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Promoting Top Talent to Lead Comprehensive Project Management Team

Sarah Oaks and Doug Garland embody the group’s strong trajectory of growth as they take on new leadership roles with Otak CPM.

We’re happy to announce the recent promotions of Sarah Oaks and Doug Garland to the new director and practice area leader for the company’s comprehensive project management team (Otak CPM).

No strangers to the firm, Sarah and Doug have been a part of Otak since the acquisition of DAY CPM in 2017. In that time, they’ve appreciated the expanded opportunities to collaborate with other Otak disciplines and grow alongside leaders on the team. Leveraging these multidisciplinary experiences, they aim to drive growth and best practices as owners’ representatives and client advisors across the public and private market sectors.

COO Scott Dreher has enjoyed working with Sarah since she joined the firm, sharing: “Sarah has been instrumental in managing operations for CPM over the past four years. Watching her build and empower a strong team has been a pleasure. With Sarah at the helm, the future looks incredibly promising.

Sarah Oaks, Director of Otak CPMHeadshot of Sarah Oaks

Sarah joined the organization in 2016 as a project manager supporting the Tigard-Tualatin School District bond. Since that time, she has risen through the organization while advancing her operational and leadership responsibilities from the program to business unit level. Over the last four years, Sarah has served Otak CPM in a leadership capacity to support business operations and individual project teams, first as operations manager and then as business unit leader. Some notable contributions include helping spearhead the team’s “Development Advisor” mentorship program while championing best practices, operational procedures, and other team development investments.

“We’re on the precipice of new growth and always seeking better ways to serve our clients. It’s a privilege to be able to collaborate with my team and identify the best practices and solutions that we’re bringing to our clients and share them across not only our division but the company.”

– Sarah Oaks, Director of Otak CPM

As Otak CPM grows, Sarah is excited to accelerate what the team has already started. Building on their recent work establishing career pathways, she is focused on the legacy plan for her group and their capacity to provide exceptional service to clients. With the goal of connecting team members with opportunities, Sarah aims to develop and advance careers in alignment with individual skills and passions to form great teams attuned to clients’ needs.

Doug Garland, Practice Area Leader of Otak CPM

Headshot of Doug Garland

Doug has been with Otak CPM for the past 13 years, where he has applied more than 22 years of his construction industry knowledge to the oversight of many critical projects in a variety of both public and private markets. From iconic courthouses, hospitals, first responder facilities, higher education projects, to industrial manufacturing – Doug showcases an ability to tackle complexity by guiding a wide range of projects to completion.

Scott also shares confidence in Doug’s appointment, stating that “Doug has been pivotal to the success of our CPM group. He brings a comprehensive skill set, from technical expertise to business development and team building.”

In his new position, Doug is particularly excited about the ability to bring the project management side of the business to other groups so they can focus on the engineering and design work they love. With best practices and innovative solutions, he aims to expand collaboration between Otak’s practice area and business unit leaders to provide the best possible client experience across the company.

“The great thing about Otak CPM is the culture of inclusion and collaboration that each employee brings to the team. As we look to the future it is this culture of excellence that will help us achieve our goals together.”

– Doug Garland, Practice Area Leader of Otak CPM

With the development of Otak leadership comes the opportunity for teams to build on the success of one another. Sarah and Doug are looking forward to working across Otak’s disciplines to find overlapping strategies that strengthen Otak as a firm. Backed by a strong team, Otak CPM represents an incredibly diverse group of leaders with traits that uniquely position them to relate to clients and speak their language. With an entrepreneurial spirit and talented leadership, the team has the momentum and expertise to serve the wide range of clients that are essential to growing the practice and the company.

Eight Projects Recognized at 2024 DJC Oregon Awards

In recognizing some of the Pacific Northwest’s most impactful projects, DJC Oregon hosted its annual awards event. Among the ‘Top Projects’ for 2024 were eight from Otak, and our teams were in attendance for the honor.

Images of Otak teams at the 2024 DJC Awards event.
Left: Margaret Steinhilber, Martin Munguia, and Matt Neish with the award for the Hardeson Campus Service & Operations Building; Right: Ralph Mocerino, Nick Brown, Mike Day, Kathy Kianunis, Martin Munguia, Matt Neish, and Brian Hardebeck sit together at the event

The collective celebration of industry excellence covered a wide range of project types and included the selection of a ‘Project of the Year’ from the year’s winners. There was also a new award for ‘Subcontractor of the Year’ as well as ‘People’s Choice’. Adding to our list of award-winning work, more detail into those eight Otak projects can be found below.  

