Patrick Morrisey is a Mechanical Engineer and part of the leadership team as a Principal, and Vice President of the MEP Department at Encotech Engineering Consultants, a Central Texas boutique MEP and Structural engineering firm delivering professional services ranging from design to consulting.

When Mr. Morrisey relocated to Austin two years ago, he brought more than 15 years of engineering experience, particularly with landmarked buildings in his native New York City. He had a fast start in his career as he became the central point person for various projects and challenging scenarios, laying the groundwork for his ability to lead teams, as he understood all stakeholder trades. Being exposed to multiple commercial projects in Manhattan helped Mr. Morrissey understand how to visualize system configurations with extreme physical space constraints, an asset he adds to Encotech’s leadership team.

Upon joining Encotech, Mr. Morrisey became the Project Manager of a Fortune 500 FinTech Firm Campus tenant improvements for a new leased facility with approximately 133,824 rentable square feet and an adjoining Parking Garage. The project was right up the alley for someone who has managed thousands of square feet in commercial projects throughout his career. Since joining the Texan firm, he has participated in many commercial and civic projects. However, Mr. Morrisey is proudest of his mentorship contributions at Encotech. He has helped develop a department based on learning and exposure to different projects, offering designers and engineers a space for professional growth. “I have been integral to establishing useful tools for designers and engineers so they can streamline production and focus more time on learning and critical thinking where needed.”

Before moving to Austin, Mr. Morrisey was a Principal at a firm in New York, where he accrued a rich experience with commercial projects. Being the MEP engineering lead for the Retail Redevelopment at the World Trade Center, a 600,000 SF project spanned the four main towers on the 16-acre site. Similarly, he led a team of engineers for the Integrated Project Delivery for the American Airlines Admirals Lounge renovation at JFK International Airport. He spearheaded the technical site assessment for the Deutsche Bank’s 1.3 million square foot renovation. The opportunity to relocate to Austin two years ago and “switch gears to join a smaller company with a reputation of taking in very ambitious projects excited me, and I have not looked back once!”

Milton Hime creates spaces that enhance day-to-day life, tying together his sense of stewardship, community engagement, and service. In 2003 he founded Studio8 Architects, now an established design firm of 54 employees with offices in Austin and San Antonio. Studio8 works on a broad range of projects, most recently including Texas Mutual Insurance’s new headquarters at Mueller, Capstone’s second U.S headquarters, and Austin Community College’s historical Rio Grande Campus.

Having collaborated with more than 25 non-profits on architectural projects, Milton has also served on governance boards during high-profile capital campaigns for the People’s Community Clinic and the Central Texas Food Bank. In 2015, Studio8 became the first company Texas to receive a JUST Label from the International Living Future Institute, which discloses practices related to employee well-being, equity and diversity, operations. and community investments.

AIA Austin awarded Milton the 2013 AIA Austin John Nyfeler Community Service Award, and in 2015, People’s Community Clinic honored him with the Neal Kocurek Healthcare Advocacy Award in recognition of his work in the interest of equitable health care. Studio8’s projects have earned national recognition for excellence in design and construction, as well as contributions to health and wellness.

Larry Speck is well known equally for his diverse portfolio of award-winning architecture

and his distinguished career as an inspiring educator. As a prolific author and influential

critic, Larry also has contributed significantly to the development of ideas that have

broadened the general public’s understanding of the impact that buildings have on their

communities and the way they live, work and play.

His all-consuming passion for thoughtful design is best described by Larry himself:

“Although it may sound clichéd, I live, eat and breathe architecture. I deeply love the

process of design and have had opportunities to lead significant projects including the

Austin Convention Center, the architecture of Discovery Green Park in Houston and the

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. My teaching and writing are aimed at educating

people on the importance of great architecture in contemporary American culture.”

Larry’s work has been profiled in popular publications such as The Atlantic, The New

York Times, and Texas Monthly; in American architectural publications such as

Architectural Record, Architecture, Architectural Digest, Architect, and Progressive

Architecture; and in international architectural journals such as The Architectural Review

(England), OFX (Italy), Design Community (China), Baumeister (Germany), Projeto

(Brazil), Ottagano (Italy), Nikkei Construction (Japan) and Architectural Design

(England).

From 1992 to 2001 Larry served as Dean of the School of Architecture at the University

of Texas at Austin, where he has been a member of the faculty since 1975. More

recently, he has been a potent agent for change within the larger University of Texas

community, which includes helping the university design its future.

He also has served on advisory boards for architectural schools at M.I.T., the University

of Michigan, Tulane University, LSU, Cranbrook and the University of Nevada at Las

Vegas.

Larry has received most of the major teaching awards given university-wide at the

University of Texas, including the President's Award, Regents’ Outstanding Teaching

Award, Chancellor’s Council Teaching Award, the Friar’s Centennial Teaching

Fellowship, the William Blunk Professorship, the Amoco Award and membership in the

Academy of Distinguished Teachers. In 2015, he was one of four professors in the

entire university system to be inducted in the Academy of Distinguished Teachers.

