Sparling News

Louis Osuna Joins the BICSI BIM Best Practices Subcommittee

Louis Osuna, Project Designer, Information Technology Systems, at Sparling joins the BICSI Building Information Modeling (BIM) Best Practices Subcommittee which develops and defines BIM capabilities as well as illustrations of BIM. The committee is currently working on the D009 document - BIM for Communications Infrastructure Systems.

Louis Osuna has over 10 years of experience in design, planning, and construction of technology projects for healthcare facilities in California. Osuna consistently utilizes BIM and the 3D modeling environment for telecommunication infrastructure, technology system spaces, and cable system design projects for Sparling. He can be contacted at losuna@sparling.com.

BICSI advances information technology systems by providing information, education, and knowledge assessment for individuals and companies within the spectrum of voice, data, electronic safety & security, and audio visual technologies. The Best Practices subcommittee is a review agency which works closely with architectural and engineering firms, as well as professional organizations across the nation. The subcommittee establishes recommended levels of detail and guidelines for planning, design, development, and maintenance of telecommunication data within BIM modeling. For more information on BICSI please visit www.bicsi.org.

Sparling Continues to Support United Way in 2012

As part of Sparling's Corporate Social Responsibility Program, Sparling has once again organized a successful fundraising campaign to support United Way and has collected a total of $18,291.00 in donations. United Way advocates to improve education and cut the number of drop-outs, help communities and families achieve financial stability, and to promote healthy lives throughout the world.

United Way allows donations to be designated to specific non-profit organizations. Over the years, Sparling staff members have donated through United Way to the Boys and Girls Clubs, Northwest Harvest, church organizations, theatre groups, and other non-profit organizations of personal interest.

United way encourages individuals to be part of a positive change for their communities. By "Living United," volunteers and donators contribute valuable resources towards education, financial stability, and healthy living. For 118 years, United Way has been a staple in empowering caring communities and making a true impact in people's lives.

Sparling Presents Seminar on Data Centers in Healthcare - February 1, 2012

Sparling is presenting the second in a series of Sparling technology seminars titled "Are New Healthcare Regulations Impacting Your Data Center?" on Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 8:00 am to 10:00 am in the Mt. Rainier Room in Sparling's Seattle office located at 720 Olive Way, Suite 1400, Seattle.

Speakers will be: Tod Moore, RCDD, CDCD, Principal, IT Architecture; Debby Ramundo, RN, BSN, MSIT, Senior Healthcare Technology Consultant; Min Chen, PE, Senior Technology Consultant and Al Greiner, RCDD/NTS, PMP, Telecommunications Consultant.

They will discuss:

Drivers that are impacting data center requirements for healthcare

Key considerations for analysis of organizational data center needs

The pros and cons of cloud computing

What to move offsite vs. what to keep onsite

Important design considerations

Registration begins at 8:00 am and the program is from 8:30-10:00 am. A complementary continental breakfast will be provided. The seminar is open to all. There is no cost to attend the seminar. To register, please contact Sandy Chapin at schapin@sparling.com or 206-224-3604 by Monday, January 30, 2012. Space is limited.

This seminar is being announced by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Washington Chapter (HIMSS WA) to their membership. HIMSS is a not-for-profit organization which aims to lead healthcare transformation through the effective use of health information technology. HIMSS represents more than 38,000 individual members, of which more than two thirds work in healthcare provider, government, or not-for-profit organizations. The HIMSS Washington State Chapter focuses on providing leadership in healthcare for the management of systems, technology, and information. HIMSS WA promotes continuing education and exchange of ideas and knowledge amongst its members. Sparling is an Elite Sponsor of HIMSS WA. To learn more about HIMSS and to find out how to become a member, visit their website at www.himss.org.

Sparling Announces Five Promotions Firm-Wide

Sparling is pleased to announce the promotions of five staff members across the firm--one principal, one associate principal, and three associates.

Timothy Janof, PE, LEED AP has been promoted to Principal. Tim provides design leadership in electrical engineering and is a foremost expert in data center design. With over two decades in the industry, he is passionate about designing electrical systems that protect critical data, serve users and sustain the environment. Tim works out of Sparling's Seattle office and is a champion of research for sustainable solutions with an active interest in the ever more promising day-to-day use of photovoltaics and wind power. He is a firm leader and mentor, serving as the dean of Sparling's internal employee education program, Sparling University.

Spencer L. Bahner has been promoted to Associate Principal. Since joining Sparling's Seattle office in 2005, Spencer has been the leader in growing Sparling's wireless communications practice. He has over 30 years of radio system experience and is an expert in the design of wireless data technologies, complex trunked radio systems, simulcast technologies, paging, microwave networks, radio signaling, internal reradiating systems and telemetry systems. Spencer has been active in key efforts nationwide aimed at improving communications system interoperability for numerous emergency response entities for public jurisdictions and private organizations. Spencer currently sits on the leadership committee of the Puget Sound Regional Interoperability Radio System Planning Committee for Snohomish County in Washington State.

Michael W. White, PE has been promoted to Associate. With over 19 years of industry experience, Mike is a project manager in electrical engineering and designs power, lighting and communications systems for complex healthcare facilities, educational campuses and commercial buildings. Having joined Sparling in July 1999, Mike relocated his family to Portland to help launch the Portland office. He has been involved with the more complex projects in the Portland studio including Sacred Heart Medical Center, Legacy Emanuel Children's Tower, and Legacy Emanuel Adult Services. He is a trusted and thorough engineer who is looked to by staff for his expertise. Mike is committed to the success of his clients and the success of the firm.

Scott Rose, Director of Business Development has been promoted to Associate. Located in Sparling's San Diego office, Scott continues to be instrumental in broadening the Sparling brand throughout California and the Southwest by leveraging his 20+ years of diverse management experience and focusing on client's needs. His efforts along with close collaboration with staff have resulted in positioning Sparling as the regional leader. Scott also is active with Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), Society of American Military Engineers, and Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) where he serves as regional membership chairperson.

Tara Damschen has been promoted to Associate. Tara has more than eight years of experience in consulting in architectural acoustics, mechanical systems noise and vibration control and environmental noise assessments. She has been involved in a wide range of projects including University of Washington School of Business PACCAR Hall, Anchorage Civic and Convention Center, Portland State University Lincoln Hall and Pierce College Science & Technology Building. Tara is a hands-on project manager who brings true passion to her work.

Jim Duncan Re-Elected to Chair ArtsFund Board of Trustees for Second Term

Sparling continues its long record of community investment with the company's chairman, Jim Duncan, elected to serve a second term as chair of the ArtsFund Board of Trustees. The high profile board includes sixty-plus private philanthropists and corporate leaders representing the Seattle area's largest and most successful companies.

"I am extremely honored to have been selected to serve for another term as the chair of the ArtsFund Board of Trustees," said Jim Duncan. "The work accomplished by ArtsFund is absolutely vital to help ensure our theatre, music, dance and multi-discipline arts organizations continue to grow and thrive." Duncan chaired the organization's executive search committee to find a successor for the current President and CEO of ArtsFund. Duncan was elected to a second term as chair at a Board of Trustees Meeting at the Seattle Repertory Leo K. Theatre on November 17, 2011.

Jim Duncan is Chairman of the Board and a Principal of Sparling, a specialty consulting and electrical engineering firm in the United States. Active in the community, he has held leadership roles at various non-profit organizations, including serving as chairman of the Seattle Architecture Foundation and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Washington. Duncan joined the ArtsFund Board of Trustees in 2004, co-chaired the annual fundraising campaigns in 2006 and 2007 and led the task force to update the strategic plan in 2008.

