Jack Boarman has more than 40 years of experience in the design of government, higher-education, residential, and mixed use buildings. Since founding the firm in 1978, Jack has led the firm’s team-oriented design approach in the development of quality architecture across the country. He has expanded the design practice for planning, programming and design of urban redevelopment projects and historic renovations.

As a partner and leader in our Interiors Group, Kelly Naylor has a broad range of project experience including residential, government, corporate, and higher education. Her expertise extends from design reviews and team staffing to sustainability education and constructability reviews. Kelly’s passion for ecological and environmentally smart processes and her focus on project vision help provide to unique solutions and compelling, sustainable designs for each client.

Michael has 30 years of award-winning multi-family residential and urban design experience. His career has focused on the urban environment both locally and nationally for housing and mixed-use developments. He has guided our in-house design process to involve communities, creating excellence and consensus for the developer and the neighborhood. As the design partner on major projects such as Schmidt Artist Lofts, Custom House, and Mill City Quarter Apartments, he has introduced unique building and dwelling unit designs that add up to innovative, industry leading residential environments. Together with the partners at BKV Group, Michael has been involved with the overall redesign and construction of new urban communities and the enhancement of the quality of residential living.

Lois Nicholas has more than 30 years of experience managing the company’s finances and administration. She understands the process and coordination required to be successful in this industry. Lois is also a leader who has been instrumental in BKV Group’s employee growth to 200+ with multiple offices. She is an integral part of BKV Group’s success and commitment to full-service design.

Bruce Schwartzman has more than 35 years of governmental, correctional and judicial project experience. He understands the importance of proper planning, scheduling, cost control, client, and team communication throughout the planning and design process. Over the years, Bruce has fine-tuned a detailed project design approach that has resulted in award-winning justice and government facilities that are within budget and on schedule.

Tom Daszkiewicz is BKV Group’s Director of Operations. His career has been defined by his unwavering pursuit of excellence throughout his endeavors. He has been passionately involved in architecture and design within large national full-service firms for more than 30 years. He is a dynamic leader with a tenacious ability to direct, as well as guide and empower those around him.

Tom plays a pivotal role in identifying and targeting areas in which BKV Group can improve. He has a firm belief that to resolve any issue, you must thoroughly understand the root cause of it. Over the years, Tom’s innate interest in providing solutions has seen his career encompass all facets of processes from project conception to completion.

His vast amount of experience, wealth of knowledge, and decisive expertise is vital for efficiently meeting the needs of the firm, as well as that of the clients. While delivering comprehensive, effective leadership, he ultimately ensures that the company’s day-to-day activities run smoothly, and those needs of the firm are met.

As Partner and Lead Designer at BKV Group, Jonathan brings 19 years of national and international experience in housing, hospitality, and mixed-use projects. He cultivates value through developing close working relationships with colleagues, clients, contractors and consultants, providing a high level of personal involvement and investment in projects so they are successful and rewarding for everyone involved. Since helping launch BKV Group’s newest practice site in Dallas, Texas and Hanoi, Vietnam, Jonathan has leveraged the opportunity to design and strengthen the community with each project he touches, creating them to be unique and innovative, while nimbly adapting to the environmental, contextual, and sociopolitical nuances each site presents.

Mark Harris’s award-winning national design expertise includes senior living, hospitality, casinos, corporate, K-12, and higher education projects. His design strategies target customer experiences, learning styles and the integration of community/cultural interpretations within specific environments. His goal is to maximize design opportunities to create humane and innovative spaces.

Trace Jacques has over 35 years of multi-family residential and hospitality design experience. He designs consequential buildings with inspired identity to invigorate and transform environments nationwide to serve the public realm. He works closely with his team to ensure an exacting design execution that aligns with client, brand, city, and community expectations. Trace actively engages clients and communities in collaborative and empowering creative processes. He is an intuitive, three-dimensional thinker and a serious advocate for digital technologies. Modeling design alternatives with clients and others during “live” digital design charrettes, he demonstrates the impact of ideas and decisions, contextualizes projects, addresses key aesthetic and functional forces – all in real time. This powerful collaboration fosters trust, engages, empowers, and compresses the design process.

