James Ro - AIA, ADAC, PMP

Mobil: 847-***-****

Email: acql2p@r.postjobfree.com

Professional Profile:

LICENSED ARCHITECT/CERTIFIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL/ CERTIFIED ADA COORDINATOR/ CADD MANAGER

Licensed Architect with a decade of architectural and construction program/project management experience in providing leadership to capital improvements in both private and public sectors, possess competency in design/technical background resulted in successful conclusions to numerous project types throughout US, including Hospital, Corporate Headquarter, Educational, Business, Institutional, Mercantile, Industrial, Pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.

Program Manager from an owner’s perspective managed most high risk and complex corporate construction projects through the regulatory approval process involving building dept., IDPH, zoning and architectural review board, fire marshals and other authorities with local jurisdiction. Responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating activities of a capital projects and long term comprehensive programs dealing with corporate expansions/maintenance and code compliance/ADA accessibility driven renovations.

Project Manager overseeing multiple projects concurrently from inception through completion while adhering to strict quality and budgetary considerations, collect and analyze program requirement, establish preliminary budget and define project scope, monitor schedules and milestones, negotiate contract change orders and prevent cost overruns with hands-on management approach to assure that the funds are used in most logical and economical manner. Serve as a single point contact in providing a relevant guidance to stakeholders for proper decision making, and to the design and construction teams on both management and technical issues to safeguard the goals or objectives of the business initiatives are accomplished within the prescribed scope, time and budget. Professional working knowledge of building codes, life safety & ADA standards, building envelop design, construction methodology, civil, structural, MEP, fire protection, tele/data systems.

Manager of professional services including architects, engineers, general contractors, planners and other specialty consultants from programming phase through project close-out. Review proposal qualification/negotiation and award contract, direct onsite pre-bid conference, bid review and pre-construction conference. Perform invoice/account receivable and contractual issue resolution, conduct field observation for conformance and project status reporting.

Manager of a CADD department, annual departmental budget oversight, establish method and perform staff training and professional development, create and maintain CADD library and procedural manuals, periodic procurement and configuration of desktop station hardware/software, established a means and method for permanent drawing/project file archival system. Enhanced firm’s ability to compete for more lucrative commercial contracts by offering CADD services at a low cost alternative to traditional method of producing construction document.

License / Certification / Affiliation:

Licensed Architect - Illinois Professional Registration

A.I.A. Member - American Institute of Architects

P.M.P. Certified - Project Management Professional (PIMBOK)

P.M.I. Member - Project Management Institute

ADAC Certified - ADA Coordinator

Core Competency:

Architecture & Design, Space Planning, Design Development, Construction Document, Construction Administration, Contract Negotiation, Project Management, Program Management, Environmental Assessment, Entitlements, Real Estate Development, Owner's Representation, Vendor Management, Procurement, Value Engineering, Construction Means & Method, CADD Dept. Management, Staff Mentoring & Development, Construction Management Oversight, Building Compliance, Environmental Health and Life Safety Compliance, ADA Compliance, Facility Maintenance and Repairs

Experience:

PROJECT DIRECTOR - COOK COUNTY CAPITAL PLANNING & POLICY - Chicago, IL (2013 - Present)

Achievements: Direct and manage outsourced construction management services and architectural/engineering services on behalf of Cook County Bureau of Economic Development from program inception through construction close-out for County owned corporate, healthcare and public safety properties.

Project management of ongoing ADA compliance related issues and remediation work at various county owned Corporate, Healthcare and Dept. of Correctional facilities in dealing with both States Attorney’s Office and the Department Of Justice as it relates to Title 2.

Manage the Guaranteed Energy Program (GEP) projects with approximately $4M annual utility paybacks, this includes energy incentive rebates along with actual utility savings on a monthly basis.

Managed HOME investment partnership program for affordable senior housing in neighboring villages within the Cook County boundary, these projects consist of constructing new multi-story dwellings in partnership with qualified development entities for permanent residential living for retired seniors.

Project Types: County healthcare facilities, governmental administration facilities, Department of Correctional facilities, Countywide ADA & Energy Recovery Programs, Countywide Initiatives

OWNER’S REPRESENTATIVE- WALGREEN HEADQUARTER - Deerfield, IL (2006 - 2011)

Achievement: Management oversight for capital program that includes 21 headquarter buildings and other product distribution centers and pharmaceutical facilities throughout US all grouped under the Corporate Facilities to meet the demands of both immediate and long term plans, capital projects ranging in $700K to $120M dollar budget per project. In addition, managed select Walgreens Health Service Headquarters (subsidiary specialty pharmacy corporate acquisitions) and various product Distribution Centers throughout U.S.

ADA compliance program management oversight covering entire corporate headquarter campus, this includes establishing installation standards and conformance maintenance procedures

Managed Corporate Master Plan program with $20M to $30M dollar annual fiscal budget, directed the efforts of multi-disciplinary functional teams consisting of architects, engineers and construction professionals, specialty vendors. Performed matrix cross functional coordination between internal divisions such as Merchandising and Law, Marketing and Pharmacy, Real Estate and Accounting, Loss Prevention and IT, Tele/Data and Facility, established SOW and preliminary budget, project schedules and milestones, and guide design direction, performed conflict resolution, cost and risk management and the lessons learned.

