Guion’s commitment to OTJ’s core values, combined with his business acumen and leadership, exemplifies the high standard we bring to our efforts.
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04.13.2026
OTJ Announces 2026 Promotions
We are pleased to announce firmwide promotions that underscore our continued commitment to excellence, the professional development of our people, and to an award-winning work culture that empowers individuals at all levels of the organization to do their best, most creative work.
As our firm continues to grow, we look to our leaders to help shape and guide a firmwide structure that remains effective, efficient, collaborative, and fiscally strong. Senior Principals and Operations Officers Ania Leeson, AIA, LEED AP, Fitwel, and Elizabeth Long, AIA, LEED AP, have been elevated to new roles as Chief Officers and will play pivotal roles in supporting and advancing the firm’s ongoing priorities. Both are proven design and business leaders who have been instrumental in the realization of key strategic initiatives.
Ania Leeson, AIA, LEED AP, Fitwel, has been elevated to Chief Studio Officer (CSO). As CSO, Ania will oversee day‑to‑day studio operations, governance, and cross‑studio coordination. Her role focuses on operational consistency, talent support, and firmwide initiatives, with targeted involvement in select pursuits and strategic advisory efforts. Elizabeth Long, AIA, LEED AP, has been elevated to Chief Practice Officer (CPrO). In this role, Elizabeth will lead pursuits and project delivery, with a focus on strategy, QA/QC and BIM oversight, issue resolution, and studio planning. Together with Laura Kennington, President and Co-CEO, Lance Jaccard, Co-CEO, Jordana Coppola, Chief People Officer, and Pascal Molenat, Chief Marketing Officer, Ania and Elizabeth strengthen firmwide leadership across operations, strategy, pursuits, and delivery.
Principal and Studio Director Guion Childress, AIA, LEED Green Associate, has been elevated to Senior Principal. A proven design and business leader, Guion has been instrumental in the expansion and success of our west coast office in San Francisco. He leads our continued growth across the workplace, multi-family residential, hospitality and lifestyle, science and technology, and mixed‑use sectors, with a strong focus on building new partnerships and strengthening existing relationships.
OTJ has also promoted several team members to Principal in recognition of their contributions to our firm’s growth, stability, and culture. This new cohort includes Sara Kipfer and Tamara Sainz. Andrea Lynch, Gaston Dietz, Laurel Duff, Sam Geraci, and Shannon Dennis have been named Associate Principals.
In addition, India Hartwell, Jennifer Pearson, and Rex Crabb have been appointed Senior Associates. Alex Dean, Alexis Heldreth, Brendon Kong, Cate Jutras-Stone, Ellison Carmichael, Emily Cunningham, Elizabeth Malone, Grace Hernandez, Iris Rios Pacheco, Jennifer Tapley, Jose Laguarta, Kendra LeBlanc, Megan Rowe, Olivia Ryan, Savanna Gregal, and Victoria Baine have also been recognized as Associates.
OTJ has also promoted business and design leaders. Georgina Sperber has been recognized as Senior Director. Liz O’Hara has taken on new responsibilities as Studio Director. Anastasia Epshteyn has been promoted to Director of Design, Kendra LeBlanc to Director of Lab Planning, and Gaston Dietz and Claire Tranter Yost to Director of Architecture.
Several promotions reflect the deep bench of talent found in OTJ’s operational teams: Jireh Klein is now Director of Human Resources. Sharissa Fedee has been promoted to Senior Marketing Manager. Meghan Shelkin has advanced to HR Manager and Mason Witt to IT Manager. Lastly, Jennifer Tapley assumes the role of Senior Project Accountant.
The following promotions further strengthen our deep bench of design expertise. Anthony Wolff has been appointed Senior Technical Designer and Senior Specialist: Lab Planning and Trisha Falcigno-Everly is now Specialist: Workplace Strategy. Afrah Al-Eryani, Alexis Heldreth, and Jordan Isaac step into the role of Senior Designers. Brandon Abrams, Izabela Marsh, and Tori Dang have been elevated to Senior Technical Designer. Angela Gonzalez, Ashlyn Young, Brooke Zeolla, Elena Trage, Jade Allen, Katey Smith, and Katie Saunders have advanced to Designer.
These promotions not only celebrate individual achievement but also represent our commitment to shaping a resilient and future-forward organization. As we continue to grow and adapt to new industry challenges, our people remain our greatest strength.