 

Hardeson Campus Service & Operations BuildingInterior image of the Hardeson Campus Service and Operations Building.

Representing a unique opportunity for adaptive reuse design, this project converted a two-story concrete tilt panel office building into an operations hub for the busy transportation organization, Community Transit. Take a closer look at how this multidisciplinary effort between Otak architectural, structural, civil, and landscape teams revitalized this existing building with holistic improvements that place an emphasis on employee wellness.

See the Project

 

 

US 197: The Dalles BridgeCrew at work during the deck replacement of the Dalles Bridge along US 197.

Originally constructed in 1953, the deck of the steel-truss-cantilever Dalles Bridge on U.S. 197 had degraded to the point of needing to be replaced. Safety improvements to this vital transportation connection over the Colombia River utilized accelerated bridge construction techniques to avoid long term closure and disruption to regional commerce. See how the Otak structural and construction management teams were part of a unique hybrid management system to efficiently complete this work.

See the Project

 

Littell Bridge: Willapa Hills Trail BridgesAerial image of the Littell Bridge as part of the Willapa Hills Trail Bridges project.

One of three bridges creating safe pedestrian passage along the Willapa Hills Trail system, the Littell Bridge addresses a previously dangerous at-grade crossing with SR 6. The 250-foot, sinuous bridge provides a final link in the western 27 miles of the trail. Check out how Otak’s structural engineering and environmental teams combined to add safety and resilience to these trail crossings.

See the Project

 

Art Rutkin Elementary School: Tigard Tualatin School Bond ProgramInterior image of the library within Art Rutkin Elementary School.

As part of broader improvements to the Tigard Tualatin School district from a successful bond program, the new Art Rutkin Elementary School adds 75,000 square-feet of space for the community’s students. Learn more about how the district, with Otak as owner’s representative, implemented technology upgrades and new sustainable features across its growing facilities.

See the Project

 

Monmouth City HallExterior view of the entrance to Monmouth City Hall.

After nearly a century of service, Monmouth City Hall would be replaced with a design focused on sustainability, safety, and operational efficiency. Read more into how the Otak owner’s representative team joined the project to resolve cost issues while initiating a highly collaborative value engineering process.

See the Project

 

Nestucca Valley High School Career Technical Education CenterInterior view of workspace as part of the Nestucca Valley High School Career Technical Education Center.

In addressing the gap in diverse and accessible education opportunities for youth faced by many rural areas, the Nestucca Valley High School Career Technical Education (CTE) Center was developed as part of a school bond program for the communities of Coastal Oregon. Get a more complete view of how as owner’s representative, Otak helped guide to completion the flexible design of a facility that will provide long-lasting benefits to the surrounding community.

See the Project

 

Waterleaf Affordable Housing BuildingExterior view of the Waterleaf Building and affordable housing project.

With a unique shared post-tension podium deck, the BRIDGE Waterleaf Building adds 178 affordable housing units to the River Place neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. Take a more in-depth look at the Otak owner’s representative team guided this project through a number of challenges to make this community-focused building a reality.

See the Project

 

Multnomah County Library Operations Center

Rendering of the Multnomah County Library Operations Center.

In a major transformation across its facilities, Multnomah County Library is expanding spaces and upgrading technology to benefit the community through a capital bond program. See how the $380 million bond program is being applied to these public assets with overall program management from Otak.

See the Project

 

 

Welcoming New Leadership and Elevating Internal Experts to Propel Rocky Mountain Regional Success

We’re happy to announce the appointment of multiple key leadership roles in our Colorado offices. With new and familiar faces, these individuals will focus on advancing our structural and transportation work as well as the multidisciplinary practice as a whole.

“We’re thrilled to enter this new phase of growth in Colorado. Under the guidance of three outstanding leaders, Otak will continue to expand, innovate, and excel in the Colorado market by delivering exceptional client service.”

– Raul Aviles Jr., CEO of Otak

Read on to learn more about the people who aim to expand the positive impact of our work in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Henry Alaman, Regional Director

Headshot of Henry Alaman.

Heading up the team as the new Colorado Regional Director is Henry Alaman, who brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of leadership to his new role.

With over 30 years of experience, Henry Alaman is a seasoned professional with demonstrated expertise in organizational development, leadership, project management, and business development. Celebrating four years with Otak, Henry has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of the firm’s Project Management and Construction Management (PMCM) division. He has been instrumental in leading key initiatives such as recruitment, onboarding optimization, training programs, and incentive implementations, which have contributed to Otak’s ability to recruit and retain top talent in the industry.

