Page 7 – Otak

Otak Acquires Tarr Whitman Group LLC

We are proud to announce today that we have strengthened our project control and construction support capabilities with the acquisition of Tarr Whitman Group LLC (TWG). TWG will operate as a business unit within Otak and remain focused on providing exceptional project control and related services to the full spectrum of Otak and TWG clients. CEO Jim Hamann had this to say about bringing TWG into the fold.

“We are seeing our clients’ delivering projects that are becoming larger and more complex. Project Controls brings a focus on cost and schedule that is essential in completing projects on schedule and within budgets. TWG’s specialized data-focused services allow clients to see beyond the basic costs and schedules to gain a real view of the decisions that need to be made now to achieve their goals for completion. As projects become more complex change management is key, and TWG’s services strengthen our client’s ability to manage the cost and schedule impacts of changes during project implementation. TWG’s services essentially pay for themselves through more efficient project delivery.”

A specialized project controls and construction support consulting firm, TWG has a long history of excellence in the A/E/C industry, with extensive program work at the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Sound Transit, and the Port of Seattle, among others. In the current environment of increasing project spending and staffing shortages, TWG joining Otak will elevate both firms’ capabilities in assisting clients to deliver their projects within schedule and on budget. TWG’s experience in mega-projects will increase Otak’s capabilities to compete for larger program and project initiatives. Walter Tarr, TWG’s founder, said this about combining with Otak:

“Our joining of Otak means that TWG now has the ability to provide integrated services and serve a large client and project base. It positions us well to help clients manage the increase in federal and local infrastructure spending.  With Otak’s support, our senior staff can focus their efforts on pursuing more clients, hiring quality staff, and providing a greater range of services. We are excited about the merger and think it will strengthen our relationships with our existing clients. We can now offer a wider range of integrated services that will strengthen our ability to quickly respond to our clients’ needs.”

Otak is proud to bring an accomplished organization like TWG onboard. Joining forces means a greater ability to serve both the public good and private sector interests.

DAY CPM evolves into Otak CPM, Comprehensive Project Management

In 2017, DAY CPM joined forces with Otak to bring its expertise to Otak’s clients and expand its brand of owner’s representation and project management services. Thanks to the acquisition, Otak was immediately able to provide a more complete set of offerings to our clients.

Building a Legacy and Looking Forward

Having Mike Day, the founder and head of DAY CPM, join the leadership of Otak brought more than his role as a well-known leader in the field. The dynamic “DNA” of DAY CPM that grew under Mike continued with the talented teams he put together, demonstrated by the distinguished position DAY CPM garnered across Oregon before coming into the fold. For Otak, DAY CPM was a key part of providing all services to all clients, in every geography. Understanding this vision is crucial and now the time is right for DAY CPM to think bigger and expand its reach beyond Oregon.

Considering the aspirations, the leadership decided it was time to formally change their name and with the help of staff rebranded to answer this new call to adventure. Going forward, DAY CPM will now be known as Otak CPM, Comprehensive Project Management.

The Cause Behind the Change

The purpose of this rebrand is twofold. First, it allows the former DAY CPM brand to continue to help clients realize their vision and serve their mission by becoming closer to Otak to leverage local resources to expand that mission. Second, it will help build owner’s representative capability across Otak and offer the premium service to all clients. With the name change, the company will be able to extend that local reputation it worked so hard to achieve to a greater number of clients— allowing us to achieve our vision for project delivery anywhere.

Change by Listening to Staff

Woven deeply in our DAY legacy is listening intensely to find the best path forward; likewise, the rebranding process was both comprehensive and inclusive. Many DAY staff members participated, sharing their thoughts and insights through interviews and a series of listening sessions. After hearing their shared experiences, it became clear that “CPM” is not an abbreviation that is understood in the industry, yet it is central to the service we provide. The team determined that the new Otak CPM brand mark should define it–Comprehensive Project Management—to raise awareness about Otak CPM’s approach to delivering projects and especially owner’s representation.

