Architectural Designer, Facilities / Capital Projects Management

Dear Director of Personnel,

Allow me begin by expressing my sincere thanks for your attention to this inquiry. My name is Clifton Wallace and I would like to present myself as a candidate for the Facilities Director position currently open within your organization. Please know that I view your opening as an excellent opportunity to join an exceptional company and I look forward to your evaluation. To aide your consideration of my credentials, I would like to spend just a few moments and provide you some background on who I am and why I feel I am the candidate ideally suited to fill your facilities opening.

As I stated above my name is Clifton Wallace and following my graduation from the University of Kentucky’s College of Architecture & Design in 1999, I was thoroughly immersed in the design industry. As a Project Designer/Project Architect my responsibilities included design, documentation & construction administrating for the design proposals of the various design firms I was employed with over the years. For nearly 10 years, I was a key contributor on the creation & construction of approximately 725,000 s.f. of mixed use space. These efforts helped the clients I worked with achieve their project goals; the firms I worked for grow their design portfolios and by God’s grace, garner myself rich design experiences & solid project management skills. Yes, it truly was a period of positive professional growth and development. And yet, in spite of all the benefits it provided, none of the skills I acquired afforded me any protection from the economic fallout that came.

As the rate of corporate capital expenditures has declined over the last few years, the need to build or renovate new and existing structures has dramatically decreased. Design firms across the country have and continue to reconfigure their business models, all in an effort to adjust to changing market conditions. Some firms cut their rates, others their hours of operation & services provided. And some firms, as in my case, their staff size. So, with an eye to the transforming labor market, a desire for employment stability in a region I love, an interest in joining a unique organization and a sincere wish to draw from a sizeable reservoir of design & project management knowledge, I am now hoping to join your facilities team.

In closing, let me state that I believe your organizations facilities needs would be best served by an individual who is adaptable to the breath of the tasks he will encounter, operates with the highest level of integrity and is keenly aware of how a visually arresting and functionally effective facility supports the brands image and mission. And it is for these reasons I believe, along with the varied employment background I possess, makes me the right candidate who can not only understand these competing priorities that your business will face daily, but manage them effectively. Therefore, I want to end by simply expressing my sincere gratitude for both the time and attention given to my submission. I hope this inquiry is the first step to the construction of a fruitful relationship between us, allowing me to help scale down your biggest facility challenges.

Respectfully yours,

Clifton E. Wallace

Contact info –

Telephone: 1. 215-***-****

E-mail: ***************@*****.***

Physical address: 108 Logan Avenue, Glenside, Pa. 19038

CAREER SUMMARY:

10 years of architectural design & project management experience.

Approximately 7 years of project consultant coordination experience.

Approximately 725,000 S. F. of space constructed.

Project experience in a range of project typologies including but not limited to residential, commercial, municipal and institutional.

Complete “end to end” project involvement (pre-design thru construction administration).

Project construction experience in various markets (urban, rural & international).

Extensive customer service/relationship experience (architectural & non-architecturally oriented).

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Bachelor of Architecture, University of Kentucky, May 1999

Employed 20 - 30 hrs. per week while enrolled to help meet educational & living expenses.

TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERIENCE:

In a 10 year period of active design practice, I have had extensive experience with several versions of Auto-Cad, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Adobe Acrobat. In addition, approximately 1 year of experience with Google Sketch-up. In addition, I have had the opportunity to use various P.O.S. programs in my sales and check-out of related positions. Simply put, I have tried to expand & refine my technological skill sets in every position I have held.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Catalyst 360, 4 Walnut Grove Drive, Horsham Pennsylvania

Customer Service Representative – September 2011 – January 2012

In an effort survive the current design industry slump; I accepted a temporary position with Catalyst 360, a Hartford Insurance subsidiary. This position has refreshed my understanding of the daily design challenges faced by corporate entities, as well as afforded me the opportunity to maintain & further develop my communication/ customer service skills sets.

Position responsibilities include being the chief point of contact for insured members regarding policy/ regulatory questions, defining present & future customer needs.

Chestnut Hill Baptist Church, 2 Bethlehem Pike, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Facilities & Restoration Manager - June 2010 – Present

Accepted appointment to my church’s facilities management position.

Position responsibilities include developing, directing, communicating & facilitating the church’s restoration, renovation & master planning efforts.

The position has allowed me to help my church address their infrastructure issues, sharpen my communication, coordination & problem solving skills, while serving my faith community.

Burns Morrissey Architects, LLC., 1408 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown, Pennsylvania

Project Designer - June 2009 – July 2009

Temporarily served as a project manager in the design firm a former colleague and his partner were attempting to launch. Responsibilities included design & daily project management of ongoing office projects.

Cubellis Architects, 724 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne, Pennsylvania

Project Designer/Project Architect - May 2007 – December 2008

One of three staff architects in a 19-person branch office, of the larger 400- person Boston based design firm.

Acted as a key team member in the design, management & administration of over 574,000 S.F. of “Class A” commercial office space.

Help senior associate to mentor, manage and coordinate the work of junior architectural design staff and project consultants (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing & Interior Design staff).

Tono Architects, LLC., 114 E. Chestnut St., Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Project Designer - January 2006 – May 2007

Served as one of three staff architects in the 6-person, multi-purpose design firm.

Primary project manager on several key projects of various scale & importance to firm.

Gained an appreciation for proper consultant relations & coordination of their contractual responsibilities.

The Studio Limited, 99 Front Street, Hamilton, Bermuda

Project Architect - July 2004 – January 2006

Served as one of the four designers in one of the island’s most respected firms.

Daily responsibilities included project design, documentation, construction management and occasional client presentations.

Served as the project manager on several of the office’s most significant projects, including an 11,000 S.F. gallery addition to the Royal Botanical Gardens Art Museum.

Help redefine & redevelop the project documentation & record keeping standards utilized within the office.

Kimmel Bogrette Architecture + Site, 151 E. 10th Ave., Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Project Designer - September 1999 – July 2004

Served as one of the 10 designers in the new established design firm.

Daily responsibilities included project design, documentation, mentoring of junior design staff members and some client presentation.

Work directly & extensively with the firms’ principals on many of the firm’s key projects.

Helped to design 74,000 S.F. of mixed use space at the conclusion of my tenure with KBA.

Tate Hill Jacobs Architects, 346 Main St., Lexington, Kentucky

Student Intern - May 1997 – September 1997

Responsibilities included the production of schematic documents used in client presentations.

Helped produce pre-design project information that was the basis of project production drawings used by the senior project managers.

NON-ARCHITECTURALLY RELATED DESIGN EXPERIENCE

Kentucky Eagle Beer Inc., 475 Angleanna Ave. Lexington, Kentucky

Delivery Driver’s Assistant - June 1995 – June 1999

This position provided the opportunity to grow my critical thinking abilities & consider the operational issues typically experienced by commercial entities of various sizes. Some of those issues included inventory management, staffing and client relations.

University of Kentucky Art & Architecture Library, Lexington Kentucky

Library Staff - September 1993 – May 1999

Employment with the university library system provided valuable communication & experience based upon defining and addressing client needs and concerns.

Macy’s Northeast, Montgomeryville Mall, North Wales, Pennsylvania

Sales & Receiving - July 1990 – May 1993

Served as member of the facility shipping/receiving team, dealing with daily merchandise receipt for the entire store.

Coordinated delivery of all incoming merchandise to corresponding departments.

Served as sales associate in Men’s Department.

Advanced to junior management position with electronic department where responsibilities included scheduling, loss prevention and administration of departmental sales staff.

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