Company News Archives - Page 6 of 9

Otak Expands Senior Management Team in Oregon and SW Washington to Better Serve Public and Private Clients

Otak was founded in Portland 40 years ago to serve both private development and public clients with topflight planning, engineering, and architecture services for urban design and civil infrastructure. We have grown significantly, especially in the last five years, and have added new services and broadened our client base. Earlier this year, Otak organized its Portland and Vancouver offices to continue growth in both the private and public client sectors with new senior leaders dedicated to serving each client set.

The new leadership team make-up is both existing Otak leaders in expanded roles and leaders new to Otak. The focus of the team is to leverage expertise and technical knowledge in both Oregon and SW Washington with teams dedicated to the unique needs of public and private clients.

Otak CEO Jim Hamann is a champion of this transition. “We find ourselves in the fortunate position of having strong teams at all levels throughout Otak, by structuring teams with leadership focused on public or private exclusively, we’ll better meet the unique needs of each.”

Meet the team

Tim Leavitt, P.E. led the Vancouver office as Office Manager since 2017 and will now lead the civil infrastructure business for private clients as Regional Director Oregon and SW Washington. Millicent Williams takes the role of Regional Director for planning, engineering, and construction services for public clients after rising to Deputy Director at Portland Bureau of Transportation. Brian Fleener, AIA, has been with Otak since 2015 as Architecture Practice Leader and will take on an expanded role as Regional Director for architecture design and Henry Alaman is Regional Director for comprehensive project management; both Brian and Henry have public and private client portfolios.

For private clients, Otak leads the planning, civil engineering, architecture design, and comprehensive project management on some of the most recognizable projects in the Portland Metro area. From the recently approved Hyatt in the Pearl to the Vancouver Waterfront, Otak’s private practice is in high demand. In January, recognizing the value our integrated project team brings to clients, Otak organized a Management team specifically for private clients. Together, Tim Levitt and Brian Fleener coordinate engineering, project planning, and architecture services to help developers and owners prove out their project concepts and take them through entitlement to construction. Henry Alaman’s comprehensive project management team helps owners through the complex process of construction and commissioning.

Equally strong is Otak’s private practice for DOT’s, public works departments, library districts, school districts, water districts, and ports. Millicent’s state and local agency-focused team can provide a range of planning and design services from urban planning to roadway and bridge design, from stormwater management to park and recreational trail planning and design. Teamed with Brian and Henry, our public client team has delivered public facilities from affordable housing to libraries and courthouses. With regional realignment, Otak is better positioned to serve public and private clients throughout Oregon and SW Washington.

CEO Jim Hamann summed up, “This leadership team has great vision and strong relationships throughout the region with clients and partners. The mix of Otak experience and fresh perspective in the broader team will give clients great confidence that Otak will deliver great projects.”

DJC Names Three Otak Employees to OR Women of Vision 2021

Otak is proud to announce that three team members have been named as honorees to the Daily Journal of Commerce OR Women of Vision 2021. Tanya Boyer, Rachel Laura, and Cathy Kraus join more than 40 other women across Oregon and Southwest Washington who are being recognized for the work they do in shaping our built environment. Their leadership, mentoring efforts, promotion of industry diversity, and community involvement have helped shine a bright light on our industry.

As a marketing manager for Otak’s Portland and SW Washington offices, Tanya Boyer’s dedication to developing marketing and business development processes to bring work through the door, coupled with driving these practices, is paramount in Otak’s successes. During her time at Otak, Tanya has overseen the development and implementation of WinMap, a detailed approach to marketing and business development that empowers our various practice areas to cultivate stronger business relationships with current and prospective clients.

Tanya is also involved in the community, taking the tutelage and guidance received by some amazing female mentors of hers during the early stages of her career, and passing that forward. One of the ways she has done this is through her involvement with the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS). Tanya is currently the leader of the SMPS Mentorship Roundtable for the Portland chapter, a program that pairs experienced marketing professionals with new marketers, allowing the new marketers to expand their professional network, access a broad range of marketing information, and interact with industry colleagues. Both as the leader and a mentor in this program, Tanya has had many mentees, all of whom say that she was very invested and committed to their success.