A Fresh Outlook

The team’s input proved to be invaluable, especially when it came to defining the benefits we bring to clients— that special DAY CPM “DNA.” Their thoughtful discussions have resulted in a new purpose statement for Otak CPM, which supports the Otak “Why,” and describes the practices’ vision and unique place within the organization:

“To transform the client experience as a trusted partner, sharing leadership, expertise, counsel, and creativity to realize our clients’ vision and serve their mission.”

With this freshly laid purpose, a set of brand values emerged that, tested in practice and steeped in years of experience, forms the foundation for how Otak CPM teams will approach their work and provide the level of service they’ve become known for. A renewed commitment to proven values that are formally recognized:

Integrity – honest, ethical, respectful
Authentic – genuine, reliable, original
Exceptional – proactive, accountable, courageous
Creative – solutions-oriented, innovative, nimble
Collaborative – partnership, cooperative, inclusive

Together, these attributes are the heart of the Otak CPM brand and organization. They are firmly aligned with the whole of Otak, and yet especially significant to the Otak CPM staff and leadership to ground all actions, business decisions and communications, now and in the years to come.

With the new CPM brand, the Otak will become stronger and more valuable as we continue to grow the company and differentiate ourselves from our competitors.

Structures Engineer David Graff. P.E. Embraces Projects That Challenge Assumptions of What is Possible

From a utilitarian standpoint, bridges serve a singular purpose: they enable the crossing of obstacles via the most direct route possible. For Bridge Project Engineer, David Graff, P.E., this strict interpretation of bridges held true, especially when viewed through the lens of accommodating vehicular traffic. That all changed when he joined Otak’s Structures Group in Colorado and began working on pedestrian bridges.

David Graff, Bridge Projects Engineer, Colorado

In 2017, David had recently completed the engineering graduate program at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU), where he had intentionally pivoted away from his previous structures work in buildings and cell towers, to focus on bridges. He says that he found “vehicular bridges to be very interesting and cool projects to work on.” During this same time, Otak expanded its operations in Colorado and merged with Loris and Associates, where David was working. He was familiar with Otak, having originated from Portland, and he saw the merger as an opportunity to be a part of a collaborative environment and work with professionals from other disciplines.

David credits Otak Project Engineer and Structures Group Manager, Dan Beltzer, P.E., with introducing him to pedestrian bridges. He says, “the thought of working on pedestrian bridges had never really entered my mind.” Dan shared some of the projects they were working on at the time, which included a number of pedestrian bridges. “He showed me the very first iterations of the 23rd Street bridge on CU’s campus, and there was no looking back. I thought, ‘now this is the project I want to work on’.”

As David explains, “the vehicular bridges that Otak works on tend to be very interesting in and of themselves, but with pedestrian bridges, the location of the project often adds another dynamic and an opportunity to really interact with the landscape.” One aspect he enjoys is how pedestrian bridges tend to be nature-oriented, providing the users with an opportunity to interact with the surrounding environment in a way that would not be possible without the structure in place. He also appreciates how, as an engineer, “you have a lot more flexibility with pedestrian bridges of what you can do in terms of the materials, shapes, and layouts. You essentially have a blank slate of how the structure is going to look, and I find that to be super interesting and super exciting.”

David was integral to the design and engineering of the 23rd Street and 19th Street pedestrian bridges for the University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, CO. Both projects presented a unique set of challenges in terms of historic and natural preservation, as well as steep rocky terrain. The primary purpose of the two bridges was to connect the campus with other parts of the community, but the project location over a creek and riparian habitat also provided an opportunity to connect bridge commuters with nature. David is proud of the work he and the team delivered but jokingly laments how high the bar has been set for future projects. “Those two bridges have been the main projects I’ve worked on at Otak. They were such interesting projects requiring some innovative design, and have had such a positive outcome for the University and the community. This is the standard I find myself comparing other projects to; it just doesn’t get much cooler than that,” he says.