Sparling has proudly supported ArtsFund for more than 19 years. ArtsFund is a valuable partner to help Sparling invest wisely and support the entire arts community. Sparling values the role played by ArtsFund as a thought leader along with its trusted and transparent grant making process. Sparling believes the arts are vital to the community and a significant factor in attracting the bright, creative and knowledge-based workers that help to build successful businesses.

"ArtsFund helps a diverse group of artistic organizations to thrive, creating a vibrant community with a quality of life that is one of the highest ranking in the nation," said Duncan. "The arts also mean business and the most recent ArtsFund Economic Impact Study found the impact to be in the neighborhood of $2 billion. This is significant when it comes to creating jobs and an environment in which to live, work, raise a family or locate a business," he continued. "ArtsFund also plays a major role in helping to ensure that artistic and cultural works are within reach of everyone in our region."

Since its founding by business and civic leaders in 1969, ArtsFund has made grants totaling $63 million. ArtsFund raises funds from businesses, individuals and foundations and recently announced the 2011 grants of more than $2.3 million to 63 King and Pierce County arts organizations. ArtsFund determines grant amounts through a rigorous, trusted and transparent process driven by a committee of corporate grant makers and private philanthropists. ArtsFund also provides valuable services to the arts community ranging from board leadership training to significant studies on cultural and economic activity to advocacy concerning critical cultural issues.

Sparling is a leader in designing Seattle's award-winning arts venues such as Benaroya Hall, McCaw Hall, EMP, Seattle Rep., Leo K. Theatre, Henry Art Gallery, Wing Luke Museum, Museum of Glass, and Bellevue Arts Museum, among others. Sparling just completed the design of the new Tateuchi Center in Bellevue. Sparling works closely with art managers and architects to ensure that the lighting, acoustical, technology, electrical systems and stage lighting enlighten and enhance the experience of art.

Sparling Speaks to CSI on New Power Generation Ideas

James Degnan, PE, LEED AP and Greg Livengood, PE, Principals of Sparling will discuss renewable electricity sources at the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Puget Sound Chapter's monthly event to be held on Thursday. November 10th.

Degnan and Livengood will cover photovoltaics, wind power, tidal energy, and other systems that offer means to offset reliance on energy from electrical utility companies, available technologies, procurement, regulatory incentives, rough value engineering assessments, evolving technologies, and opportunities for improving performance for these renewable energy systems will be discussed. Special attention will focus on opportunities for the Pacific Northwest.

Date: Thursday, November 10, 2011, 5:00-8:30 pm

Location: Mirabella, 116 Fairview Ave N, Seattle WA 98109

Jim Degnan has a 30-year career. He was published by Consulting Specifying Engineer and helped write the IEEE 2008 National Electric Code Panel 2.

Greg Livengood has 23 years of experience designing and applying renewable energy sources to built environments, including healthcare, military, and higher education facilities.

For registration information, go to: http://psccsi.org/events/registration/new-power-generation-ideas/

Chris Haas to Speak at AIA+2030 in Houston

Chris Haas, PE, Associate Principal of Sparling in Houston, is a panel member for Session 7 of the AIA+2030 Professional Series - Houston Series titled "Right Sized, Equipment and Controls for super-efficient building systems" which will be held on November 16th at 4pm at the Architecture Center Houston.

Haas and fellow panelists, Keith Reihl and RLB Engineers, will discuss how properly sized equipment and employment of advanced controls are the next steps to creating a breakthrough building. Systems such as hybrid natural mechanical ventilation systems and other approaches to engineering a mechanical system to be as small (efficient) and effective as possible will be explored.

The AIA+2030 Professional Series is a comprehensive curriculum that includes ten, 4-hour sessions teaching strategies to reach the current 2030 challenge of 60% reduction in fossil fuel greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) with strategies to increase efficiency towards the 2030 net zero goal.

Session: Nov 16th, 4.00pm-8.00pm - 4LU/4HSW/4 Sustainable Design credits per session

Registration: Register online, contact Kathleen English at kenglish@english-architects.com or call AIA Houston at 713.520.0155. For more information: AIA Houston Website

Location: Architecture Center Houston, 315 Capitol, Suite 120, Houston, Texas 77002

Jim Duncan Joins Board of Benaroya Hall

Sparling continues its long-standing contributions to community leadership with Jim Duncan joining the Board of Directors of Benaroya Hall.

"It is a privilege to serve the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and the City of Seattle in stewardship of this world class concert hall." said Jim Duncan, Sparling Board Chair. "Having been intimately involved in the electrical and technology design of the building, I am honored to have the opportunity to work in partnership with the other Board members to help envision, shape and advance the overall mission of Benaroya Hall."

The Board oversees the management, operations and financial obligations of Benaroya Hall with an annual budget of $5 M. Sparling was the Electrical Engineer and Technology Consultant for Benaroya Hall. The hall opened in September 1998 at a cost of $120 million and was designed by LMN Architects of Seattle. It was awarded the National Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects in 2001.

Jim Duncan is Chairman of the Board and Principal of Sparling, one of the largest specialty consulting and electrical engineering firms in the United States. He is an active community leader serving as Board Chair of ArtsFund and previously Board Chair of the Seattle Architecture Foundation and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Washington.

Sparling's David Rosenberger Teaching at PLNU

Transferring Industry Sustainability Knowledge to the Next Generation

David Rosenberger, Project Manager for Sparling, is instructing the Point Loma Nazarene University. MBA program course "Business 681: Building Sustainable Organizations" this fall at the Fermanian School of Business.

Rosenberger's course will present the two part business case for sustainable operations in terms of cost and risk reductions and upside potentials via innovation, new products and processes, and brand equity. It will instruct on the tools and processes of organizational environmental footprint assessment and mitigation, and the elements of an organizational environmental plan. Students will create a personal "green change agent plan" as appropriate for an organization of their choice.

Rosenberger has over 30 years of electrical engineering and project management experience. He has been a LEED Accredited Professional since 2002, with experience in sustainable, environmental and energy efficient design. He leads numerous design and construction projects through the LEED certification process at the Certified through Platinum levels. He was the original founding member of the USGBC-San Diego Chapter, has served on the Board of Directors of the USGBC- San Diego Chapter for six consecutive years; as well as serving as its chapter Vice President in 2005 and Chapter President in 2006. Rosenberger currently serves as an Advisor to the USGBC- San Diego Chapter as well as Advisor to the Board of Directors for the San Diego Regional Sustainability Partnership.

Denise Fong Presents at IES Annual Conference in Austin

Denise Fong will be a featured speaker in the "Sparring Speakers" program at the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) Annual Conference 2011 which is being held in Austin October 30-November 1.

Fong will be "sparring" with a fellow speaker on the topic of Sustainability & Economics: Denise Fong (Sustainability), Craig Kohring of Mechanical Design Associates (Economics). In an age when the hot topic is decreasing our impact on the Earth, how does the implementation of sustainable solutions impact economics of the client, the region, and the nation? Sustainability first costs can be an overwhelming obstacle - but can the economics work to encourage sustainability pursuits without simply achieving the good-will label of "Friend of the Environment". See the discussion unfold as our experts describe the extreme considerations and present a balanced business case for the economics of sustainability.

The structure of the 2011 IES Annual Conference, "Lessons in Sketching: From Master Classes to Global lighting Solutions; is designed to help every attendee learn the benefits of sketching- the idea of getting something on to paper that you may simply be mulling in your head. At first, attendees will watch how experts resolve technical conflicts and find solutions, but as the conference progresses, they will be challenged to think independently and develop (and sketch) their own solutions and ideas.

For more information about the conference and how to register, go to http://www.ies.org/AC/conf-reg.cfm. Registration closes October 24th.