Rachel Laura, PMP, is known for wearing many “hats” at Otak, including those of senior accounting manager, Deltek (ERP) administrator, and as a leader of our internal project management office. Rachel’s dedication to her community is coupled with her unwavering commitment to Otak, culminating in her involvement with many charitable events through the years, including several events that raised money for local-area nonprofits and the Oregon Food Bank. Rachel is also a talented landscape painter who volunteers with the Tolovana Arts Colony, a local non-profit whose mission is to provide affordable, year-round arts-related education, inspiration, and cultural programming.

As senior manager of the project accounting team, Rachel’s efforts play an integral role in the everyday financial function of Otak. In addition to these day-to-day responsibilities, Rachel has also taken on the role of project manager for Otak’s enterprise resource planning system upgrade, taking ownership of a huge endeavor that aims to put systems and processes in place to streamline Otak’s capabilities and enhance our service delivery to clients.

Senior project manager, Cathy Kraus, is often recognized for her holistic leadership approach, regular advocacy for staff, and for being a proponent of equity and inclusion. Her empathy, leadership, and psychological safety practices promoting deeper trust and collaboration were evident on two projects for the Vancouver Clinic where she worked alongside ZGF Architects and Andersen Construction to deliver two award-winning projects. Cathy’s authentic and genuine leadership style supported the team’s collective approach for calmly and collaboratively navigating the impacts of the pandemic midway through a 12-month construction program, completing the project five weeks early and under budget, while also accommodating late program changes, converting two exam rooms into negatively pressurized rooms for the treatment of infectious diseases like COVID-19.

Springing from her recent project experiences, Cathy has been researching the elements of high functioning teams and the benefits of psychological safety in related work. As a result, she has been invited to share her research at this year’s AIA Seattle Architecture for Health Spring Conference, Oregon, and Idaho Chapters of the Society for Healthcare Engineering Fall Conferences, as well as write an article for AIA’s annual Academy of Architecture for Health publication. Cathy also enjoys opportunities to serve as a guest reviewer for Portland State University’s Architecture 120 Students’ final projects.

Honorees will be recognized at the DJC Women of Vision event to be held Thursday, October 28 from 4:00 to 8:00 pm at the Oregon Zoo.

Otak Celebrates 40 Years

A business anniversary—especially the 40th—is always a point of reflection. If we could hop in a time machine and dial it back 40 years, we might be amazed at how much our world has changed. The differences over 40 years are amazing and yet often cliché. Consider this: in 1981, many of Otak’s staff wasn’t born yet or that the very nature of how we produce our work was completely transformed when Microsoft released its first software. No question, our world is much different than it was in 1981!

Yet as Otak celebrates 40 years, some things are as recognizable as ever. The things that matter have remained our focus: Our commitment to the communities we work in. Bringing unique and exciting solutions by applying all of Otak’s creative resources to each project. A culture that feels like family at work and at play. Over 40 years, we’ve strengthened what matters.

Our people—many of whom have been with us for most of our history—have always made the difference at Otak. We thought it fitting to take their recollections of what made Otak great and recreate that journey with this video celebration of Otak’s 40 years!

Otak Embraces Earth Month

An interesting discovery was made this year when scientists began to see that forcing everyone to stay home–away from their cars, avoiding plane rides– and watching big businesses turn to remote work had a positive impact on our environment. No one is saying that shutdowns are the answer, but it became a bit clearer that we can do better to protect our planet.

And a clean planet is what is being celebrated this April with Earth Month. Otak embraces sustainable and environmentally sound practices in all that they do, and so it is little surprise the people who make up Otak have been busy engaging in Earth Month activities. From educating clients to rolling up our sleeves to supporting those who work hard to protect the planet, we prioritize the earth this month and all the rest of the months of the year.

We started with our embrace of Earth Month by issuing a reminder to our clients that our accredited staff can help lead them through the sustainable development verification/certification process for their projects. Whether they are looking at LEED, Green Globes, Earth Advantage, Envision, SITES, EcoDistricts certification or others, we stand ready to help. Even for clients that may not be pursuing certification, we can use the same design principles and point them towards a wealth of resources to set them on a sustainable path.