A current project David is excited to be working on is the Heritage Lid project, which involves parallel vehicular and multi-modal bridges over US Highway 6 (US 6) in Golden, Colorado. US 6 is a major thoroughfare that connects the cities of Boulder and Golden, ultimately meeting I-70 at the base of the mountains. US 6 also bisects Golden, so the new bridges will serve to connect the two sides of the highway. What David finds most interesting about the project is how the bridges are “not just for better vehicular access, but are also meant to provide access for pedestrians and bikers. The focus is on building infrastructure that provides alternatives to getting in a car to drive across a busy intersection, and provides a unique experience along the way.” Although designs are still preliminary, the project will also encompass three pedestrian underpasses, thousands of square feet of wall, and a high level of aesthetics throughout including special features such as landscaping, trees, boulders that kids can climb on, and a shade structure.

David relishes the multidisciplinary team environment at Otak. “Being able to gain the perspective of other professionals and work collaboratively to solve problems and come up with innovative solutions is a real benefit,” he says. “As structural engineers, we’re pretty out-of-the-box thinkers, but working within this ecosystem, and seeing the creative ideas others generate, challenges your own assumptions and constraints about what is possible.”

Otak Design Team Keeps History Alive at Jasmine Tower

Historic preservation often entails restoring and rehabilitating old structures. However, for Otak’s Jasmine Tower project in Seattle, Washington, the goal for preservation is instead to maintain the location’s use as a public gathering space—one that captures decades of memories while offering the opportunity to build new ones.

Jasmine Tower sits in the Chinatown and Asian District of Seattle and was the former site of a community building that was first constructed in 1942 as a one-level brick building. Two levels were later added and the site became home to a restaurant and lounge called Bush Gardens. Through the years, the location was the site of numerous weddings, parties, and significant events that many in the community now remember fondly.

With this history as the backdrop, Otak was contracted to create a design reflecting the site’s former uses, while adding new housing opportunities and helping rejuvenate this area of the district. The client, Vibrant Cities, has offices next door to the site, as well as family history tied to the neighborhood, making this a personal legacy project for both the client and Otak. Getting the formula for this endeavor just right requires numerous meetings with multiple project stakeholders, including Seattle’s International Special Review District board and the community to ensure the integrity and dignity of the neighborhood remain intact.

The Jasmine Tower project was adjusted based on community input.

“Our clients have trust in Otak. Our design team had previous experience working through these kinds of challenging processes. We have experience with that type of building and we can take charge and guide it through the design process. There are lots of meetings with the community as well as the board, and if we’re not paying attention to that large constituency group, then we’re not going to be successful,” says Gary Reddick, the project’s Director of Design. Gary was joined on the Otak team by Li Alligood, Senior Planner, Casey McKenna, Senior Project Manager, and Ron Dean, Senior Designer.

The community originally wanted to preserve the building and Otak set about surveying the property to see if rehabilitation was possible. Unfortunately, the building proved to be structurally unsound and nothing was salvageable. “What we’ve really heard at the meetings with the public is that they want the legacy of Bush Gardens to continue. Our job has been to show that the happy memories were more about the experience than the building. There are so many memories embedded in the site and we know if we keep a part of the new building as a community gathering space, those memories can be retained and new ones created,” Gary comments.

That input from the public has reshaped the original design for the first two floors which were initially intended to be mostly residential. Now, that space will be occupied by a restaurant and retail on the first floor and office space on the second. A large community event room will also occupy much of the second floor and serve as the new place for building memories. In a nod to the history of the space, old photos and artifacts from the site’s days as Bush Gardens will be featured throughout. The remaining fifteen floors will be residential and there will also be a three-level parking deck underground.