In his own words, Henry expresses gratitude for the support from his colleagues at Otak, stating, “It’s been a humbling experience to be surrounded and supported by such a talented and engaged staff. They have been the collaborative driving force in the progress we’ve made.”

 

Todd Kelley, Bridges & Structures Business Unit Leader

Headshot of Todd Kelley.

Bringing fresh eyes and ideas to Otak’s bridges and structures group, Todd has over 17 years of experience in structural engineering design, including: railroad bridges, highway bridges, industrial structures, bridge inspections, and ratings.

With strong analytical and communication skills, his background also includes project and staff management. Todd received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Structural Engineering from the Southern Illinois University. He is a licensed professional engineer in Colorado, Missouri, Washington, Idaho, and California, and a licensed structural engineer in Illinois. Prior to joining Otak, Todd worked for American Rail Engineers in Denver, as General Director of Bridge Design.

Todd expresses his excitement to lead at Otak: “In taking this opportunity at Otak, I was drawn to the experienced people and exciting projects. I’ve found my team to be technically savvy, providing a great foundation for the growth of our group. With plenty of diverse and unique structures, Otak’s approach to projects fits my experience – and where I’d like it to go – perfectly.”

 

Kevin Dooley, Transportation & Infrastructure Business Unit Leader

Headshot of Kevin Dooley

Kevin has been with Otak’s Louisville office since 2017 as Transportation Project Manager, contributing his talents to much of the region’s major transportation work including: City of Boulder’s 30th & Colorado Underpass, City of Aspen’s Paepcke Transit Hub, Eagle County’s Eagle Valley Trail, City of Longmont’s Coffman Street Mobility Improvements, and the SH119 (Diagonal) Reconstruction project.

Confirming his confidence in the regional team, Kevin shares, “We currently have the best group of T&I staff that I have seen in my time here. From mentorship and training to the work itself, everyone is already adept at working together very well. This has us set up to provide opportunities for everyone to grow professionally while taking on new technical and managerial challenges.”

Building on more than 17 years of civil engineering experience, including the design and management of complex transportation and civil improvement projects, Kevin’s expertise spans roadway and trail design, drainage, and utility design of local agencies and federally funded projects. His field experience gives him valuable insight into the complete project delivery cycle and his hands-on approach to management and design ensures that projects will have an accurate and reliable set of construction documents. Kevin also participates in Otak’s sustainability leadership group, assisting with green initiatives in the company’s practice areas and training.

 

“The Colorado Region leadership has never been as strong and engaged as the team we have in place now… Their focus on client care, high quality, timely service delivery, solving for our clients, and mentorship skills makes me confident in their ability to develop the best team possible in our market.”

– Scott Dreher, COO of Otak

 

Otak is excited to continue generating momentum for our work in the Rocky Mountain region with the addition and promotion of top talent. The company is eager to see Henry, Todd, and Kevin thrive as leaders and develop project work and partnerships with key regional clients.

Mental Health Awareness in the AEC Industry: An Amplifying Voices Event

The ‘Amplifying Voices’ speaker series is a live and virtual event where AEC industry professionals are given a platform for discussion around topics that largely lack the awareness they deserve. In this edition, the event was aimed at destigmatizing the conversation around mental health for an industry where it’s particularly relevant.

A graphic of panelists for the mental health awareness in the AEC industry event.

For an industry with the 2nd (construction) and 5th highest (architecture and engineering) suicide rates, a conversation around mental well-being is especially important in the AEC workplace.

On May 22, 2024, Otak hosted a panel discussion at its Portland headquarters featuring a panel discussion between industry experts working to improve how mental health is viewed – and talked about – across the field.

Great strides are being made by organizations to introduce large-scale, collaborative mental health and mental wellness programs. The event served as an opportunity to continue expanding these efforts by making the topic an essential part of any conversation about industry priorities. Topics ranging from self-care best practices and coping mechanisms for common challenges to the detailing of available resources and wellness programs are among those covered by the panel.

A recording of the full event, along with additional resources, can be found below:

Watch the ‘Amplifying Voices’ Event

Announcing Henry Alaman as Rocky Mountain Regional Director

Otak is thrilled to lift up one of its own and appoint Henry Alaman as its new Rocky Mountain Regional Director – head of Otak’s operations in Colorado effective April 29th.

Otak is pleased to announce the appointment of Henry Alaman as the new Regional Director for its Colorado operations. Henry brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of leadership to his new role.
Headshot of Rick Belden.
With over 30 years of experience, Henry Alaman is a seasoned professional with demonstrated expertise in organizational development, leadership, project management, and business development. His extensive background includes serving as the Facilities and Property Management Director for Multnomah County and the Facilities Director for Oregon State University. Prior to joining Otak, Henry founded and successfully grew his own Minority Business Enterprise consulting company, Gabayan LLC.

