Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507170024
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: F.J. GALLAGHER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Following that plan, the firm's board of directors this month named four new officers it expects to guide the operation into the next decade.
"These people aren't new," Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Shaffner said. "They've all been with the company for a number of years now; so when they do take over, they'll each have at least 10 years of experience."
SFCS's board appointed Gregory A. Jones as president and chief operating officer, Manjit S. Toor as executive vice president and chief financial officer, Curtis R. Jennings as senior vice president and Tye Campbell as vice president. The four will be in charge of all aspects of the business by 1998, when Shaffner and current Executive Vice President Ron Crawford are expected to retire.
The appointments, Shaffner said, are the next step in a transition process begun shortly after Franklin retired and are designed to preserve the integrity of the firm's hard-won reputation for excellence in the design and renovation of education, health care and retirement facilities.
"We began recruiting people for this in the '80s," Shaffner said. "Now those people are ready to take on additional responsibilities. A firm is only as good as the people it hires; and from the standpoint of name recognition, people in those fields recognize our name. You lose a lot when you change a name."
Jones has been with SFCS since 1983, serving as project designer, manager and most recently as vice president and director of sales. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1978.
Toor joined the company in 1986 and has been project manager/engineer and vice president and director of general practice. He holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Punjab University in India and a master's in structural engineering form Oklahoma State University.
Jennings began his career at SFCS in 1970 after graduating from Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree in architecture. He has been a project manager and architect, in addition to a vice president.
Campbell received a bachelor's degree in architecture and engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1982 and joined SFCS in 1984. He has been project structural engineer, construction administrator and director of engineering.
Jones said the new officers will not forsake their design functions for a strictly administrative role.
"We still have project-related responsibilities, mostly retirement facility projects that will continue," he said. "Our roles won't change radically, probably gradually over the next five years."
A change in leadership in professional firms usually involves a change in ownership, Shaffner said, and SFCS is no exception.
Jones, Toor and Jennings each now own 13.3 percent of the company, the value of which was determined by an independent consultant, with Crawford and Shaffner retaining 30 percent each. Upon Crawford and Shaffner's retirement, the board of directors will purchase their shares and redistribute them as it sees fit.
"This is really a continuation of our philosophy of being a full-service firm," capable of handling architecture, engineering and planning assignments, in addition to interior and exterior design, Shaffner said. "With these appointments, we can continue to deliver the a whole package of services to clients."
by CNB