Along with capturing the history, the design of the building is also the first in the district to take full advantage of the 170-foot zoning heights. Strategic massing, where the ground levels will be given more weight than the upper levels, will help maintain the neighborhood feel of 3 or 4-story buildings. “Otak is experienced as the first development group to take advantage of height increases in other areas (see Hyatt Place). Being the first to reach for those heights requires additional explanation and meetings to build comfort,” Gary comments.

With at least three more meetings to go, Gary says construction is not likely to begin for another year or possibly two. But he knows the end result will be a building that embodies the community spirit. “It’s not the building, it’s the container for the memories. We’ve honored the container in our design and the building will add value to the whole district and bring people back.”

Otak Holiday Giving: Gratitude & Shared Blessings

Holidays at Otak offer a chance to reflect that our professional blessings stem from the communities we serve. We are grateful for the opportunity to do work that enhances the places we live, work, and play. We are also compelled to give back and to pay our blessings forward. This year, we carry on a tradition begun in 2020, in all our Otak offices—Oregon, Colorado, Washington—to help this holiday season through identified local charities.

Otak’s Oregon and SW Washington offices jointly selected the Christmas Family Adoption Foundation (CFAF). CFAF began in 2002 when its founder bought, wrapped, and delivered Christmas gifts to one family in his Oregon City neighborhood. Others joined his effort to help more families, and, since 2010 when the 501c (3) nonprofit organization was established, the charity has delivered joy to more than 4,000 families in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem region. CFAF serves as a clearinghouse to connect families that have been nominated by social work entities, with individuals or groups wanting to spread Christmas cheer.

In addition to CFAF, our Vancouver office will also continue its support of the Walk and Knock Food Drive.

Our Colorado office decided to once again work with the Boulder County Family-To-Family Holiday Program. Family-to-Family has been operating for more than 40 years and serves financially struggling families and individuals who are involved with child protection, foster care, adolescent, and disabled adult protection programs. Caseworkers and support specialists refer their most vulnerable families to this program. The program brightens the lives of families who will otherwise do without this holiday season. Last year they served about 500 families that included more than 1,550 individuals.

The Boulder Community Housing Corporation is the nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that serves as the umbrella agency for the Family-to-Family Holiday Gift Program. This program provides gift cards to families of $50 per member.

The Otak Redmond & Everett, WA offices will be working with Hopelink again this year. Hopelink is a Redmond nonprofit organization that focuses on helping build healthy communities and eliminating poverty in King County, WA. The Redmond/Everett office will also be supporting the local United Way Campaign in Snohomish County, WA.

Tina Ely, a Portland project manager, and Judith Moses, a Portland project coordinator, have spearheaded the 2021 Holiday Giving Program at Otak, coordinating with Otak leadership and the teams within each office. “Last year a small group of us sponsored a three-person family through CFAF. This year we hope to bring holiday cheer to around 30 people in our communities thanks to the amazing support from Otak and its employees.”

We are proud to support these charitable groups and the good work they do. We invite you to consider making a donation to any one of these organizations, or another charity close to your heart or in your own community.

Dungeness River Pedestrian Bridge Enhances Natural Habitat, Benefits Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe

It isn’t often that our engineering profession delivers infrastructure projects that actually enhance and create salmon habitat by allowing the restoration of natural processes. This was the case for the 750-foot long river-worthy and salmon-friendly Dungeness River Pedestrian Bridge constructed in 2015 for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe. Now, six years later, the bridge and habitat restoration have proven to be a real benefit to the river, salmon habitat, and the 1000+ pedestrians and bikers who cross the bridge daily. The increased bridge traffic has also brought new opportunities to the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and plans for a bridge extension and new nature center are underway.

The bridge design allows the Dungeness River to naturally migrate, increasing the potential for fish-bearing habitat.

2015 Flooding Destroys Existing Trestle

In February 2015, during a large flood event, the Dungeness River avulsed laterally approximately 100 feet and destroyed two bents of the existing bridge trestle. The trestle carried the popular Olympic Discovery Trail near Sequim, WA and the closing of the damaged bridge sent ripples through the community. The owner, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, immediately began applying for grant funding to restore the crossing, and after months of effort, secured several grants that were primarily focused on salmon recovery.