Tod Moore Presents Pecha-Kucha Style on Healthcare Technology

Tod Moore, RCDD, CSI, CDCD, Principal, IT Architecture at Sparling, is presenting on the "Forging Innovation" panel at the California Health Facilities Forum on October 4th in Oakland, Calif.

"Forging Innovation" will be presented as "Rapid-Fire discussions/Pecha-Kucha style" addressing how the Affordable Care Act will cause hospitals to rethink the way they do business and how technology can help. Moore's fellow speakers are from organizations that support healthcare: California Hospital Assoc., Vocera, IDEO, CA Dept. of Public Health, and Artiman Ventures.

The panel is part of the day-long symposium titled "Impact of Affordable Care Act on Facilities and Technology" and is sponsored by the American College of Healthcare Architects, The American Institute of Architects California Council (AIACC), and the California Hospital Association (CHA).

For registration information for the California Health Facilities Forum, go to AIACC's website at http://aiacc.org/.

Sparling's Solar Blender at 2011 OSHE Fall Conference

Sparling's solar-powered blender will be a feature at the 2011 Oregon Society for Healthcare Engineering (OSHE) Fall Conference on September 15th and 16th at the Salishan Spa & Golf Resort in Gleneden Beach, OR.

Sparling will be creating smoothies for the golfers to purchase at the event with all proceeds going to the Oregon Food Bank on behalf of OSHE. Mark Peckover, PE, LEED AP, Principal will be attending the conference and participating in the golf tournament. Alisa Parks, Marketing Communications Specialist will be running the blender.

The Oregon Society for Healthcare Engineering (OSHE) is a statewide association of professionals who are hospital and health facility & systems engineering and related disciplines. The conference will include speakers from Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (OAHHS), NW Energy Alliance, and Kaiser Permanente. The conference is sponsored by the American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), the Colombia Region Healthcare Engineers Association (CRHEA), and the American Hospital Association Certification Center. The program schedule and registration information can be found on the OSHE website, http://oshe.us/node/40.

The Fall Conference will begin on September 15th with a golf tournament. Presentations will take place on September 16th in the Long House B/C at the Salishan Spa & Golf Resort, 7760 Highway 101 North, Gleneden Beach, OR 97388. For more information on the resort visit http://www.salishan.com/.

Basel Jurdy Speaks on Acoustics at WSSHE Conference

Basel Jurdy, Principal at Sparling, is speaking on acoustics in healthcare at the 2011 WSSHE (Washington State Society of Healthcare Engineering) Annual Conference & Technical Exhibition which will be held September 20-23 at the Yakima Convention Center in Yakima, Washington.

Basel's presentation is called "Managing Noise in the Patient Care Environment" and will cover how appropriate acoustical design can result in a quiet patient care environment and what hospitals have done to supplement design for improved acoustics. He will also discuss HIPPA requirements and important design components in protecting privileged information in the hospital setting. Basel's session will be held on Thursday, September 22nd from 10:30-11:30 am.

The Washington State Society for Healthcare Engineering (WSSHE) is a not-for-profit, incorporated association, dedicated to serving and promoting the healthcare engineering profession.

Registration details for the 2011 Annual Conference & Technical Exhibition "From Seeds of Thought to Fruits of Value" can be found on the WSSHE website at www.wsshe.org .

Basel can be reached at bjurdy@sparling.com.

Sparling Presents Seminar on Hospital Wireless Technology

Sparling's Min Chen, PE, IT/Telecommunications Engineering Consultant and Spencer Bahner, Wireless Practice Leader will speak on wireless systems in medical facilities on September 15th in Seattle.

Chen and Bahner's presentation will examine the wireless environment in a typical modern day hospital, discuss the common challenges, explore industry trends and best practices, and explain how they impact your organization.

This seminar titled "A Holistic View of Wireless Systems in a Medical Facility" will take place on Thursday, September 15th, 2011 from 8 am - 10 am in the Mt. Rainier conference room in Sparling's Seattle office located at 720 Olive Way, Suite 1400, Seattle. Registration begins at 8:00am and the program is from 8:30-10:00am. A continental breakfast will be provided. The seminar is open to all. There is no cost to attend the seminar. To register, please send an email to schapin@sparling.com by September 12th. Space is limited.

Jim Degnan Participates in 2011 National Editorial Roundtable

Jim Degnan, PE, Principal, Chief Engineer and Electrical Practice Leader at Sparling, will participate in the 2011 National Editorial Roundtable on Emergency Power for Healthcare Facilities presented by ASCO Power Technologies and Medical Construction & Design magazine at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel on July 20th from 9:00 - 11:30 AM. The roundtable features experts discussing the issues, trends, and outlook for emergency power solutions.

The 2011 National Editorial Roundtable features nine panelists who represent facilities, engineering and construction firms, professional associations, and government institutions involved in emergency power for healthcare. The discussion topics include: designing, operating, and maintaining emergency power solutions that are changing to reflect the trend toward digital healthcare; supporting the entire healthcare facility with emergency power as opposed to just life safety and critical branches; as well as the importance of connectivity with energy management systems. The panelists will also discuss the need for power reliability for cloud computing of hospital data.

ASCO Power Technologies is the worldwide leader in emergency and standby power transfer solutions. ASCO Automatic Transfer Switches and Power systems are designed to control the flow of air, gas, water, oil, and steam in order to protect data and telecommunications networks, industrial processes and critical installations from health care facilities to financial transaction centers. Medical Construction & Design magazine is an industry leader for current news and technology methods which publishes six bi-monthly issues a year. MCD covers all disciplines involved with healthcare construction and design.

The 2011 National Editorial Roundtable will be from 9:00-11:30 AM on July 20th in the Seneca Room on the 4th Floor of the Renaissance Seattle Hotel, 515 Madison.

Combined with his 13 years at Sparling, Jim Degnan has more than 34 years experience in the design of power, lighting, emergency, and security systems for healthcare, commercial, industrial, military and transportation projects. Degnan can be reached directly at jdegnan@sparling.com.

Denise Fong Presents Two Seminars at NeoCon Conference

Denise Fong, IALD, LEED® AP, MIES, Principal of Candela, will present two seminars, "Lighting Renovation: Beyond the Retrofit" and "Evidence Based Lighting Design for Health Care: How Research Can Inform Our Design to Support Better Patient Outcomes" at NeoCon 2011 in Chicago on June 14 and 15.

NeoCon is North America's largest design exposition and conference for commercial interiors, providing over 40,000 architecture and design professionals with more than 140 CEU-accredited seminars and association forums, top-notch keynote speakers. The conference features design resources for corporate, hospitality, healthcare, retail, government, institutional and residential interiors from more than 700 showrooms and exhibitors. Registration is required. Fees vary based on activity selections, go to https://reg.NeoCon.com/.

Fong's lighting renovation presentation will discuss energy retrofit projects in four different building types; a public lobby, a theater, a museum and an office building and the qualitative issues of the lighting that need to be addressed that result in more energy savings being achieved. She will talk about some historic and some contemporary structures and consider the goals and objectives of each renovation, the starting conditions and the final results.

Fong's evidence-based lighting design seminar will explore the benefits that come from lighting renovations that re-think the lighting and look at qualitative as well as quantitative aspects. In the race to save energy, there is a compulsion to grab the low hanging fruit and implement lighting retrofits that are one-for-one replacements for existing lighting equipment. How can historic renovations be done that will maintain the original fabric of the space? Fong will look at several renovations and the qualitative and quantitative changes from the original.

Fong has 25 years of professional lighting design experience and is known across the country for her thoughtful and inspiring lighting designs. She regularly writes and speaks both nationally and internationally on a wide variety of lighting-related subjects.

Bob Bell to Speak in Australia on Revit Technology

Bob Bell, MCSE, Design Technology Manager for Sparling, will speak on Revit MEP at the Seventh International Revit Technology Conference to be held at Jupiters Gold Coast, Australia on May 26th.