“It’s been a humbling experience to be surrounded and supported by such a talented and engaged staff. They have been the collaborative driving force in the progress we’ve made.”

Henry Alaman, Rocky Mountain Regional Director – Otak, Inc.

Celebrating four years with Otak , Henry has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of the firm’s Project Management and Construction Management (PMCM) division. He has been instrumental in leading key initiatives such as recruitment, onboarding optimization, training programs, and incentive implementations, which have contributed to Otak’s ability to recruit and retain top talent in the industry.

Raul Aviles Jr., CEO of Otak, said this about Henry’s promotion: “I am thrilled to welcome Henry Alaman as the new Regional Director for Colorado. His exceptional leadership and commitment have played a pivotal role in his success at Otak. With his extensive industry knowledge, Henry is ideally suited to elevate and grow our Colorado team. I am confident that under his guidance, Otak will continue to expand, innovate, and thrive in the Colorado market.”

Henry’s leadership extends beyond his role in PMCM. He actively participates in corporate affairs, including operations meetings, business planning, forecasting, and advising on marketing and business development strategies. He has been a driving force behind Otak’s expansion into new markets, such as datacenters and advanced manufacturing, as well as the opening of a new office in Bend, Oregon.

One of Henry’s greatest strengths lies in his ability to identify and nurture talent. He has been instrumental in identifying the next generation of leaders within the PMCM division, ensuring the sustained growth and performance of the team. Henry’s remarkable ability to motivate and empower his teammates brings out the best in all. No challenge seems too daunting for him, and his unwavering determination and fearlessness in the face of obstacles sets a powerful example. In his own words, Henry expresses gratitude for the support from his colleagues at Otak, stating, “It’s been a humbling experience to be surrounded and supported by such a talented and engaged staff. They have been the collaborative driving force in the progress we’ve made.”

Matt Marshall, director of business development at Otak and former interim Rocky Mountain Regional Director, also had this to say about Henry’s appointment: “I have seen Henry in action thinking, planning, and executing strategically, driving growth in the business and creating opportunity for team members around him. I’m excited to see what he does in Colorado – a region within Otak primed for sustainable growth.”

Otak is confident that Henry Alaman’s leadership will further strengthen the firm’s presence in the Rocky Mountain region and lead the Colorado team to new heights of success.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact Report 2023

Over 15 years, beginning with a commitment to the AIA 2030, we’ve embarked on a journey to continuously understand our impact on the environment and communities where we live, work, and play. In that time we’ve gained valuable insights into what it looks like to make meaningful changes. Now, more than ever, we feel it is imperative to maintain our momentum and prepare to solve the challenges of the future. With that aim we believe in leading by example to infuse our mission to envision, design, and build innovative, resilient and thriving communities into every part of our business.

Take a look at our Corporate Responsibility and Impact Report, with the purpose of providing annual highlights and a baseline understanding of how we continue to be a more resilient, equitable, and just organization now and into the future.

 

Greenhouse Gas Offsets Breakdown 2023

Since 2019, as part of core initiatives around sustainability, Otak has been quantifying and offsetting the greenhouse gas emissions associated with our business operations. Following last year’s advances, we recently wrapped up our efforts to quantify our 2023 emissions and wanted to share the results with you.

Our firmwide emissions increased by 11% from 2022 to 2023, a result of increases to our Scope 3 emissions associated with employee commuting and reimbursed mileage for business travel. The total increase to our Scope 3 emissions was 17%.

Infographic showing a table of the different scopes of Otak's emissions with a comparison to the previous year.

Our Scope 2 emissions remain nearly the same as last year. Because our office spaces are leased and we do not have visibility into Otak’s energy consumption through submetering, we apply regional emissions factors on a square foot basis. While there was a slight decrease, it was less than 1% overall.

Continued Offsets During Accelerated Growth

We are proud to continue to work with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) to quantify and offset our carbon footprint. BEF provides third-party verified offsets and renewable energy credits. Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) are purchased to offset our Scope 2 emissions, which includes office energy consumption across all regions. All other emissions are encompassed in Scope 3. New this year, we have included the GHGs associated with our remote cloud servers; given the focus on data center sustainability, we were surprised to see that the total emissions from our Microsoft Azure servers was less than 1% of our total Scope 3 emissions (1.56 mtCO2e).

2023 Emissions Distribution

Infographic showing Otak's year over year carbon emission offsets comparison.