For our “boots on the ground” Earth Month activity, Otak’s Portland office marketing team volunteered to pick up trash for SOLVE Oregon, an organization with a mission to improve the environment and build a legacy of stewardship. The group worked with other volunteers to collect 2,000 pounds of trash filling a 10-cubic-yard dumpster. Others from the Portland office got to work cleaning the company’s adopted stormwater planters, and still other staff members joined in their own Earth Month projects that were closer to their homes or their hearts.

Otak also looks inward to its own environmental stewardship. We have been working internally to reduce our carbon footprint and we’ve made great strides this past year in part because of the shift to remote work. We reduced our emissions a full 25% over 2019 and in partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, we offset 827mT of carbon. Our offsets will go towards projects that include West Coast Tree Planting, Promise the Pod, Tribal Lands Renewable Energy, and Clean Energy Futures Education Program.

The last way Otak recognized Earth Month was by supporting environmental initiatives directly with our charitable giving. For Earth Month donations this year we chose organizations whose missions were focused on environmental conservation, stewardship, or mitigating the impacts of climate change. Each of our regions selected two organizations. This year’s recipients include: Depave and the Watershed Alliance of SW Washington in the Portland/Vancouver region; EarthCorps and Washington’s National Park Fund in the Redmond/Everett region; and The Greenway Foundation and Wildlands Restoration Volunteers in the Denver/Louisville region.

Earth Month may be over, but Otak will continue on its path to increase sustainable practices, elevate environmental awareness, and modify our operations to reduce our own carbon footprint.

Otak Survey Teams Expand Capabilities in Bathymetric Mapping and Hydraulic Modeling

Otak has long been at the forefront of survey and mapping processes and electronic data collection. With the recent acquisition of the Hyrdrolite single beam sonar and the Hydrone, an unmanned surface vessel (UVS) with the AutoNav system from Seafloor Systems, Otak’s survey teams have expanded capabilities in bathymetric mapping and hydraulic modeling. As Nathan Dasler, Otak Water Resources Engineer, states, “we now have an easy way of collecting a significant amount of accurate data for mapping channel bottoms to aid in our fish passage and stream restoration work, as well as construction and engineering projects that are either abutted against bodies of water or submerged.”

Equipped with pre-programmable GPS tracking, the UVS allows for remote data collection in otherwise challenging or inaccessible environments. Further, in situations where multiple surveys are needed over time, reliable data can be collected efficiently in the same location, and with extreme precision.

The application and use of the technology and equipment in the field are proving to be beneficial in a number of settings and project types including shoreline validation, hydraulic modeling, and sedimentation measurements.

Read the complete story on how Otak is using this new technology and the data it provides to achieve greater outcomes.

DJC Names Sarah Oaks 2020 Phenom

DAY CPM and Otak are thrilled to share that the Daily Journal of Commerce (DJC) has named Sarah Oaks, Operations Manager for DAY CPM, as a 2020 Phenom under their Phenoms & Icons Award. The award honors long-time leaders and up-and-coming professionals in the building industry who are expected to share the future of architecture, engineering, construction, development, transportation, energy, and sustainability in the region.

Sarah was nominated by her peers for not only her significant contributions in her day-to-day work, where she is responsible for overseeing the entire construction and project management division with its 60 employees, but for her efforts that go beyond.

Of significance is her creation of the mentorship program for DAY CPM. Henry Alaman, Senior Vice President notes,

“Through this mentorship program, she has come to understand each employee’s responsibilities within the division, their strengths and weaknesses, where the employee can execute their strengths to their advantage, and how all employees can simultaneously work together. Her knowledge has been invaluable for our implementation of better practices as a division.”

Sarah recognizes and empowers all staff to share their expertise with others through training and peer development. In particular, she is a leader for her female colleagues championing practices of equity and inclusion by working to bring visibility to the contributions of others, and advance promotion opportunities and pay equity within the division.