Bell's lecture will discuss enhancements in Revit 2012 that address sloped piping, the system browser and placeholders for duct and pipe. He will also talk about improvements in the electrical functionality added in the 2011 version. Bell has been in the MEP industry for over 20 years and has used every release of Revit MEP from its release as Revit Systems. He speaks and instructs regularly on Revit applications.

The annual Revit Technology Conference is the premier Revit/BIM conference that features some of the world's top instructors and industry experts sharing the latest tools and trends to unlock the potential of BIM as a streamlining tool for the building procurement and construction process.

Sparling and Candela on AHP Spring Meeting Keynote Panel

Basel Jurdy, Principal, Acoustics, Sparling and Denise Fong, IALD, LEED® AP, MIES, Principal Lighting Designer, Candela will sit on the keynote panel at the 2011 Architecture for Health Panel (AHP), Washington Council Spring Meeting to be held on May 13th at Valley Medical Center in Renton, WA.

The keynote panel is titled "Interior Environment and Its Impact on Health and Healing." Other panel members are Stacy Bender, Mahlum and Kim Ritter, GBJ Architecture. The moderator is Phil Giuntoli, Collins Woerman/AHP Board Member.

The Architecture for Health Panel (AHP) is an affiliate of the National AIA Academy of Architecture for Health and is an adjunct to the AIA Washington Council and AIA Oregon. AHP is a forum for architects and allied professionals interested in health care design excellence aimed at improving the planning, design, and construction of health care facilities. For more information about the event go to: http://www.aiawa.org/AHP2.html.

Denise Fong to Speak at LIGHTFAIR International 2011

Denise Fong, IALD, LEED® AP, MIES, Principal of Candela, Sparling's lighting design and consulting division, will present the seminar "Beyond Retrofits: Redesigns that improve lighting quality while saving energy" on May 17th at LIGHTFAIR® International 2011 to be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Fong's presentation will discuss energy retrofit projects in four different building types; a public lobby, a theater, a museum and an office building and the qualitative issues of the lighting that need to be addressed that result in more energy savings being achieved. She will talk about some historic and some contemporary structures and consider the goals and objectives of each renovation, the starting conditions and the final results.

LIGHTFAIR® International is the world's largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference. It attracts 20,000+ design, lighting, architectural, engineering and industry professionals from around the world annually. This year the event will be held on May 17-19 at the Philadelphia Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA. Attendee pricing varies upon type of registration. Registration details can be found at http://www.lightfair.com/lightfair/V40/index.cvn?id=10189.

Debby Ramundo Presents AIA Seattle Continuing Education Session

Debby Ramundo, Senior Technology Consultant, IT Architecture, is presenting a course for AIA Seattle's 2011 CAP Collaborative Continuing Education Series on May 4th. Her session is titled "Using Technology and Intelligent Design to Solve Healthcare Challenges."

Her presentation focuses on the challenges faced by the healthcare clinical environment, the business requirements created by those challenges and how the design industry can address the clinical needs. Issues addressed include demographic trends, caregiver shortages, reimbursement challenges and technology in the healthcare sector. Recommendations for the built environment will include how to assist healthcare clients in meeting their needs by intelligent design and the development of resources such as ubiquitous computing, Universal Rooms, Patient Logistic Centers and Decentralized Nursing stations. The program also addresses the need for new healthcare facilities and the driving factors behind new construction. Attendees will come away from this presentation with the abilities to address the concerns posed by healthcare clients and propose workable solutions to meet their needs.

Sparling is One of the Top 500 Design Firms in the Nation

Sparling is proud to be on the list of the nation's largest design firms as determined by Engineering News Record (ENR). Sparling placed 418 on the 2011 ENR Top 500 Design Firms list that was published on April 20th, increasing its ranking of 424 in 2010.

ENR surveys firms across the nation to develop its annual lists of the largest U.S. design firms - Top 500, general contractors - Top 400, construction managers - Top 100, design-builders - Top 100, and program managers - Top 50. The survey is designed not only to measure the size of major U.S. construction and design firms and U.S.-based construction and design subsidiaries for foreign firms in 2010, but it also is used to help determine the world's largest international design and construction firms.

For more information on the list and for stories and dialogue about the state of the industry, go to: ENR.com at http://enr.construction.com/business_management/companies/2011/0420-TopDesignFirmsGlance-1.asp .

Kristy Alley to Speak at SMPS Conference

"Outwit, Outlast, Outplay - Yourself Forward" is the title of a dynamic speaking session that Kristy Alley, Sparling Principal and Director of Marketing, is co-presenting on Friday, April 15th in Sacramento, CA at the 2011 SMPS Pacific Regional Conference, dubbed "The Wave: Connect, Lead, Innovate." Co-presenters are Bill Strong, Principal, Mahlum Architects and Jennifer Van Vleet, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, Coffman Engineers. They will put participants to the test to help them discover their strengths and weaknesses as they explore what it takes to become a marketing leader.

Sparling and Candela Raise Funds for Red Cross Efforts in Japan

Sparling and Candela raised $4,320 in staff donations and corporate contributions for the American Red Cross to benefit the victims of the devastating 9.0 earthquake, Tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan. Thursday morning, March 31st, Sparling CEO, Eric Overton and Marketing Director, Kristy Alley had the honor of bringing Sparling's donation to the 15th Annual American Red Cross Heroes Breakfast in Seattle.

Min-Hsao Chen to Speak at International Wireless Conference

Min-Hsao Chen, Senior Technology Consultant for Sparling, will present a conference session titled "From Ambulance to Hospital, Part 2: A Holistic View of a Modern Medical Facility's Wireless Environment" at the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) in Las Vegas, NV on March 9th.

Chen will examine a hospital's wireless environment and some of its the common challenges, review the different technologies in a typical modern day hospital, give examples of an actual hospital wireless environment, and offer best practices and recommendations for dealing with challenges.

Sparling Names Jiun (Josh) Kam as Associate

Sparling is pleased to announce that Jiun Kam, PE been named Associate of the firm.

Focused on military and healthcare projects, Kam's electrical engineering leadership and expertise was acknowledged by the Society of American Military Engineers with a Northwest Design Excellence Gold Award in 2010. His commitment to client satisfaction and superior results has positioned him as a mentor and role model for junior staff. Kam is a Communications Officer with the Air National Guard, where he has actively served for 14 years.

Bob Sparling Retires as Firm's Principal

After spending nearly four decades designing, developing, testing, and supervising electrical engineering solutions for 1000's of projects in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, Bob Sparling trades project budgets, schedules and timelines for the more leisurely life of retirement.

Bob was a principal of Sparling, Inc., named for his father Tom Sparling who founded the firm in 1947. Bob spent over 20 years as a member of Sparling's Board of Directors. His last day at Sparling was December 23, 2010.

In Bob's 36-year career at Sparling, he is well-known for his award-winning design on over 600 military projects which has gained him recognition as a leader in military engineering. Other notable projects included the Red Robin prototype restaurant near the University of Washington, the Woodland Park Zoo Underground Power Distribution, the original Seattle Seahawks Headquarters, flight simulators and detention center projects.

"Bob's expertise and engineering excellence will be missed, said Eric Overton, Sparling President and CEO. "He has been a tremendous resource to many regarding medium voltage power systems and has shared his knowledge with numerous new engineers over the years."

Bob and his wife Sherrill look forward to spending more time at their Arizona home, golfing and spending time with family, as well as having more time to travel.

