The addition of these exceptional professionals to our leadership team will ensure that we are ideally positioned to capitalize on the many opportunities we anticipate to serve our clients.
newsstand
01.01.2021
Key Staff Advances to New Leadership Positions
OTJ Architects is pleased to announce the advancement of Chief People Officer Jordana Coppola, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, to Senior Principal, our firm’s senior-most leadership position. Director of Design Chris Leonberg, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, and Regional Business Development Director Denise Myler, WELL AP, were named Principals. OTJ has also promoted several business and design leaders to Associate, including Miami-based Project Manager Juan Mejia and HR Manager/Diversity Task Force Chair Bilqis Ferguson.
CEO Lance Jaccard, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP, remarked: “2020 presented our firm with unique challenges that we could not have met without the talent, resourcefulness, and integrity of our firm’s leaders. As we continue to diversify our services and expand our geographic reach, these promotions reflect the value and impact of our long-standing strategic hiring efforts.”
Jordana Coppola, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is a recognized business leader who leverages over 25 years of consulting, human resources, management, and operational experience to support OTJ’s rapid growth and cement our reputation as an employer of choice. In addition to her role in the recruitment and retention of top industry talent, Jordana is a notably forward-thinking HR professional who recognizes the critical importance of nurturing a workplace culture that embraces diversity and equity to allow each of our team members to do their best, most creative work on our clients’ behalf. Jordana holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from Pensacola Christian College.
Director of Design Chris Leonberg, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is an award-winning architect with international experience in the restoration and design of historic and performing arts destinations. His attention to detail and context results in elegant build solutions that seamlessly integrate with the historical fabric of existing buildings and their surroundings. Chris has established himself as a design leader who works in close partnership with his clients to arrive at creative solutions for complex large-scale projects such as New York’s iconic Webster Hall, the Smart Financial Center at Sugar Land, Texas, and Broadway’s Hudson Theatre to name a few. Chris graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Architecture.
Regional Director of Business Development, Denise Myler, WELL AP, has been instrumental to OTJ’s expansion. Since joining OTJ’s business development team, Denise has worked in close partnership with Chief Growth Officer Laura Kennington, LEED AP, to help mature our practice and grow our firm’s revenue to over $25M. Denise credits her success to the development of long-lasting consultative client relationships built on trust that, like our designs, endure well beyond the completion of our work. Denise holds degrees from both Boston College and the Academy of Art University.