Combining her skills at identifying and pushing forward best management practices to lead the work of her division, with her unfailing support of her colleagues made Sarah an obvious choice to her nominators who included Henry Alaman, Shawn Klinker, Healthcare Market Sector Leader, and Jon Nyone, International Market Sector Leader for DAY CPM.

Sarah will be honored at the virtual Phenoms & Icons Award Event to be held on Thursday, December 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

ENR Recognizes Pringle Creek with a 2020 Regional Award of Merit

Otak has been selected by the Engineering News-Record as an Award of Merit winner for the Pringle Creek Demolition and Stream Restoration project. A virtual ceremony will be held Thursday, December 10 to recognize project winners.

This project was performed for the City of Salem and involved removing a vacant concrete structure and opening a 600-foot linear stream corridor which was designed to appear as if it had always been there. The work improved the aesthetics of the area and added a natural area for nearby residents and future park and trail users. It also improved water quality and increased fish passage.

The size and scope of the project necessitated coordination among several firms including Pacific Habitat Services who was key in obtaining environmental permits, and Geo Design Inc. who assisted with the management of contaminated soils. The prime contractor relied on two key subcontractors; Cascade Shoring and Abiqua Landscape.

OAME Honors Otak and DAY CPM With Construction Company Award of the Year

The Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs (OAME) has selected DAY CPM, a division of Otak, as Construction Company of the Year. This award recognizes the commitment and advancement Day CPM and Otak have achieved in providing meaningful opportunities to minority, women, POC, and MWESBSDV, businesses, and employees. DAY CPM’s strong partnership with OAME to achieve its mission to promote and develop entrepreneurship and economic development for ethnic minorities in Oregon and SW Washington is another factor that stood out in an industry of committed peers.

Formed in 1987, OAME is a non-profit, tax-exempt, organization whose 850 members include entrepreneurs, public agencies, large businesses, and partner non-profits. The organization provides free technical assistance and business counseling and has the overarching goal of eliminating discrimination and racism under its motto “Everybody’s In, Nobody’s Out.”

DAY CPM has long recognized that construction is a sector ripe with opportunity for minorities and women to grow into industry leaders. Otak has always been driven to create inclusive communities in the projects it undertakes and is proud to be recognized for creating a business community that is also inclusive. We show the values we hold in our own workplace are the same as those we take to our work.

The award was presented during OAME’s 32nd Annual Conference, entitled “Diversity is Practiced” held virtually on Thursday, October 8.

Otak Employees Named to DJC’s 2020 Women of Vision

Three of Otak’s employees, Serah Breakstone, Angela Khosa-Marangwanda, and Tina Keller, have been announced as 2020 Women of Vision honorees by the Daily Journal of Commerce. Each of these women is recognized for their leadership, mentoring, and community involvement. Our winners join 40 other honorees this year who are all making a difference in the built environment across Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Serah Breakstone, AICP, senior planner and project manager drafted a technical framework for infrastructure-based time extensions that was a crucial piece to getting passage of House Bill 2001 Middle Housing Rulemaking Project for Oregon’s Department of Land Conservation and Development. Serah is treasurer of the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association’s board of directors and volunteers at New Avenues for Youth.

Angela Khosa-Marangwanda, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, is an architectural designer and project coordinator at DAY CPM, an Otak division, who plays a significant role in our work with K-12 schools projects and within Otak’s Equity and Inclusion Advisory Group. Angela is a member At-large of the National Organization of Minority Architects, the City of Portland’s Minority Evaluator Program, and Jack & Jill of America.

Tina Keller is our Vancouver administrative services manager who plays a critical role in transitioning our employees toward working remotely. Tina also leads our green efforts, starting the Green Bag Lunch series and earning the Vancouver office the Clark County Green Business Certification. Tina is also a Trail Ambassador for Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, and regularly participates in cleanup and beautification efforts around Vancouver, Washington.

The virtual event celebrating their accomplishments will be held on October 21, 2020 from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. For more information on this event please visit:

https://djcoregon.com/news/2020/09/10/award-honorees-named-upcoming-event/

Five Otak Leaders Nominated for DJC’s Women of Vision Award

This year five women from Otak have been nominated for the 2020 Daily Journal of Commerce Women of Vision award that recognizes women who are shaping the A/E/C industry through their leadership, mentoring efforts, community support, and promotion of industry diversity. To date, DJC has honored close to 250 women from the Pacific Northwest. Awardees will be honored at a celebratory dinner on October 21, pending any COVID-19 changes.