Jim Duncan Elected to Chair ArtsFund Board of Trustees

Sparling continues its long-standing contributions to community leadership with Jim Duncan taking office as Chair of the Board of Trustees of ArtsFund. The high profile board includes seventy-plus private philanthropists and corporate leaders representing the Seattle area's largest and most successful companies. "It is both a privilege and an honor to serve as ArtsFund chair," said Jim Duncan. "ArtsFund plays a key role to ensure our theatre, music, dance and multi-discipline arts organizations thrive despite this difficult economic period." Duncan was elected Chair at a Board of Trustees Meeting at Intiman Theatre on November 8, 2010.

Jim Duncan is Chairman of the Board and Principal of Sparling, the largest specialty consulting and electrical engineering firm in the United States. He is an active community leader and, in addition to leadership roles at other non-profit organizations, has served as Chairman of the Seattle Architecture Foundation and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Washington. Duncan joined the ArtsFund Board of Trustees in 2004, co-chaired the annual fundraising campaigns in 2006 and 2007 and led the task force to update the strategic plan in 2008.

Sparling has been a proud supporter of ArtsFund for 18 years. ArtsFund helps Sparling make smart investments to support the entire arts community. Sparling values the role of ArtsFund as a thought leader and its trusted and transparent grant making process. Sparling believes the arts are vital to the fabric of our community and are a significant factor in attracting the bright, creative and knowledge-based workers upon whom our business success depends.

"ArtsFund's work helps make this region a better place to live, work, raise a family and locate a business," said Duncan. "The arts are so vital to our community in many ways. Whether it's Sparling helping to create award-winning arts venues such as Benaroya Hall, McCaw Hall, EMP, the Museum of Glass, or the new Tateuchi Center in Bellevue, the arts create jobs and are a billion dollar-plus industry that play a significant role in our economy," he continued. "In addition, the arts provide us with an invaluable opportunity to see and experience our world through a variety of viewpoints and connect in significant and meaningful ways with our fellow community members."

Since its founding in 1969, ArtsFund has made grants totaling $61 million. Founded by business and civic leaders in 1969, ArtsFund raises funds from businesses, individuals and foundations and recently announced the 2010 grants of $2.1 million to 62 arts organizations in King and Pierce County. ArtsFund determines grant amounts through a rigorous, trusted and transparent process driven by a committee of 14 corporate grant makers and private philanthropists. ArtsFund also provides valuable services to the arts community ranging from board leadership training to significant studies on cultural and economic activity to advocacy concerning critical cultural issues.

Sparling and Candela Announce San Diego Office Move

Sparling, the nation's largest specialty electrical engineering and technology consulting firm, and Candela lighting design announce that they are moving their San Diego offices on November 15th to 9191 Towne Centre Dr., Suite 220, San Diego, CA 92122.

The new office, located in the La Jolla Gateway Building, has been undergoing tenant improvements for the last two months. The space, featuring floor to ceiling windows on both sides with visual connection to the courtyard and Westfield UTC shopping and entertainment district, will include seamless high-tech interconnectivity with Sparling's other offices in Seattle, Portland and Houston, and Candela's Seattle office, a standard for all the firms' offices. It features smart/interactive technology, state-of-the-art video conferencing facilities and presentation space for interoffice and client meetings including a training/technology room with space for 40, an open office floor plan to encourage team collaboration and workspace creativity and a strong set of sustainable features that includes daylighting, dimmable, and occupancy based lighting controls, among others.

Greg Livengood Speaks at SAME Regional Conference

Sparling Principal, Greg Livengood, PE, will speak on energy management at the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) 2010 Joint PAC-NW Regional Conference on October 12-15 at the Hilton Seattle Airport Conference Center.

Livengood's presentation will discuss energy management solutions as they apply to electrical systems in both military and commercial facilities. The focus will be on recent project examples that demonstrate energy conservation measures, renewable energy, and sustainability. These systems will be evaluated from the initial phases of design, through construction, and into the maintenance period of facilities. Project successes, as well as lessons learned, will be discussed.

SAME is the premier professional engineering association in the United States for connecting architects, engineers and builders in the public sector and private industry, uniting them to improve individual and collective capabilities for national security. The organization's goal is to unite A/E/C entities and individuals in the public and private sector so that they can prepare for - and overcome - natural and manmade disasters, acts of terrorism and improve security at home and abroad.

To register, go to http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=821857

Sparling Makes The Zweig Letter Hot Firm List for 2010

Sparling ranked 143 on The Zweig Letter Hot Firm List for 2010. This national list recognizes the most successful architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms. Over the years, the "Hot Firm" designation has become synonymous with success in the industry.

The Zweig Letter Hot Firm List recognizes both small firms and large firms for their successes. Firms are compared by their change in revenue and earnings over the trailing three years in terms of real dollars and percentage change. The firms with the best combined scores are the winners on The Zweig Letter Hot Firm List.

Winners and honorable mentions will be honored at a special award ceremony during The Zweig Letter Hot Firm 2010 Conference and Celebration on October 27-28 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington DC.

To view the list go to: www.zweigwhite.com/g-53-the-zweig-letter-2010-hot-firm-list.aspx

Candela's Denise Fong to Speak in Toronto

Denise Fong, IALD, LEED AP, MIES is speaking on sustainable urban lighting design at the Light Canada 2010 Conference in Toronto on September 24.

Ms. Fong's presentation is titled, "Sustainable Urban Lighting: Reality or Oxymoron." She will discuss big picture urban lighting design that goes beyond energy savings and reduced maintenance and explores the qualitative aspects of design, such as glare control, uniformity, intensity and color rendering. She will also speak on light pollution and lighting for urban safety at nighttime. The presentation will look at lighting schemes in cities around the world.

Ms. Fong is principal lighting designer for Candela. She has more than 25 years of experience in specialized lighting design. She is a firm leader in sustainable design initiatives. She is an international researcher, avid speaker, prolific author and foremost authority on issues of sustainable street lighting and planning for urban streetscapes.

Light Canada 2010 is presented by IIDEX/NeoCon Canada in partnership with the Illuminating Engineering Society, Toronto Section (IES). The conference showcases the latest in interior, exterior, commercial and architectural lighting. Attendees include architects, interiors designers, lighting designers, engineers, facility and building managers exploring the hottest lighting topics such as sustainable lighting, custom, technical and healthcare lighting, LED lighting for interior and exterior use plus many more topics. For registration information, visit, www.iidexneocon.com/2010.

Sparling Opens New Office in Houston

Sparling, the nation's largest specialty electrical engineering and technology consulting firm, announced today that it has opened an office in Houston. The expansion is part of Sparling's strategic plan for aggressive growth in select regional and national markets. Sparling was founded 63 years ago and has offices in Seattle, San Diego and Portland, Ore.

Sparling president and CEO Eric Overton said that there is significant demand in Texas among architects and owners for a firm with Sparling's deep industry expertise and unique suite of specialized services.

"This is an opportunity for the firm to formalize its long-standing involvement in Texas," said Overton. "Initially the Houston office will focus on healthcare, higher education and life sciences, which are strategic to our clients' needs and core practice areas for our firm. We are excited by the growth opportunities Houston presents."

Chris Haas, who manages Sparling's new Houston office, said his firm fills a critical niche in Houston's real estate and construction community. "We're a specialized niche firm that's wholly committed to the more-innovative side of the industry," commented Haas.

"Having that expertise - and practicing it on a daily basis - adds tremendous value to a project, from both the financial and building-performance perspective," he continued.

Some of the notable healthcare-facility projects that Sparling has served in recent years include the MD Anderson Ambulatory Care Pavilion, Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Expansion and Scott and White Healthcare.

Sparling, which has more than 170 employees nationwide, works with local, national and international architects, owners and construction firms on projects that require complex technological needs. The firm's electrical-engineering services are uniquely combined with its technology consulting services. These are augmented by Sparling's architectural lighting design capabilities, acoustical consulting, audio/video consulting, wireless and data network consulting, and telecommunications consulting. Sparling also maintains a comprehensive sustainable-building design practice focused on improving energy efficiency and economic advantage to project owners.