Identified efficient process and workflow for implementation, established internal team procedures and corporate campus architectural standards. Managed contract administration, RFP and award contracts, review all progress and construction sets of documents for building permit submittal and bid pricing, managing invoice/account receivable and contract issue resolutions, providing accurate and timely project documentation and reporting status updates.

Led an effort to redesign Walgreen’s Prototypical Store in order to reduce construction duration and cost by revising building envelope design, structural framing, criteria manual, HVAC requirement, interior finish and material selections. Working in conjunction with various engineering disciplines and functional groups this effort has resulted in estimated reduction in both $190k from a typical building envelope and 6 weeks from construction schedule. In addition, this meant an earlier store opening with an additional 1.5 month earnings per location, and this outcome has triggered a new pilot program with a goal of enterprise wide implementation of this revision for all future stores.

Managed “Entitlement” in-house real estate self-development projects throughout the country where the main objective is to acquire parcel(s) or an existing commercial development to build a retail store on preferred locations. Dealt with municipal governing body, village/city and state to get the proper approvals necessary for a new construction.

Project Types: Fortune 50 Corporate Headquarter, Central Monitoring Facility (Fire, Burglar, Panic support for 7500 national retail stores), Innovation Center (experimental future prototypical store/fixturing program), Walgreens Health Service (specialty pharmacy headquarters) throughout US, Distribution Center (ASRS / KIVA / Regional Full Case) throughout US.

OWNER / PROJECT & CADD MANAGER - JAMES RO CONSULTING - Glenview, IL (2000 -2006)

Achievements: Designed and managed multiple projects ranging in value up to $8M budget each, lead role in real estate development in due diligence and site selection analysis.

Provided an architectural consulting service with emphasis on commercial project management to mid-size architectural firms which lacked in-house expertise in this area, enabled these firms to expand in to commercial architectural market by taking ownership of all their commercial projects from design to closeout in turn-key fashion with positive results, with repeat clientele outcome.

Directed onsite pre-bid conference, bid review, and pre-construction conference, negotiated various contract/delivery methods (design build, fast track, conventional), review and respond to permit comments, Change Order, RFI, CCD, construction oversight, shop drawing submittals, Pay Request, final close-out documentation.

Project Types: Commercial property TI build-out, national “big box” prototypical retail chain, mixed-use office/ manufacturing facility, industrial facility, historic preservation, multi-dwelling PUD development.

ARCHITECT THELANDER NELSON ASSOC - Lincolnshire, IL (1992 - 2000)

VOA ASSOCIATES INC - Chicago, IL (1990 - 1992)

HAGUE RICHARDS ASSOC INC - Chicago, IL (1986 - 1990)

OWP&P INC - Northbrook, IL (1985 - 1986)

Achievements: Direct and manage all facets of commercial projects ranged in value up to $15M budget each, produced design and construction documents while managing multiple projects to completion, reduced CD production time by compiling and implementing a CADD detail library to eliminate repetitive redraws.

Streamlined commercial tenant finish-out projects by implementing and maintaining standardized template database and script library, reduced 25% of construction document production time by creating and maintaining DWG sheet templates with editable contents.

Expanded business opportunity by creating company website for commerce, compiled firm’s information and designed graphic layout to publish and attract new online business.

Formed a new CADD department from ground up and managed staff development and training geared towards increasing efficiency, resulting shorter CD production time with increased profit margin.

Enabled firm’s ability to compete for larger commercial contracts by offering in-house CADD capability before it became widely accepted industry standard practice for a typical mid-size firms.

Promoted to overseeing team of 7+ junior architects, led the technical coordination for multiple projects from design development through construction administration phase, performed field observation and change implementation.

Received design recognition for La Rabida Children’s Hospital addition in Chicago, IL.

Received honorable mention Design Recognition Award for Bank of Tokyo in Manhattan, NY.

Received honorable mention in Design Recognition Award for NBC remodel in Chicago, IL.

Project Types: Mixed-use office and manufacturing facility, structural testing service facility, storage and industrial facility, corporate TI build-out, International medical supply/pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities throughout U.S., hospital, public life safety building(Fire/Police), educational/teaching facility, computer laboratory, telecom facility, Industrial facility, national hotel chain throughout U.S., hospital, medical center, central mechanical plant, higher education school, mausoleum, high profile financial banking corporate headquarter, major financial bank, commodity trading facility, major carrier airline terminal, university.

Highlight Projects:

Stroger Hospital, Cook County Building, Dept of Correctional Center, Walgreen Corporate Headquarter(Retail Stores, E-Commerce, IT, Merchandising, Innovation Center, WHS, HR, Accounting, MedMark Specialty Pharmacy, Schraft Sterile Compounding, Distribution Centers, Central Monitoring Facility), Home Depot, Armstrong Medical, Motorola, Baxter, Abbott, Caremark, Premark International, University of Chicago Hospital, MCI Telecom, Hyatt Regency, Shearson Lehman Hutton, NBC, United Airline, IBM, Stein Roe Farnham, Fuji Bank Ltd, American National Bank, Wang Laboratory, Neutech Engineering, Bank of Tokyo, DePaul University, UIC, University of Chicago Medical Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Education:

Architectural Studies – BS Southern Illinois University

Architectural Technology – AAS Southern Illinois University

Computer Proficiency:

MS Project, Excel, Word, Pages, Lotus notes, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, AutoCAD Architectural Desktop, Softdesk, 3D Studio,

Cadvance, MS Windows and Mac OS, MS Publisher, Photo Editor, Quicken, Norton

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