared their thoughts on pre-marketing best practices, likes and dislikes of proposal responses, interview do’s and don’ts, and strategies to get the most out of debriefs.
“I’m fine with meeting marketing and business development folks for an initial meeting,” Kwan countered, “But after that, I want to talk to someone technically knowledgeable. I want to be able to discuss what your firm is going to do for my organization in a detailed manner.”
Getting Ahead of the Opposition
A fatal mistake many firms make, according to these key decision-makers, is thinking an opportunity starts with the release of a Request for Proposal and/or Qualifications. They all agreed there is a tremendous amount of invaluable legwork that a firm and its marketing team can do prior to the release of such documents, helping them stand out amongst their competition. A piece of advice all the speakers shared and encouraged firms to take advantage of was setting up introductory meetings with their respective agencies. An important first step should be getting to know who they are. “Firms should know who we (Town of Moraga) are. Look at our website, read our capital improvement plan, and know how our organization is structured,” Kwan shared. Nguyen concurred, adding that understanding what makes them tick is vital. “Knowing our (Alameda CTC) values and being able to connect them with yours is a good start.”
“You should make your company known to us at the highest level possible,” Nguyen said.
Closing out the first round, Nguyen wanted everyone to keep an important detail in mind, “When reaching out, make it clear what you want – be specific. And remember, once a project is out on the street, our agency won’t talk to you, so pre-plan!”
Measuring Up
Next, the speakers discussed the submittal stage, revealing the crucial element they each look for when reviewing RFP/Q responses. “The first thing I flip to in a package is the project manager’s resume. I want to see if this person has the experience to really do what is being asked of them,” Tognolini confessed. “Do they have familiarity with similar projects to understand our (EBMUD) issues?” Nguyen shared that she focuses on the overall quality of the responses a firm provides. “I’ve seen enough proposals to know when something is boilerplate and that’s an immediate turn off. The stuff you include really matters. Take the time to ensure everything you put in a package has a purpose and says something,” she continued.
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the shortlist Client’s Perspective on Marketing - continued from the previous page
“I want to see if a firm has taken advantage of the (RFP/Q) section that asks for additional info or an exclusions/additions section,” Kwan said. “To me, this really sets a firm apart and gives me insight into their way of thinking.” The group also stressed the importance of crafting a response that is clear and well organized. “We (Solano Community College) typically receive 20 to 30 submissions every time we release an RFP/Q, so the selection committee takes note when we get one that makes it easy for us to find required information,” Sata said. “Please follow the instructions; I won’t hunt for something I can’t find.” When asked if they had any more advice for marketers to consider when crafting their proposals, the group replied with a wide variety of answers.
“Only your key people on the project should be there,” Sata advised. “Your principals may think they need to be there, but they really don’t.” Tognolini agreed. “The most important person is the project manager. They should be doing most of the presenting.” “It’s very odd when you bring someone who sits in the back of the room and doesn’t say anything,” Kwan added. “Especially in cases where that firm didn’t bring representatives from key consultants.” Nguyen added. “If you bring 10 people and only two speak, be prepared to rationalize that decision.” Moving past who should attend the interview and who should be left behind, the group spoke on content.
“Submit on time. There is no excuse you can give that will convince us to let you submit after the deadline. You name it, we’ve heard it,” said Tognolini. Other words of wisdom included making check lists to ensure a response is complete, submitting early to make a lasting impression by your firm, and not overlooking local participation requirements.
“Keep in mind, if you’ve made it to the interview round, we already feel your firm is qualified, so don’t waste time trying to convince us,” Sata said. “Focus on our project and articulate what innovative solutions you can bring to the table to help us resolve our challenges.”
“Don’t forget to attend pre-proposal meetings and walkthroughs – even if they’re not mandatory. It’s another great opportunity for you to get face time with us,” Kwan concluded.
The other speakers agreed, saying the interview is really about finding out if there is any chemistry and whether or not a shortlisted firm is going to be easy to work with.