Sparling is currently seeking to hire several new project managers, engineers and technology consultants at its new Houston office, located at 8 Greenway Plaza, Suite 404.

Sparling Welcomes Greg Vail as Project Manager

Sparling is pleased to announce the addition of Greg Vail as Project Manager for Electrical Engineering in the Seattle office.

Vail has over 28 years experience in the design and construction of healthcare, commercial, institutional and industrial facilities. Areas of particular expertise include architectural lighting systems and controls, sophisticated security systems design, power quality analysis, high tech office space design, value engineering and constructability analysis, construction cost estimating and military facilities design. Prior to joining Sparling, Vail participated in numerous design projects including Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, the South Pavilion Expansion at St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma, Northgate North Retail Center in Seattle, and over 200 projects at Microsoft Corporate Campus, among many others.

"Greg brings vast experience in a variety of markets, particularly healthcare and military, to Sparling. His superb project management skills will be a great benefit to our clients," said Greg Livengood, Principal. "On top of that, his knowledge of our industry makes him a great mentor for our junior staff."

Min-Hsao Chen Speaks at International Conference in China

Min-Hsao Chen, PE, CCNA, IT/Telecommunications Engineering Consultant, was a co-presenter at the 5th IEEE International Conference on Networking, Architecture and Storage (NAS) 2010 held at the University of Macau, Macau SAR, China on July 15, 2010.

Chen's presentation titled "Secondary User Authentication Based on Mobile Devices Location" focused on a proposed new authentication method based on identifying the ownership and location of the mobile devices. A majority of the authenticating users will have a cellular device-a personal data assistant (PDA), or a smart phone device-making these prime candidates to be used as another form of secondary authentication devices.

The IEEE NAS 2010 conference serves as an international forum to bring together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to discuss cutting-edge research on networking, high-performance computer architecture, and parallel and distributed data storage.

Sutter Medical Center Castro Valley Wins AIA BIM Award

Sutter Medical Center Castro Valley in California is among the 2010 recipients of the prestigious Building Information Modeling (BIM) Awards, given by AIA Technology in the Architectural Practice Knowledge Community (TAP). The program honors projects that highlight proven strategies and the latest trends in design and technology in the building industry.

SMCCV is a new, state-of-the-art $320 million, 130-bed hospital replacing the existing Eden Medical Center and consists of 224,000 sf of program to include surgery, diagnostic imaging, birthing, universal care, eICU, as well as other support areas. The building is a six story, seismically-safe facility that also has a 40-bed Universal Care Unit. The vision for the facility is to create a landmark medical center that integrates advanced technology, quality medical care, and outstanding physicians and staff to provide the best care for patients and community.

Sparling is engaged in this project for technology, lighting design, acoustical/vibration consulting services and with a stated charge to eliminate as much waste in systems without sacrificing function. Devenney Group Architects and the other trade partners are delivering this project using lean design and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) method. It is being wholly designed using Building Information Modeling (BIM).

Sparling Welcomes Registered Nurse to Its Technology Consulting Ranks

Sparling is pleased to announce the addition of Debby Ramundo, RN, BSN, MSIT as Sr. Technology Consultant, IT Architecture.

Ms. Ramundo is an accomplished healthcare technology strategist for clinical operations and project manager with strong sense of vision. In her 35-year career, she has experience in numerous clinical venues, including inpatient medical-surgical, outpatient rehabilitation, operating room, pediatric and neonatal intensive care, skilled nursing facility and home care services.

Ms. Ramundo's hands-on clinical experience will help build bridges between Sparling's healthcare IT professionals and clinicians to ensure successful technology solutions and implementation for healthcare projects. Her main focus will be to collaborate with clinical and operations leaders to define business needs and identify current and emerging technological solutions to benefit the delivery of healthcare.

"Debby's background as a registered nurse and information technology professional brings broad experience to the Sparling team across a large range of clinical systems, including EHR/EMR systems, telemedicine, and home healthcare and mobility solutions. Each of these systems plays a key role in the evolving future of healthcare delivery," said Bob Prichard, Vice President of Sparling. "Debby's hands-on expertise adds a new dimension to Sparling's thought leadership role in the application of information technology to the healthcare market."

Lightcatcher Building at Whatcom Museum Wins in International Judging

The stunning Lightcatcher Building at Whatcom Museum in Bellingham has received The Paul Waterbury Award for Outdoor Lighting Design - Award of Excellence in international 2010 IES Illumination Awards judging.

The project recently received three awards in local 2010 IES Illumination Awards judging. Congratulations Mary Claire Frazier (retired) and Craig Spring!!

Sparling Sponsors ACE Mentor Program Scholarship

Jim Duncan, Chairman of the Board for Sparling had the pleasure of presenting a Sparling-sponsored scholarship to its recipient at the ACE Mentor Program 2010 Scholarship Breakfast on Friday, May 7th.

The Sparling ACE Scholarship was awarded to a senior at the Seattle Academy for Arts and Sciences. The recipient plans to study mechanical engineering at a Boston university in the fall.

Sparling is a long-time supporter of the ACE Mentor program. ACE is a partnership of AEC industry professionals and related organizations that work together to attract young people to their professions. Industry professionals volunteer to become mentors to high school students in order to introduce them to the professions and encourage them to pursue studies and careers in these fields. ACE awarded more than $30,000 in scholarships to local high school seniors at Friday's annual ACE Scholarship Breakfast.

Hankin Joins Sparling's Board of Directors

Jeffrey Hankin, PE, LEED AP was elected to the Sparling board of directors at the 2010 annual meeting of shareholders. Hankin is Vice President, Market Development and Principal of the San Diego office.

Hankin joined Sparling in 1990 and became a shareholder in 1994. He was named a Principal in 1999 and Vice President in 2010. He has led numerous major projects including Sharp Health UCSD Medical Center, Providence Alaska Medical Center, The Children's Hospital Denver, Banner Thunderbird Medical Center, Loma Linda Medical Center, and Scottsdale Fashion Center.

"We are fortunate to have Jeff's 20 years of engineering, marketing and management expertise on our board of directors," said Jim Duncan, Board chair. "Jeff's strong business acumen and leadership in the A/E industry will be a great asset in shaping the future of Sparling. We are delighted to welcome Jeff to the board and look forward to the contributions he will make to our national growth."

Hankin spearheaded Sparling's growth into California by opening the San Diego office in 2007. He led the firm's market research and client development within Southern California. Since opening, the office has grown to a staff of 12 serving clients throughout California and across the Southwest.

Re-elected to the Board are Eric Overton, Tom Leonidas, Jim Ladd, Jim Lussier and Jim Duncan.

Sparling is the largest specialty consulting firm in the United States offering services in electrical engineering, technology, audiovisual, acoustical and lighting design.

Candela Projects Honored at IES Illumination Awards Gala

Two Candela projects were honored with four separate awards at the Illumination Engineering Society (IES) Illumination Awards 2010 gala held on Thursday, April 22nd at the Doubletree Arctic Club Hotel Northern Lights Dome Room in Seattle.

The Whatcom Museum Lightcatcher Building in Bellingham, WA received two Puget Sound section awards, the Edwin F. Guth Memorial Award for Interior Lighting Design and the Paul Waterbury Award for Outdoor Lighting Design. The Lightcatcher Building was also selected for an Award of Merit for exterior lighting which automatically moves the project on to international judging, one of only two area projects to move to international judging.

The Washington State University Biotechnology and Life Science Building in Pullman, WA received a Puget Sound section award, the Edwin F. Guth Memorial Award for Interior Lighting Design.