In 2011 he was recognized with the AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in

Architectural Education, the highest honor given to an architectural educator from the

American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Association of Collegiate Schools of

Architecture (ACSA). The medal honors an individual who has made outstanding

contributions to architectural education for a decade or more.

Concurrent with his career as an educator, Larry’s practice flourished as he completed

complex urban projects, often in joint ventures with Page. In 1999 Larry joined Page,

then known as PageSoutherlandPage, as a principal. He has had a significant influence

on the architects at every Page office through his collaborative work with multiple teams

on numerous projects. In fact, Larry’s design work has won more than 30 national

awards, over 20 state or regional awards and nearly 70 local awards.

Larry is also the author or co-author of three books, Landmarks of Texas Architecture

(1986) Technology, Sustainability and Cultural Identity (2007) and The University of

Texas: A Campus Guide (2012). In addition, he has edited or co-edited four

publications, has contributed chapters in eleven books by others and has written over

50 articles for professional journals, including Architecture, Urban Land, L’Architecture

d’Aujourd’hui, and Architecture Australia.

Larry is a fellow in the American Institute of Architects and served as chair of the jury to

select AIA Fellows in 2005. He has also served on the Architectural Advisory Board for

the U.S. State Department Overseas Building Operations, as a National Peer Reviewer

for the U. S. General Services Administration Design Excellence Program and on the

boards of national environmental groups such as Greenguard Environmental Institute

and Air Quality Sciences.

After growing up in a small town on the Gulf Coast of Texas, Larry studied at M.I.T. and

earned two undergraduate degrees, one in Art and Design from the School of

Architecture and one in Management from the Sloan School, and a Master of

Architecture.

Todd Runkle brings more than 25 years of professional design experience to the leadership of Gensler's Austin office.

Todd has led a wide variety of project types from large-scale master planning and architectural, multi facility complexes to high-end executive offices. His design and management skills are reflected in his diverse portfolio of innovative and award-winning commercial projects.

In addition to his experience at Gensler, he was a founding member of a widely respected interior architecture boutique firm, with a wide variety of award-winning projects around the country. Todd is recognized for his focus on serving his client's best interests. His keen abilities to work with brokers in analyzing real estate options and work with clients in finding creative design solutions are hallmarks of many of his successful projects.

Brad J. Nelsen is the president and founder of Nelsen Partners, an award-winning architecture and planning firm based in Austin with an international reach. Throughout Mr. Nelsen’s 40 years in the profession, he has specialized in the design of mixed-use developments, office buildings, high-rise residential, hotels, and retail developments throughout the United States, Australia, Morocco, and the Middle East.

Current projects under construction in downtown Austin include the 31 story Hyatt Centric on Congress Avenue, a 53-story residential tower - The Modern on Rainey Street, office buildings on West 6th Street and over 700 apartments in East Austin.

DONNA D. CARTER, FAIA is President of CARTER DESIGN ASSOCIATES, an architectural, planning and restoration firm in Austin, Texas. Her practice is focused on projects combining revitalization, historic preservation and new construction within a complete community context.

Ms. Carter's civic activities include service on numerous Austin planning and development task force committees and commissions. She has authored several master plan and guideline documents balancing preservation, economic viability and community development. Results oriented, she co-chaired a community led downtown revitalization implementation plan RUDAT A Call… to Action and was an original member of the Mueller Development Implementation Commission. Statewide service includes past service on the Texas Historical Commission, Past Chair of the State Board of Review and a Fellow of the Center for Heritage Conservation at Texas A&M University.

As a civic leader she has held volunteer and board positions for non-profit health care providers and social service advocates since 1986, serving in board and board appointed positions for Austin’s Seton Family of Hospitals from 1996 until 2016 and Austin ECHO. She has recently finished 2 terms on the board of Huston Tillotson University and currently serves on the board of AIA Austin.

Donna and her firm, have received numerous design and preservation awards including A TSA Design Award and Preservation Texas Award for the Restoration of the Texas and Pacific Terminal Waiting Room in Fort Worth.

Donna is a Registered Architect and Interior Designer and is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. She completed her Masters of Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley and holds a B. A. from Yale University. She was a Ford Foundation Scholar at the American University in Cairo, Egypt.

Hussain's passion for sales and commercial real estate can be traced back to his dad, a first generation immigrant from Afghanistan, who shared his interests of new developments in Dallas, TX with Hussain and a young age. After leaving Dallas, he moved to Fayetteville, AR to attend the University of Arkansas (Go Hogs!) where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Finance with a concentration in real estate. During his time at Arkansas, Hussain established himself as a co-founder of a wine accessory company and a 4.96 star Uber driver (we'd give him a 5). Outside of the office, Hussain cheers for the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, and the Texas Rangers (incase you forgot where he was from). Most importantly, Hussain prides himself on being an investigator and organizer of engaging conversations, connecting with people from all backgrounds.