Sealing the Deal
The stage that the group felt A/E/C firms needed to pay closer attention to was the interview. They felt firms could be doing more with their allotted times to make better first impressions. Each speaker provided ideas for marketers to share with their leadership and help shape their next presentation. A major issue the speakers found was the number of people firms bring to an interview.
“This step provides us with insight into how you will conduct yourselves on the project. Come prepared and be engaging,” Nguyen shared. “We want to know you are as excited about a project as we are.”
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the shortlist Client’s Perspective on Marketing - continued from the previous page
Lessons Learned
The roundtable concluded with the speakers providing their thoughts on debriefs, a step often overlooked by marketers, with Sata saying, “I’m genuinely impressed when I’m contacted by someone to give a debrief. It shows me you are truly interested in working with my agency and I wish it happened more often.” They urged firms to make an appointment even if they won the project. “I think it’s just as important to know what you did right. It identifies which of your strategies were effective,” Kwan said. For those not fortunate to be awarded the project, the speakers all said that, when asked, they would happily walk a firm through their decision-making process, sharing everything from their scoring sheets to allowing a review of the winning bid. And although the speakers felt marketers should avoid attending the interview, they expected them to be present at any debrief meeting. “These are the folks that are really driving the whole proposal process, so it’s important for them to hear the good, bad, and ugly,” Nguyen said. “Just wait a few weeks after selection is announced,” Tognolini recommended. “We immediately start contract negotiations and may not get back to you right way.” Overall the speakers were top-notch, informative, and engaging. It was a well-attended event that continued the success of the on-going Big 4 Series. About the Author
John Covington has been a member of the SMPS San Francisco Bay Area chapter since 2006. Until August of this year, he was a part of the Membership Committee where he ran the Job Bank. He now volunteers on the Communications Committee, helping out with the production of the Chapter’s quarterly newsletter, The Shortlist. With a career in the A/E/C industry spanning 14 years, he has worked for both architects and engineers, and is currently the Marketing Manager for WSP San Francisco.
Looking at SMPS From the Sponsor’s Point of View by Clarissa Chang
As an all-volunteer organization that advocates for business development and marketing professionals in the building industry, SMPS thrives on the support of our members and our sponsors. Without the support of our sponsors, the Bay Area Chapter would not be the well-recognized, award-winning Chapter of the Year organization that we are today. In continuing efforts to honor and recognize the commitment of our sponsors, we asked them: what really drives you to sponsor SMPS? The replies told us, first and foremost, that sponsorship is about providing opportunities. According to our SFBAC sponsors, our sponsorship program has provided opportunities to add value by creating awareness, building credibility, demonstrating community support, and providing access to peers. When we reached out to our sponsors, here’s what they had to say: “Externally, the value our organization receives from being a sponsor is exposure, name recognition, and acknowledgement that we are supportive of professional growth and see the value and impact that professional organizations, like SMPS, have on our business and employees. Internally, it signifies to our employees the importance of marketing and business development and that we are fully supportive of learning and growing.” – Cammisa + Wipf “Being a sponsor for SMPS has been a great tool for raising TEECOM brand awareness within the A/E/C industry. When TEECOM sponsors an organization we focus on the audience that it reaches.” – TEECOM “Being recognized as a supporter and sponsor of SMPS is an effective way to heighten awareness of our company and our industry involvement.” – Charles M. Salter and Associates
About the Author
Dennis Paoletti, FSMPS, FAIA, FASA, is a former SMPS SF Chapter President and National Board Member. He also served on the National Mentoring Committee and is a current chapter mentor. In real life he is a well-recognized acoustical and marketing consultant with an extensive career. continued on the next page
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the shortlist Looking at SMPS From the Sponsors Point of View - continued from the previous page
Firms must be strategic with their resources and align their company’s business goals with their commitments to industry organizations. While there are a plethora of A/E/C industry organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area to sponsor, many of our sponsors have demonstrated their support of SMPS and its mission through their status as longstanding annual sponsors. Bay Platinum Sponsor Degenkolb breaks down how they determine what organization to sponsor by asking themselves if sponsorship benefits the company’s branding efforts, if there is a compelling business reason to support an organization, and if they believe in the organization’s purpose. BKF Engineers will be celebrating their 100-year anniversary in 2015, and are elevating their support of SMPS as a Golden Gate sponsor to further leverage SMPS’s benefits for increased visibility and recognition. The opportunity to connect directly with clients and peers is important, and sponsors enjoy the flexibility to select programs at which to speak, especially when the audience is comprised of potential clients. Liz Jordan-Teicheira, Regional Director of Project Development at Guidepost Solutions, shares, “SMPS sponsorship allows us to interact and network with potential clients, as well as provides us with the opportunity to continue cultivating existing relationships.”