The IES Illumination Awards recognizes projects for professionalism, ingenuity, and originality. Judges are selected from a broad professional spectrum that represents knowledge of lighting and design excellence. Projects are selected on how well the lighting design does or does not meet the program criteria.

Sparling Wins Two ACEC-WA Silver Awards

Sparling was awarded two silver awards at the 2009 American Council of Engineering Companies - Washington (ACEC-WA) Engineering Excellence Awards ceremony held on Friday, January 16th.

Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend in Springfield, Oregon won a silver award in the "Building Technology Systems" category for their unique placement of the of electrical equipment that keeps the electricity flowing in the new 1.2 million square foot destination hospital. The pristine hospital location, near the banks of the McKenzie River, brought with it a unique challenge for electrical engineers to design power systems that would remain intact in a possible flood. To meet this challenge, Sparling's electrical engineers used forethought and past research to push for the unconventional location of the electrical power systems, taking them up to new heights and out of harm's way.

The University of Washington McCulloh Loop Replacement Study in Seattle, WA received a silver award in the "Studies, Research and Consulting" category. This project was to survey, assess and recommend a replacement for the vintage McCulloh Loop style straight wire signaling system, which was patented in 1882 and installed in the 1940's to transmit fire alarms for 140 separate points on campus. Sparling's solution included moving the UW campus from the antiquated hardwired reporting system to a new fiber optic-based network proprietary vendor technology that combines fire alarm reporting with mass notification features. The new network system provides the UW with a "complete solution" for its fire and life safety notification capabilities including: faster emergency response time, central emergency management functions such as mass notification system, central capabilities for individual or multiple building supply fan shutdown, flexibility for use as a proprietary central reporting station, fiber optic-based network system that is cost effective and flexible, and a vendor system that connects a single manufacturer's panels to greatly increase functionality for reporting time, systems operations, and systems maintenance.

Candela's Denise Fong to Speak in New York

Denise Fong, IALD, LEED AP is speaking on a streetscape lighting panel at the Municipal Art Society of New York (MASNYC) conference called "New York's Changing Streetscapes" on April 13th.

The panel, titled "Light Fight: What's Effective, Sustainable and Affordable," will discuss choosing the best street lighting for the "City That Never Sleeps." They will focus on how to choose energy efficient and sustainable lighting that goes beyond what costs the least and illuminates the most. Panelists will discuss LED lighting technology, talk about advantages and disadvantages of other lighting technologies and explore choices that other cities have made. Other distinguished members of the panel include Howard Brandston, Brandston Partnership, Inc.; Peter Morante, Director of Energy Programs, Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer; and Margaret Newman, AIA, LEED AP, Chief of Staff, DOT. The moderator is Randolph Sabedrea, RS Lighting Design, Chair, NYC Public Outreach Committee, Illuminating Engineering Society New York City.

Sparling and Candela Raise $10,200 for Haitian Earthquake Relief

Sparling and Candela raise $10,200 in donations for the American Red Cross to benefit the earthquake victims of Haiti. Forty percent of staff participated in this effort. Sparling matched their donations with a corporate contribution of $5000.

Sparling Announces 12 High-Level Promotions Firm-Wide

Sparling is happy to announce the promotions of 12 staff members throughout the firm's three offices.

Troy Thrun PE, LEED AP (Seattle) is promoted to Vice President in charge of firm strategy on design services for studios; Jeff Hankin, PE, LEED AP (San Diego) to Vice President in charge of market development initiatives; Bob Prichard, RCDD/NTS, NCE (Seattle) to Vice President in charge of developing strategies for technical consulting. Karl Pihl (Seattle) to Principal, Technology Consulting; Nate Larmore, CCNP, ICNC, MCSE (San Diego) to Principal, Technology Consulting; Mark Peckover, PE (Portland) to Principal, Electrical Engineering; Maureen Jackson, PE (Seattle) to Associate Principal, Electrical Engineering; Christian Haas, PE (Seattle) to Associate Principal, Electrical Engineering; Kendra Fuller, SPHR (Seattle) to Associate Principal, Director of Human Resources; Randy Fisher a lighting designer for Candela, a division of Sparling (Seattle), to Associate and Timothy Philomeno (Seattle), Software Development Manager to Associate.

Vice Presidents

Troy Thrun has 21 years in the industry with 10 of those at Sparling. He serves on the Executive Committee helping to steer the firm into the future. His role as Vice President will allow him to take his visionary leadership style to devising and driving firm strategy on design services initiatives for studios. He is well-known in the Puget Sound region for his work on high profile projects for such clients as University of Washington, Microsoft and Museum of Glass, among numerous others.

Jeff Hankin has an unbridled ability to cultivate relationships in the industry. As Vice President, he will lead market development initiatives firm-wide enhancing Sparling's strong presence in core markets both locally and nationally. During his 20-year career providing smart building design he has been a passionate leader in the firm and has helped grow the firm in its core markets of healthcare, higher education and life sciences. Hankin moved to San Diego to open the office there in 2007 growing it from 4 to 11 employees in just over two years with continued growth expected through his zeal to place Sparling in the right place at the right time.

Bob Prichard is a creative problem solver, strategic thinker and a high-energy business leader who came to Sparling just over two years ago to lead the firm's technology practice. He serves on the Executive Committee. As Vice President, he will lead the development of the firm's technical practices. His 25 years of business consulting has given him the keen ability to launch and sustain momentum surrounding Sparling's mission and vision for the future.

Principals

Karl Pihl has 10 years of experience bringing innovation in engineering and design to clients. He is a client advocacy champion who brings smart new ideas to the table from his ground level understanding of design in the built environment. He was recently named Director of Technology in Seattle and now Principal charged with leading coordination of Seattle's technology design solutions across disciplines. He has worked on a myriad of Puget Sound projects over the years including Swedish Orthopedic Institute, The Bravern in Bellevue and Bellevue Performing Arts Center.

Nate Larmore in San Diego has more than 12 years in the industry with seven of those at Sparling. As Principal, Technology Consulting he will lead the coordination of team in San Diego to provide tight and integrated technology design solutions across disciplines. Larmore has implanted Sparling with his own brand of strategic leadership, vision and dedication over the years. He has numerous projects under his belt across the country for such prestigious clients as University Medical Center at Princeton, NJ and MD Anderson Cancer Care Center in Houston, TX and continues this history of excellence on California projects, such as Sutter Medical Center in Castro Valley, Torrance Medical Center and UCSD East Campus Tower Addition.

Mark Peckover in Portland has over 19 years of electrical engineering experience in several markets including healthcare, higher education and life sciences. In his four years at Sparling he has been a consistent leader in the firm's Portland office. He was recently named Director of Electrical Engineering and now Principal. As Principal he is charged with leading coordination of Portland's electrical design solutions across disciplines. Recent projects include those at Clackamas Community College, St. Charles Medical Center, Salem Hospital, Shriners Hospital Portland and Washington State University at Vancouver.

Associate Principals

Maureen Jackson, Project Manager, has 21 years of providing excellent electrical engineering solutions with 7 of those years at Sparling. She is known for her engaging, confident and approachable personality and continually delivers a client experience like no other. She is currently working on Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Patient Tower and Providence Alaska Medical Center Generations Project.

Christian Haas, Project Manager, has electrical engineering expertise that spans 12 years in the industry, four of those at Sparling. His clients have appreciated his clarity in communications and project design and his pro-active management style that fosters a high level of cooperation between architects, engineers and contractors. Recent projects Haas has worked on include Microsoft West Campus Buildings 96 & 97 and Western Washington University Miller Hall Renovation.