Chad Kurdi is our lead electrical engineer with more than 25 years of experience in the electrical industry. He brings in-depth understanding of electrical power systems, lighting systems, technology systems, and safety and security systems to each project. Over the years, he has worked as an electrical engineer, electrician and electrical trainer. His electrical engineering experience includes engineering, designing, and specifying and analyzing electrical and low-voltage systems for different building types and occupancies. His projects have included police stations, fire stations, government buildings, jails, senior living, memory care living, student housing, affordable living, historic buildings, hospitals, data centers, sport arenas, water/wastewater treatment plants and commercial buildings. Chad is a licensed Mater Electrician in Minnesota and is currently serving on the Minnesota Board of Electricity, a position appointed by the governor of Minnesota. He is an active member in IEEE, IAEI, and MEA.

As managing partner of the development group in our Chicago practice site, Robert brings over 20 years of experience on a wide variety of projects including multifamily housing, mixed-use developments, and corporate and commercial buildings. His expertise includes urban planning, developing the design of multifamily residential towers, high-rise offices, higher education facilities, and complex, mixed-use projects. As an award-winning architect with a variety of featured articles and publications, while actively participating in guest critiques at local universities, he brings his skill set in listening to the client, collaborating closely with project and consultant teams, hand-sketching, 3D visualization, planning, documentation, building and zoning codes, knowledge of materials, systems, construction processes and detailing.

Mathew Nugent is a leader in our multi-family housing practice group and brings a great depth of experience and insight to these projects. His expertise in synthesizing existing conditions, client needs, as well as complexities of construction ensures successful results.

Chris Palkowitsch has significant architectural experience in the areas of senior, affordable, and market-rate housing. Chris is passionate about creating high quality and innovative architecture. He believes in a client-focused approach that emphasizes collaboration to create exceptional and highly functional projects. As a design lead for BKV Group, Chris combines his senior housing project experience with ingenuity and client input to develop designs that enhance the lives of residents.

Henry Pittner is an award-winning licensed architect, author and presenter who has gained national recognition for his leadership managing, programming, planning and designing governmental projects. With more than 35 years of experience, he has led more than seventy projects in twelve states for city, county, and state clients including courts facilities, detention and correctional facilities, government centers, system and site master planning, and civic design.

Combining his advertising and marketing background with a Masters degree in Interior Design and previous leadership roles in the A/E/C community, Kyler Queen creatively builds the bridge between clients and BKV Group’s projects, people, and ideas. Kyler oversees all internal and external marketing efforts firmwide, leveraging the firm’s talent and comprehensive set of design services and processes to win new business, and develop successful outreach strategies aimed at growing the BKV brand nationally and globally.

Emily’s education and experience in the architecture profession provides an expertise in orchestrating the coordination of project staffing and scheduling. Emily leads BKV’s professional staff recruitment, interviewing and hiring process, taking great pride in helping to shape our workplace culture with the great people at BKV. In addition she manages the annual performance review process, coordination of the mentoring/training opportunities and our important cultural initiatives across all practice sites. She’s passionate about the people at BKV and is an advocate for all!

Heather Gleason is experienced in leading business development for companies across many different verticals and has focused on commercial/multifamily real estate for the past several years. She is a results-driven expert who strategically leverages our internal multifamily housing resources to exceed our clients’ goals through innovative thinking, creative problem-solving, and team collaboration. Heather is also an active member of CREW Chicago, ULI (Urban Land Institute), REFF (Real Estate Finance Forum), and NSPB (Near South Planning Board). For fun, she is a dedicated globetrotter and passionate yogini.

Tracey Bush is a Registered Interior Designer, has a Masters in Business, and is an experienced business development professional. She blends her background in design with a strong business acumen and curiosity to always keep learning. Tracey looks at each new pursuit from multiple perspectives to get an understanding of the clients vision and business goals. What she enjoys most about real estate is bringing people together to tackle creative challenges. Whether its helping the developer build a team for their next development, helping them find the right site, or making the introduction to help with financing.

Julie leads BKV Group’s Pre-Development Services group and is responsible for working with our clients to identify, evaluate, and assist in the acquisition of potential development sites. She works in tandem with the design team and provides additional support services all through the process, including comparative analysis, market studies, site assemblage, due diligence, project entitlement, and permit approvals. Prior to BKV Group, Julie had a 27+ year career as a commercial real estate broker in client representation, landlord representation, and investment analysis. She is currently the President of the East Bethel, Minnesota Economic Development Authority, and also sits on the Executive Board of CMDC, a Minnesota-based certified SBA Development Company.