As Laurie Lumish of Degenkolb also explains, “We sponsor SMPS because we recognize that marketers and business development staff are influencers in their firms. A strong presence in SMPS reflects our strong position in the marketplace.” In conclusion, our sponsors have made clear that they consider marketing and business development professionals to be vital leaders and influencers in their firms, and they appreciate that SMPS provides a diverse set of educational programs that directly benefit our members: Mentoring Pathways, Professional Series, and CHATs, to name a few. As the Chapter continuously strives to give back to our members, our sponsors remain a critical and necessary support to SMPS as a vehicle for recognizing the value that marketing and business development brings to the A/E/C industry.
Recognition at program events on the Chapter’s sponsorship banner, postcards, media partner ads, Shortlist ads, and the website also provide ample opportunities to reach target clients and the A/E/C community at large. Perhaps one of the most rewarding drivers for our sponsors is the support for the SMPS mission itself—advocacy for marketing and business development within our firms. “What’s most valuable to us about our sponsorship is knowing that we are supporting an organization that contributes to our growing knowledge of best marketing and business development practices. Learning is an on-going process and there will always be a new ‘best practice.’ SMPS SFBAC acknowledges that and tries to tailor programs and events to the current needs and trends. The organization as a whole has served as a wonderful resource to us.” – Cammisa + Wipf “Not only does it help with our brand awareness, but it is a way for us to give back to an organization that provides such amazing programs that our marketing department has benefited from.” – TEECOM Ali Bedwell, Immediate Past President and Marketing Manager at Skyline Construction, noted that: “While our clients are not the members of SMPS, we sponsor to show support for the marketing community, because Skyline values marketing and business development as valuable and essential roles within our firm.”
About the Author
Clarissa is the Business Development Manager for Cumming Corporation, a global project management and cost consulting firm. Clarissa is serving on the Board as the Financial Development Director. As an active SMPS member since 2010, Clarissa previously served on the Membership, Programs, and Communications Committees. She is an MBA candidate at the University of California at Los Angeles Anderson School of Management and graduated with degrees in Communications and International Studies from the University of California at San Diego.