Because we have only been quantifying our emissions for five years, and three of those were during the pandemic, it has been challenging for Otak to establish a baseline for our emissions. Now that we can see business operations returning to a “normal” state, we are looking forward to performing some additional analysis in 2024 to develop a reduction plan. As our company grows, our emissions will undoubtedly continue to increase. But, it is critical that we implement strategies to curtail substantial increases that exceed proportional growth in our business.

For our Scope 3 offsets, Otak has decided to contribute to the following verified offset projects:

A table of carbon offset project types.

 

ACEC Washington Award Winners 2024

 

Picture of the project team accepting an award at the 2024 ACEC Washington event.
Photo Credit: ACEC WA

We’re delighted to share some additional award wins – this time for our project work in the Puget Sound region. The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Washington has awarded two projects from our bridge engineering team with Silver and Gold-level recognition!

ACEC Washington represents the gold standard for the business of engineering in Washington state, creating an environment that encourages quality, safe, impactful, and sustainable solutions for both the built and natural environments. They are the leading organization for promoting engineering companies through professional knowledge and exceptional services for communities across the state, and we’re grateful to be recognized on behalf of our teams who accomplished this award-winning work.

Learn more about each winning project on their respective project pages, and hear directly from our clients on what makes these wins so special.

 

Dungeness River Bridge – Best in State Gold Award: Social, Economic, and Sustainable Design Considerations

Infographic showing project details for the Dungeness Nature Center, river restoration, and bridge.As the firm providing lead design consulting services, bridge engineering, architecture and landscape architecture, and building structural engineering, our approach to this project was creating a space where critical infrastructure and the environment’s natural surroundings intersect. This created a meaningful and useful finished product for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe based on their input and desired outcomes:

“Aesthetically and functionally, the bridge is superb. We are thrilled with the innovative wishbone design, and the flow of traffic merges and splits seamlessly. The Tribe routinely receives rave reviews about the bridge from trail and Nature Center users.”
– Randy Johnson, Habitat Program Manager for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe

Willapa Littell Bridge – Best in State Silver Award: Successful Fulfillment of Owner/Client Needs

Infographic showing project details for the Willapa Hills, Littell Bridge.As prime consultant on this project – Otak performed a variety of essential services including project management, survey, environmental services, bridge and civil engineering, landscape architecture, stormwater management, and CMI work. The challenge for the client was mitigating safety hazards thanks to a highly popular trail combined with a dangerous at-grade crossing on a high-speed state highway while addressing aesthetic concerns among community members. With special thanks to our partners in overcoming speed bumps on the way to final delivery, the project now stands as a testament to innovative engineering that not only functions well, but is also a sight to behold: 

“Constructing a 250’ span bridge over a busy highway with little to no lay down/staging area was a challenging endeavor. Otak produced a design that satisfied permit requirements, design requirements, and was aesthetically pleasing, definitely exceeding our expectations.”
– Tim Bell, Project Manager for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission

View the rest of the winners on the Seattle DJC’s official website here, along with their write up on the Dungeness Bridge and river restoration here!

ACEC Oregon Award Winners 2024

Otak is proud to announce some recent accolades from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Oregon. The ACEC Oregon Engineering Excellence Awards celebrate the best of the best in the engineering world, acknowledging firms that demonstrate innovation, technical expertise, and a commitment to delivering exceptional projects.

View the project page for each award winner below and be sure to watch the videos that accompany them for direct insight into what makes each project special.

Cedar Crossing at Johnson Creek – Small Project Award

Check out how Otak’s approach to stream restoration design returned a critical juncture of Johnson Creek at Cedar Crossing to it’s natural features, ensuring that one of the last creeks where salmon actively spawn in Portland, OR is viable for generations to come.

Ash Creek (F Street) Bridge – Honor Award

See how Otak involved the community of Independence, OR to replace an ailing bridge on Ash Creek, providing critical infrastructure through quality survey, geotechnical, roadway, bridge, hydraulic analysis, and environmental permitting work.

Otak’s Ingredients for Holiday Cheer!

Explore the Dishes, Sips, and Songs that Make Up Our Holidays 

Everyone has something that elicits the feeling that the holidays are officially here. Oftentimes, that ‘thing’ involves an unmistakable taste, scent, or sound that reminds you of home and your family traditions.

With that in mind, this year we’ve collected the songs and recipes that truly capture the holiday spirit from our team. Take a look and try some for yourself! As you’re baking, mixing, and listening to your favorites this season, share any of the recipes you’ve made from the book on social with the hashtag #otaksholidaycheer2023 – Happy Holidays from Otak!