Otak was selected and began design work in May 2015. Preliminary meetings with the Tribe and the stakeholder group allowed an expedited alternatives evaluation and selection process, and the final design was completed by the end of July 2015.

New Design Reinforces Stability

The new bridge design included four main spans of 185-feet each, which were prefabricated steel trusses with a concrete deck and a 30-foot wide section in the center to create an overlook area. The bridge piers had a buried pile cap with driven piles down to bedrock and a single concrete column supporting a hammerhead cross beam.

A robust pier design ensures stability after deep scouring below the pile caps, including lateral water pressures on debris buildup. To make the bridge river worthy, the piers had to withstand river avulsions anywhere along the span. Because of the stoutness of the pier’s limited ductility for seismic performance, the superstructure was supported on seismic isolation bearings on top of the pier caps. Restrainers were incorporated into the design to limit maximum seismic displacements.

Dungeness River Pedestrian Bridge extension preliminary design.

Expedited Procurement, Permitting

To expedite procurement, the bridge sections were pre-ordered in July, with the main construction bid in August 2015. The site contractor was then selected and mobilized in September 2015. Environmental permitting was expedited including the US Army Corps of Engineers permit, which was applied for in June and granted three days before mobilization.

Spawning Salmon and Habitat Reformation

During the pre-construction walk-through, a pool in the Dungeness River was almost completely black—filled with more than a thousand spawning salmon. Because of the sensitivity of the river, caution was taken to minimize disturbance near and over the water. After the foundations and piers were complete and the bridge spans erected, a notice came in late November that heavy rains were predicted. The contractor immediately removed the temporary bridge over the river, and three days later a flood hit, which not only washed out the section of the river where the temporary bridge was but shifted the thalweg another 80 feet to the west—completely exposing one of the buried piers. Not to worry though, the bridge foundations were deep and structurally robust enough to withstand the river shifting and meandering. And, by doing so, new habitats are constantly being formed.

The complete removal of the existing trestle and replacement with longer spanning structures allows the Dungeness River to naturally migrate and thereby significantly increases the potential for fish-bearing habitat. As such, the bridge has been deemed salmon-friendly. The trestle replacement not only required a high level of engineering skill, but also engineering that had an appreciation for the natural sciences, with equal focus being on salmon recovery as well as the restoration of the popular trail linkage.

The grand opening of the bridge occurred on December 30, 2015, only eight months from the start of the design. Randy Johnson, Habitat Program Manager, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe expressed the tribe’s appreciation for the new bridge the following November, stating “In contrast to the old bridge, the new Otak-designed bridge is environmentally friendly and river worthy. It has already been tested by several floods and has performed with flying colors. Trail users are enthralled with the bridge.”

Conceptual drawings: Dungeness River Pedestrian Bridge, nature center, and amphitheater.

Fast forward six years to the present and the tribe, working together with Otak, is beginning work on an extension for the bridge, as well as the partial removal of an existing levee to make the flood plan even wider. The bridge extension structure will essentially replace the portion of the levee being removed. In total, this will allow the river to run more freely and will further enhance ongoing river restoration. Designs are being finalized for the new bridge extension, which is on track to be completed in the summer of 2022.

Reconstruction of the nature center on the east side of the river began earlier this year. The new extension will provide improved access for visitors to the new Dungeness River Nature Center from the bridge, as well as access to a trail to a natural amphitheater and a bi-pass for pedestrians and commuters from Port Angeles who traverse the bridge and Olympic Trail daily.

Otak Transportation Team Expands Breadth of Experience with New Project Manager Meredith Askham

Otak is pleased to welcome Meredith Askham, PM, who joined the transportation team in October. Working previously as a transportation engineering consultant in Denver, CO, Meredith brings years of experience in the field stemming from a career that began with roadway design-build projects in Pueblo, CO.