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the shortlist The Society Page
by Daniel Carfora, CPSM, LEED AP SMPS Chapter Society Liason
No, The Shortlist is not now featuring wedding announcements or paparazzi shots from a fundraising gala. Welcome to The Society Page: a new column which puts the spotlight on the latest programs and information offered by SMPS headquarters. If you happen to be a new SMPS member, you might not be familiar with all of the resources shared by our national chapter— The Society, as it now is referred to. While our local chapter develops award-winning speaker panels and workshops focused on regional market sectors and trends, the Society is able to pool research on a national level, from all SMPS chapters, as well as from the SMPS Foundation, whose committee authors white papers on marketing and business development best practices. With a visit to MySMPS, members will see an expansive menu of tools under the Marketing Resource Center’s library (my.smps.org/mrc). Like the adage American Express coined during the 90’s, “membership has its privileges.” Here’s one “privilege” worth noting and incorporating into your marketing efforts: the Lunchtime Learning Lab. Launched in March of this year, the Lunchtime Learning Lab is a bi-monthly program of hour-long webinars focused on marketing skillsets and training. Starting at 12 noon EST, these webinars for us West Coasters are a good way to start the work day and hear from industry leaders. The series started with understanding new online presentation tools like Prezi. The presenter, Laura Frein of Michael Baker Corporation, walked viewers through the various options of the cloud-based software, including account set-up, payment plans, and group use that companies should consider before diving into the design basics and tools. It’s always tempting to jump right into the program, but as Laura points out, many cloud-based packages create revenue through subscriptions, so it is important to understand how a marketing team or an entire firm might use software like Prezi and the limitations that occur from having multiple users. Laura also illustrates how to use the design tools that are unique to Prezi, which requires a bit of a learning curve for those coming from a PowerPoint-native work environment. In May, Matt Handal, Business Development Manager of Trauner Consulting Services, shared his insights from working on more than 1,000 proposals during his career. With his deadpan humor, Matt creatively covers common blunders and mistakes of the proposal writing process, from government compliance forms to identifying decision-making RFP criteria to crafting a firm’s unique value proposition. One of the more valuable lessons Matt gives is where he dispels the myth of proposal language. In his experience evaluating competitor proposals and debriefing with clients and selection panels, he stresses to his audience the benefit of writing as one speaks,
assuming one speaks well enough for the purpose of a winning proposal. Dedicated to improving the role of the A/E/C marketer, Matt even authors a blog on useful marketing tips at http://www.helpeverybodyeveryday.com. “Stand Out and Differentiate Yourself” was July’s webinar. Matthew Danis, CPSM, Vice President of Shook Construction, covered the importance of building a network to enhance and support a firm’s sales cycle. One useful tip Matthew offers is to do your homework when attending a panel speaker event. By spending 10-15 minutes familiarizing yourself with this topic, you position yourself to ask intelligent questions after the presentation and be the person that speakers engage with. Now, when the speakers are potential clients for your firm, you’ve just gone a step further than simply sitting in the audience. Another useful anecdote is Matthew’s example of following up with an architecture firm to learn about a prospective client’s selection process to better position his construction company about to go through the same steps. The point being that networking isn’t just about getting work; it’s about broadening the points of contact to readily have information when you need it to win the work you’re pursuing. In September, Michelle Devereaux, Regional Business Development Strategist from RTKL, presented “An Introduction to InDesign Interactive Elements.” While many marketers use InDesign to create static documents, both in print and digital form, Michelle provides her audience an array of ways to maximize InDesign tools to create dynamic content – and possibly replace PowerPoint presentations, for those jaded by the traditional slide deck. Michelle illustrates the interactive basics, such as page navigation tools and hyperlinks that allow readers to move through a document quickly, to more sophisticated features like custom forms that can reside in marketing collateral for client satisfaction surveys or project feedback. Using continued on the next page
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the shortlist The Society Page- continued from the previous page
InDesign’s digital publication mode, Michelle highlights how changing the file type allows for incorporation of video and QR codes that make proposals, qualifications, and reports much more inviting for our clients.
Arch by John Grimes
In November Christine Hollinden, CPSM, of Holliden Professional Services Marketing, held a webinar entitled “Using Natural Instincts to Improve Team Synergy.” This presentation uncovers the dynamics and structure of winning teams as well as unsuccessful teams. Drawing from her experience with the Kolbe Leadership Analytics Solutions, Christine points to the trend that teams are getting bigger and bigger, but not necessarily more effective or productive. Borrowing from the Kolbe concepts, conative (natural instincts) strengths more so than affective (measured by Meyers-Brigg) or cognitive (measured by IQ) are part of our DNA and contribute to our ability (or inability) to work together well. In the end, Christine presents a new way of thinking about how we work in teams, and as marketers, how we might better approach assembling project teams to our clients. While the Learning Lab webinars are presented live through GoToMeeting, archives of the presentations are available for members to stream, view later, and share with coworkers. The Learning Lab is also just one of many online resources accessible to SMPS members; there are articles, white papers, surveys, reports, document examples, and market planning and professional development tools ready to download and be part of your marketing team’s arsenal. Check back in the next issue of The Shortlist where we will look at another Society perk you can quickly adopt and benefit from.