As Associate Principal, Kelly Mamer will continue his project and team leadership and enhance efforts to provide integrated design to clients. Mamer is a Project Manager with an 18-year career of delivering inventive and intuitive design solutions that make environments purposeful, exciting and relevant. Recent projects have been at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women, among others.

Kendra Fuller, Director of Human Resources has a 20 year career in Human Resources and has been with Sparling for four years. She is a dynamic, energetic and disciplined leader who implements processes and programs that attract, develop and retain top talent at Sparling. Under her leadership, the firm has implemented the most innovative HR programs to date. She has developed leadership training programs, a comprehensive performance management system, and a talent acquisition and retention strategy. She serves as a member of the Executive Committee and collaborates with other leaders on strategic planning and firm-wide initiatives.

Associates

Randy Fisher a lighting designer for Candela, a division of Sparling, is a talented Senior Lighting Designer with over 12 years of experience on a wide variety of lighting project types world-wide. In his four years at Candela, he has been active on the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), has won illumination awards for his work on projects such as Microsoft Executive Briefing Center in Redmond and continually researches trends, authors articles in local and national publications and presents on the topics of new lighting technologies and LEED requirements in relation to lighting.

Timothy Philomeno, Software Development Manager has 11 years at Sparling and plays an integral role in all the inside workings of the firm that require software systems support. He is involved in the strategic programs and physical design of the software that helps to make Sparling an efficient and exciting place to be creative, to support design projects and to manage the business of the firm.

Michael Newbury Selected as AHP 2010 Board Member

Michael Newbury, Principal at Sparling, was selected for the Washington affiliate position on the AIA Seattle Architecture for Health Panel (AHP) 2010 Board.

Mr. Newbury has spent the past 18 years working in the built environment and is particularly committed to advancing the field of healthcare design. Mr. Newbury brings a broad palette of knowledge and expertise from the engineering perspective on the design of hospitals and other medical buildings. He has strong professional relationships with several healthcare organizations in Washington and Oregon such as Swedish Medical Center Seattle, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee and Sacred Heart Medical Center in Springfield, OR, to name a few.

The Architecture for Health Panel (AHP) is a forum for architects and allied professionals interested in health care design excellence. By enhancing the ability to provide outstanding service the AHP improves the planning, design, and construction of health care facilities.

Three Sparling/Candela Projects Honored at 2009 AIA Seattle Honor Awards

Earlier this month the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Seattle chapter honored architects and their project teams from across Washington State for projects exemplifying the best work in a broad array of sectors from single- and multi-family residential, to civic, to commercial. Out of 175 submissions received, 3 of the 13 award winners are Sparling/Candela projects. Congratulations to all of the talented designers that contributed to these projects!

Wing Luke Asian Museum, Seattle, WA

Honor Award

Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen

All of Sparling's services were provided on this high profile museum project. Troy Thrun and Jim Redding working on the electrical design; Tod Moore, Ed Snow and Misty Gonzales provided technology design; Brian O'Bannon design audiovisual systems, Mary Claire Frazier and Joseph Montagne provided Candela lighting design; and Michael Yantis and Mike Walter provided acoustical design.

AIA Jury Comments: Jurors were unanimously impressed, noting that "this remarkable renovation defines architecture in a very holistic and sustainable way - remembering its past while projecting its possibilities into the future."

Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center, Bellevue, WA

Honor Award

Jones & Jones Architects and Landscape Architects

Troy Thrun, Thomas Childs, Kyle Madson, Vivian Ma and Natalie Wilkie provided electrical engineering services; Mary Clair Frazier and Joseph Montange provided Candela lighting design for this unique learning center.

AIA Jury Comments: "This well-crafted, LEED Gold certified public project was a stand out because of its deep connection to its environment, distinguished by the ecological systems operating across building and landscape. Jurors described the project as a vivid learning laboratory."

Vancouver Convention Centre West, Expansion, Vancouver, BC

Honor Award

LMN Architects

Brian O'Bannon and Colin Davis provided audiovisual design for this impressive convention center project.

AIA Jury Comments: Describing the design as "the way a convention center should be done," the jurors were impressed with how the project relates to the city and the water, as well as the inclusion of sustainable elements such as the green roof which "feels more like a rooftop park."

Sparling and Candela Contribute to One of the Country's First LEED® Gold Theatres

US Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded the University of Washington Jones Playhouse Theatre a LEED-NC Gold rating, making it one of the very first theatres in the country to do so.

Sparling provided electrical engineering, telecommunications voice and data cable and technology infrastructure design and Candela lighting design services for the renovation of the 70-year-old theater used by the UW School of Drama and the community. The 10,137 square foot Playhouse Theatre renovation was designed by LMN Architects and included seismic upgrades, ADA compliance, and complete systems replacement.

Sparling and Candela helped to achieve LEED points through their support of the design elements proposed and through special attention to unique energy and lighting issues that were critical in the LEED certification process. Sparling designed integrated house lighting controls to be served from the same dimming system as the theatre. Candela worked with the team on the Sustainable Sites 8 - Light Pollution Reduction point which is intended to minimize light trespass from building and site, reduce sky glow, improve nighttime visibility through glare reduction, and reduce development impact on nocturnal environments.

Sparling Honored as One of Washington's 100 Best Companies to Work for 2009

Sparling is proud to be #4 on the list of medium companies for Washington's 100 Best Companies to Work For 2009 sponsored by Seattle Business magazine. A celebration banquet was held on Thursday, June 25th at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center on Seattle's waterfront.

This prestigious list recognizes and celebrates Washington companies that have built healthy workplace cultures that attract and retain happy, invested and productive employees. Companies are rated on key characteristics that make a "Best Company" including: company communication policies, training and education opportunities, responsibility and decision making opportunities, challenging but attainable performance standards, competitive and equitable rewards and recognition, comprehensive benefits, strong and respectful leadership, creative and nurturing work environment, hiring, retention and advancement practices, and corporate culture and values.

Seattle Business magazine bases the results of this competition on surveys from nearly 10,000 employees from hundreds of Washington companies. Those that scored at the top of their categories-large, medium, small and non-profit companies-were further scrutinized by a panel of expert judges to determine the final rankings. Interestingly, an overwhelming number of respondents to the survey said that the greatest importance to them is company culture and workplace environment, two components of the workplace that can't be shown on a spreadsheet.

Sparling Named #2 Best Medium-sized Company to Work for in Oregon

Sparling was named the second best medium-sized company to work for in Oregon for 2009 by Oregon Business magazine at the February 26th gala which was attended by over 1,000 business leaders at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.

This is Sparling's 3rd year on this prestigious list that recognizes and celebrates Oregon companies for their commitment to creating great places for their employees to work. Ranking second on this list is a remarkable feat considering the fact that a record-breaking 372 companies participated and nearly 30,000 employees completed the survey this year.

"Not only was Sparling named the #2 Best Medium-sized Company overall, we ranked highest of all medium-sized companies in the employee-ranked category of Performance Management!" says Kendra Fuller, Director of Human Resources. "In addition, we came in second among all medium-sized companies in the employee-ranked categories of Work Environment, Decision-Making and Trust, and Career Development & Learning. Sparling made the "top 3" list in 4 of the 5 employee-ranked categories. Kudos and congratulations to our stellar Portland team for this tremendous honor!"

The Oregon Business magazine's anonymous survey rates employee satisfaction in 50 workplace qualities such as Benefits and Compensation, Work Environment, Decision Making and Trust, Performance Management, and Career Development & Learning. Survey results were combined with a general survey submitted by employers to determine rankings.

With over 62 years in the built environment, Sparling is a community of problem solvers in electrical engineering, technology consulting, audiovisual design, acoustical design and lighting design. The firm specializes in bringing solid solutions to facilities so they will realize their full potential and remain sustainable for years to come. Sparling's offices are located in Seattle, Portland and San Diego.