Meredith describes her early years in design-build as “fast and furious” working on multiple highway construction projects. When she made the switch to more local municipal projects, working for the cities of Idaho Springs, Aurora, Boulder, and Denver, Meredith says “I felt like I was making more of a personal difference to people and the communities. There is a lot of controversy around the giant highway projects. Being able to work on smaller projects that were making a difference on the local level—like bike lane projects throughout the city and county of Denver—was rewarding and fun.”

What drew Meredith to Otak was the size of the firm and the types of projects the multidisciplinary teams were working on. “I had previously been with a huge company. We were getting more and more corporate as the years went by, and I didn’t necessarily like that,” she says. “I liked the size of Otak and the type of projects that the firm was doing was very appealing to me. There were also local municipality jobs and projects in the Louisville, Broomfield, Lafayette, and Boulder area, which is where I live and now work. I was very interested in doing the local jobs.”

Meredith relishes the opportunity to take on transportation work at Otak where she will be able to guide projects from concept through the design phase, providing continuity among the different disciplines as a project manager. With her background in design and construction, Meredith will be able to do some of the design work herself and will be in a great position to effectively communicate with clients. She enjoys this aspect of the work and expresses how “trying to see the client’s needs and wants throughout the project and work those into the design in a cost-effective way is part of the fun. In the end, we are able to deliver a viable plan that the client can move forward into construction with.”

As Meredith further explains, there is a distinct advantage and benefit for municipalities hiring a company like Otak. “The cities don’t necessarily have the time or the resources that we might have to put into a project. Our teams have different backgrounds and have worked in different areas so we can bring ideas from those other areas to their specific project,” she says. Meredith cites bike lane projects as a prime example, stating that “there is a lot of national talk about best practices for these types of projects. We are either already tapped into the research or have already done similar work where we’ve integrated best practices, and we are able to bring that knowledge and experience to a city and see how it could apply to their particular project.”

Meredith and the team will work with a client’s project manager to ensure clear communication and a design process that takes into consideration the specified budget, timelines, and the original intentions of the project. “A lot of times, the city will have gone through a public involvement process where they make commitments to their constituents. The client is relying on us to uphold those commitments in the design,” she states.

If a project has yet to go through the public process, Otak is able to assist with that as well, which is another area that excites Meredith. She says “my favorite part of what I do is being able to get community feedback and implement it in a way that feels personal to those people. We work with the public sector and a lot of times funding is limited. So, being able to deliver a project that people are really happy about, that fits within the budgetary constraints, is rewarding.”

Connecting Communities Both Large and Small

With the recent hiring of Senior Transportation Manager, Amanda Owings, and James Winslow, Transportation Business Manager, Otak has taken a bold step toward enhancing its project capabilities within the transportation sector. Transportation is a critical piece to building community, providing a way to get from point A to point B, while also creating access to areas and building opportunities that may formerly have been out of reach. Both Amanda and James are poised to expand Otak’s transportation team and project capabilities.

Amanda is a traffic engineer who has worked within all facets of transportation, from traffic signal review to accessible ramp designs. “Any time you’re doing development, there’s a requirement to look at how it impacts existing systems. My experience evolved from civil engineering to performing roadway design and then specifically to traffic,” she comments.

James has worked in the civil engineering field for 20 years. Over the past 14 years, he worked in various segments of the transportation, active transportation, and traffic signals fields, where he has managed bridge, roadway improvement, sidewalk, and traffic signal upgrade projects. This experience included managing not only the design components, schedules, and budgets, but also the public, council, and community stakeholders. He has also worked in the water, wastewater, environmental, and geotechnical disciplines.

“I remember one stakeholder meeting where many individuals, including the director, had differing visions on how to move forward. However, through hard work and a collaborative approach, cooperation was possible. Often it takes a dedicated champion and commitment to really listen to others and work towards achieving that common goal,” he comments.