About the Author
Daniel Carfora is the Director of Marketing for Huntsman Architectural Group. In addition to serving as Society Liaison for our SMPS chapter, he’s co-founder of the award-winning Business Leaders Forum and served as the 2008-09 Chapter President. Reach him at dcarforahale@huntsmanag.com or www.linkedin.com/in/ dcarforahale
About the Author
Cartoonist/Illustrator/Marketing Manager John Grimes, CPSM, recently left his position at Gould Evans Architects 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
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the shortlist New Member Spotlight
Meet Erin Clinch, Marketing Coordinator, Architectural Resources Group by Tina Barni
Erin Clinch was determined to live in San Francisco; after graduating college, she did just that. Erin currently resides in San Francisco and is the Marketing Coordinator at Architectural Resources Group. She is on the SMPS Outreach and Development Committee and is one of the Assignment Editors for the Shortlist. For Erin, having connections and a presence in the marketing community is vital to career development. “I have always been the type of person that likes to be involved,” says Erin. “In college, I belonged to various clubs and organizations, which opened a lot of doors for me and allowed me to gain experience in leadership. I anticipate continuing to stay involved throughout my professional life.” Erin is new to the A/E/C industry. A recent college graduate from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, she was a Marketing Assistant at a civil and electrical engineering company in Sacramento before joining Architectural Resources Group in May. “When I was applying for jobs, I found a listing for an A/E/C marketing position,” says Erin, “Not only did the job fit what I was looking for, it was a position I thought I could flourish in and also encompassed skills that I had built while in school. I got that job, and the rest is history!” Organization is key to Erin. She has a detailed calendar with which she keeps tracks of her weekly goals and projects.
Erin, who is from Folsom, CA, enjoys traveling and exploring. After college, Erin spent time in London for an internship with money she saved from her part-time college job. She enjoys exploring San Francisco from checking out Off the Grid to salsa dancing.
“It’s very simple, but writing things down has always been my preferred way of keeping organized, and I created this tool to best address the needs of my job,” says Erin. Erin has found her membership to SMPS to be valuable and is inspired to bring back new ideas every time she attends a webinar or CHAT. “I plan to continue building my skills, and one day deliver my own talks and lectures on topics that I have mastered through my job and SMPS,” says Erin.
About the Author Tina Barni is a Senior Marketing Coordinator at Degenkolb Engineers. She is a member of the Communications Committee. Contact her at 415.354.6511 or tbarni@ degenkolb.com.
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the shortlist Committee Member Spotlight
Meet Erin Gorton, Marketing Coordinator, Charles M. Salter Associates by Tina Barni
Erin Gorton has been part of the Membership Committee for more than one year. She helped plan the 2014 Membership Drive, which was the highest attended drive in the chapter’s history. Fairly new to the A/E/C industry, Erin joined SMPS to be engaged in the community. She is the marketing coordinator for Charles M. Salter Associates, Inc., in San Francisco. Prior to her current position, she was an administrative/marketing assistant for the firm. “Everyone has something to offer and they share their experiences with each other,” says Erin. “This is a great resource for new members or marketers new to the industry.” In 2013, her firm held a LEED certification party. Erin was part of the team that planned the event. Erin is grateful for the support and guidance provided by Catherine Spurlock, Marketing Director at Charles M. Salter Associates. For Erin, community is the best part about SMPS. She appreciates the camaraderie of the organization.