Otak’s nominees have all worked to shape the success of Otak and its employees, while also fostering change in their communities and within the A/E/C industry at large.

Angela Khosa-Marangwanda, AIA, NOMA, is an architectural designer and project coordinator at DAY CPM who has played a significant role in our work with the education sector building on her solid relationship with the Oregon City School District. Internally, Angela is a member of Otak’s Equity and Inclusion Advisory Group. As a woman of color, Angela also puts her time and effort into projects and programs to encourage and celebrate diversity. She helped charter the Pacific Northwest chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects and participates in recruiting events at local university career fairs. She also serves as a minority volunteer panelist for the City of Portland’s Minority Evaluator Program reviewing and awarding city contracts. Knowing that tomorrow’s leaders in the building world have to have a solid foundation, she is a member of Jack & Jill of America whose members nurture future African American leaders through leadership development, volunteer service, philanthropic giving, and civic duty.

Reflecting her many titles, Rachel Laura, Senior Project Accounting Manager, and Deltek administrator, plays an integral role in Otak’s everyday financial functions and activities of the project accounting group. In addition to her day to day work, Rachel is the project management chair for Otak’s project management and quality committee where she supports teams, ensures consistency, and improves performance. To help Otak continue its charitable efforts, Rachel is instrumental in our Parking Day and Canstruction events which raise money and donations for Oregon food banks. Rachel takes her charitable giving to activities outside of work volunteering for Tolovana Arts Colony, and frequently donating her landscape paintings to charitable fundraisers.

Serah Breakstone, AICP, is a senior planner and project manager who’s planning work makes Otak more successful and ensures the communities we work in continue to thrive as well. She was instrumental in the passage of House Bill 2001 Middle Housing Rulemaking Project for Oregon’s Department of Land Conservation and Development, drafting a technical framework for infrastructure-based time extensions (IBTER) designed to introduce more flexibility in providing higher-density housing. The DLCD code update helps jurisdictions that need more time to upgrade infrastructure to allow them to adopt middle housing legislation. Serah served on the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association conference committee and was elected to its board of directors in 2019, where she currently serves as treasurer. In her spare time, Serah helps prepare meals at the New Avenues for Youth day center that serves as a resource center for homeless youth.

Tanya Boyer is the marketing manager at Otak’s Oregon & SW Washington Region, Otak’s largest in terms of geography, staff, and revenue. Through her role, Tanya has led the transformation of Otak’s BD and Marketing program to be more proactive and strategic in building client relationships and creating a more predictable business model for growth. Tanya’s talents were also brought into play as she worked with a graphic designer to update the Otak brand. She is a member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services that works to move the A/E/C industry forward and currently serves as the leader of its Mentorship Roundtable for the Portland chapter. In this capacity, she helps partner newcomers to the A/E/C marketing industry with seasoned professionals. To further reach the next generation of A/E/C professionals, Tanya participates in informational interviews of college students and recent graduates and attends college career fairs throughout Oregon and Washington.

Administrative Services Manager Tina Keller’s passion for people and creating effective workplace dynamics has cemented her reputation as a connector among her colleagues. Her most critical role of late is to serve as the active liaison with Otak’s IT department, ensuring that employees are able to work effectively from remote locations–a new foundation for successful business management during the pandemic. Tina’s commitment to green operations has also played a large role in the greening of the company, helping the Vancouver office achieve Clark County’s Green Business Certification, organizing the Greenbag lunch sessions, and co-leading the company’s Carbon Neutral Initiative implementation. Tina has taken her passion for sustainability to her community where she helps with cleanup and beautification efforts and has served as liaison to the city of Vancouver on its downtown beautification task force. Her green passion extends to the wilderness of Oregon as Tina is a Trail Ambassador for Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, educating visitors on the Leave No Trace program.

Congratulations to all of Otak’s nominees, who work hard to make our company, our communities, and our citizens thrive.