The pair’s varied and extensive backgrounds in transportation made them an ideal fit for Otak.

Amanda chose to come to Otak because she sees the opportunity to take her career into a creative space while drawing upon experience in traffic solutions. She looks forward to her role in growing the engineering team and mentoring younger engineers. Her work will entail performing quality control to ensure clients’ needs are met along with supporting internal teams to make sure they have the tools they need to do their work. Potential project work Amanda will spearhead includes bike and pedestrian path planning, multi-modal design related to roadways and development, and facilitating meetings to discuss how transportation-related infrastructure will intersect with land use goals, ADA accessibility, and future growth.

“I am passionate about safe, well-connected infrastructure and that our communities have equal access to this system. Often there’s not enough money to go around to build to the ideal, but where there is new development, I’ll help see that the design is appropriate for the needs of the surrounding community,” she says.

Applying his past experience to work on solving problems with innovative and creative solutions for multiple agencies across a region is what James finds most rewarding about his work with Otak. His years of public sector experience have given him a unique understanding of both the public and private sides of the project management equation. “I’m critically aware of the potential pitfalls that can be encountered on both sides, and potential solutions or initial steps that may need to be taken to help agencies avoid those potential issues,” James states. Along with his client work, James will join Amanda in guiding and supporting the transportation team as it grows.

Both Amanda and James see a bright future for transportation projects that they predict will be more equitably distributed, from big-city projects to small rural ones, allowing for every community to benefit from enhanced connections.

Otak Sponsors Forterra’s Green City Partnership

Gift will aid effort to improve Green-Duwamish Watershed’s environmental resilience

Otak, Inc. is proud to announce its $8,000 sponsorship of Forterra’s Green City Partnership, a community-driven stewardship program that restores urban forests and parks in Washington state.

Otak’s contribution will directly support Forterra’s restoration work within the Green-Duwamish Watershed, identified by the EPA as one of the most polluted watersheds in the nation. Otak has helped the region manage its pollutants and stormwater run-off for more than ten years, notably designing environmental restoration and stormwater treatment projects for the Port of Seattle’s 162-acre Northeast Redevelopment Area between the cities of Burien and SeaTac.

“With this gift, we want to take the next step and show our personal commitment to making this region a healthier place to live,” shared Russ Gaston, Otak’s director of water and natural resources. “Supporting Forterra is one of the best ways to do that.”

“We greatly appreciate Otak’s support,” said Kim Hickey, Forterra’s associate philanthropy director. “When companies like Otak show environmental leadership like this, we can strengthen our green spaces and improve the air and water quality in these historically under-resourced communities.”

In addition to financial support, Otak will be involved in four private restoration events at locations in most need of volunteers within the cities of Burien, Des Moines, SeaTac, and Tukwila. The first event was held on October 30th at Tukwila Park.

To learn more about Forterra’s Green City Partnership and events, including Green City Days, Forterra’s annual kickoff to planting season, visit https://forterra.org/green-city-days-2021.

ABOUT FORTERRA

Forterra is a Washington-based nonprofit that enhances, supports, and stewards the region’s most precious resources — its communities and its ecosystems. Forterra conserves and stewards land, develops innovative policies, and supports sustainable rural and urban development. In its 30-year history, Forterra has helped conserve more than 250,000 acres. Its work stretches from the farmlands and river canyons of Yakima to the estuaries and forests of Washington’s coastline, reaching more than 100 counties, cities, and towns. Visit www.forterra.org.

ABOUT GREEN CITY PARTNERSHIPS

Green City Partnerships began 17 years ago in 2004, when Forterra and the City of Seattle responded to a critical need to sustain and improve the health of forested parks and urban greenspaces in Seattle’s neighborhoods. Green City Partnerships Are collaborative efforts between Forterra, community volunteers, and cities across the Puget Sound to steward forested parklands and green spaces, improving ecological health, access to nature, and community well-being.  Forterra’s Green Cities program trains and supports Forest Stewards—lead volunteers who coordinate community restoration work in-park—bringing together the people, materials, technical knowledge, and other resources to make on-the-ground forest restoration a reality.