New & Transferring Members Nina Chan, Corporate Marketing Assistant, T.Y. Lin International Annie Chang, Proposal Coordinator I, Granite Construction Company Athena Christodoulatos, Office Manager, AXIS Architecture + Design Laura Cullen, Marketing Assistant, ATI Architects and Engineers Danielle Grant, Proposal Coordinator & Graphics, Hatch Mott MacDonald Linnea King, Marketing Coordinator, TEECOM Jessica Lucero, Controller/Business Manager, IBI Group Sarah Mergy, Associate Principal, Bull Stockwell Allen Karen Pridmore, Senior Marketing Specialist, CDM Smith Claudia Thorn, Federal Proposals, Granite Construction Company Annie Wilson, Marketing Manager, KMD Architects
“I’ve learned that so much of marketing professional services is about relationships,” says Erin. “Very simply, a great way to maintain those relationships is to do what you can to make your clients happy.” Erin, a native of San Lorenzo, California, frequently travels to Los Angeles to visit family. She enjoys painting and looks forward to getting married next year.
About the Author Tina Barni is a Senior Marketing Coordinator at Degenkolb Engineers. She is a member of the Communications Committee. Contact her at 415.354.6511 or tbarni@degenkolb.com.
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the shortlist
A Look Ahead at the Upcoming Year December:
January:
February:
March:
April:
Holiday Party December 18th
Philanthropy Event: City Impact January 9th
SMPS Pacific Regional Conference, Seattle February 11th - 13th
BIG 4 Client Focused Event: Transit Oriented Development March 19th
Professional Series - Leader Symposium
#1 - April 2nd #2 - April 16th #3 - April 23rd #4 - April 30th
VIEW SMPS CALENDAR OF EVENTS http://smpssf.org/programs-and-events/calendar/
SMPS Service Anniversaries 20-Year Service Anniversary: Tracy Allen, CPSM, Marketing Manager – SANDIS Diane Fisher, VP, Director of Marketing – WSP
10-Year Service Anniversary: Dea Bacchetti, Marketing & Proposal Manager – AE3 Partners Will Cannell, LEED AP, Business Development – Jeff Luchetti Construction Corey Dare, Principal Engineer – Geosphere Consultants, Inc. Rachel Del Fierro, Marketing Manager – BCA Architects Stacey Dyke, Principal – Adelphes, Inc. Diane Hathcoat, CPSM, Associate, Marketing Director – BAMO Meryl Jackson, Northern California Marketing Manager – Parsons Brinkerhoff Patty Kamysz, CPSM, Associate, Marketing Manager – Golder Associates Laurie Lumish, CPSM, Business Development Manager – Degenkolb Engineers Camille McMajors, Corporate Communications Manager – Environmental Science Associates Nikki McQuaid, Pursuit Coordinator – GHD, Inc. Sara Paul, CPSM, LEED AP, Business Development Group Leader – ARUP
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the shortlist
Sponsors’ Spotlight
SMPS SF Give Back Campaign Details Tab: Event Name: SMPS SF Give Back Campaign Description of event: As part of our campaign to GIVE BACK this year, we are planning an SMPS community service project to work with the San Francisco City Impact: Help in the community dining room & Thrift store for the homeless, provide a word of encouragement, and help serve a healthy and nutritious, hot meal.
Location Tab: Venue Name: (where people will meet day of): San Francisco City Impact Address: 230 Jones Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Dates & Prices Tab: Program Start Time: January 9, 2014 - 2:15 p.m. Registration & Briefing/ 3 p.m. Food Serving will begin Program End: January 9, 2014 - 5:00 p.m.
Ticket #s: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/975621
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Sponsors’ Spotlight
the shortlist
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Sponsors’ Spotlight
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“Our passion is to create beautiful, enduring and meaningful places that inspire the human spirit”
415.383.7900
mvstudio@rhaa.com www.rhaa.com
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Sponsors’ Spotlight
the shortlist
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Sponsors’ Spotlight
the shortlist
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Sponsors’ Spotlight
the shortlist
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