Collectively, Green City Partnerships now span 14 cities plus Snohomish County and is working to restore more than 13,000 acres of forest parkland and serve 1.6 million people who live in these communities. Visit www.forterra.org/greencitypartnerships.

For more information about Otak, Forterra, or the Green City Partnerships contact:

Adam Tycaster, Pursuit Manager, Otak

425-250-5207

adam.tycaster@otak.com

Pronouns: he/him

Kim Hickey, Associate Philanthropy Director, Institutional Engagement, Forterra

206-905-6955

khickey@forterra.org

Pronouns: she/her

Tina Ely, PM and Ayush Ratan, PC Achieve Associate Design-Build Professional Certification

Tina Ely, PM, and Ayush Ratan, PC, have both successfully completed the Design-Build Institute of America’s comprehensive education, training, and certification testing program to achieve the design-build industry’s designation as nationally certified Associate Design-Build Professionals®. With this certification, the pair join a growing industry of design-build professionals redefining how America builds. They are also providing added value to clients in terms of streamlined processes and condensed timelines, which amount to cost savings.

DBIA Certification is the nation’s only measurable standard of an individual’s knowledge of the Design-Build Done Right® principles vital to successful project delivery. By completing these requirements, which touch on all aspects of design-build, candidates earn the right to display “Assoc. DBIA” after their names, identifying them as experienced design-build professionals.

Tina has an extensive background in architecture and project management, in both the private and public sectors. Prior to coming to Otak in 2018, she spent fifteen years as a practicing architect, eventually moving into a position licensing health care facilities for the state of Oregon. She has also held positions at the Oregon Department of Administrative Services and the Department of Transportation, serving as an owner’s representative on a variety of projects.

Ayush is an experienced civil engineer with a master’s degree in construction management. Originally from India, where he spent a number of years working in the public sector on highway projects, Ayush joined the CPM division of Otak in 2020.

“One of the main benefits of the design-build process is we have specific methodologies and processes to bring in all the major key players on any given project, and then go through all the facets of a design and the associated fees together so that when the construction actually begins, there won’t be that many change orders,” Ayush explains. He adds that “this helps control costs and mitigate delays.”

Tina agrees, stating that “the design-build process aids in accelerating an 18-month project, for example, to possibly 12 or 14 months.” The added benefit is the cost savings. “Time is money, and everybody’s always looking to save money,” she says.

One element of the DBIA curriculum Tina especially appreciates is the focus on ethics. “Having a solid basis in ethics is important to run a fair procurement and be fair in how you negotiate and pay people,” she says, “so, I appreciated the heavy emphasis on code of conduct as it benefits the industry as a whole.”

“DBIA’s Designated Design-Build Professional® certification program has grown exponentially over the years mirroring the growth of the entire design-build industry. In fact, many public and private owner solicitations now expressly encourage the inclusion of team members with DBIA® Certification in their expanding number of design-build projects. DBIA is proud to offer the industry’s gold standard in education and to continue to certify record numbers of dedicated design-build professionals each year.” Lisa Washington, DBIA Executive Director/CEO.

Three to six years of substantial design and construction experience is an additional prerequisite for Designated Associate Design-Build Professional™ certification. Maintaining the credential requires a minimum of 24 hours of continuing education credit every two years.

Looking ahead, both Tina and Ayush are excited to work on more design-build projects and bring the added value of the Associate DBIA certification, especially in the public sector. Both have worked on various school district projects, including Portland Public Schools, Oregon City School District, and other county and state departments. As Tina states, “we are in a strong position to be able to guide public projects through an efficient and effective process that yields better outcomes in terms of specific design, procurement, and construction deliverables, and stretch dollars to maximize limited budgets.”