HED, a leading national architecture and engineering firm, announced the appointment of Tania Van Herle, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, and Enrique Suarez, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, to Co-CEOs.
Van Herle and Suarez will take over from retiring Chairman and CEO J. Peter Devereaux, FAIA, who served as HED's CEO since 2015. During his tenure, Devereaux led HED’s transformation into a nationally recognized practice—expanding sector expertise, spearheading five mergers and opening three offices.
“Van Herle and Suarez have my utmost confidence as Co-CEOs. They are passionate, innovative leaders who will continue to drive HED’s evolution and growth,” said Devereaux. “I believe that together, they will deliver on the firm’s promise to make a positive impact for our team members, clients, and communities.”
HED appoints new leadership with Co-CEO model
Known nationally for integrated architecture and engineering services delivered by the firm's expansive array of professionals, HED creates innovative and sustainable design solutions. The new Co-CEO model is a manifestation of the firm’s long-standing emphasis on collaboration and its commitment to diversity. As first-generation immigrant children, Van Herle and Suarez bring an expanded field of vision into a historically underrepresented industry.
Tania Van Herle has served as COO since 2017. During her 25 years with the firm, she has participated in all aspects of the practice including project management, business development, technical leadership, operations and corporate governance. Trained in both architecture and engineering, Van Herle earned multiple degrees at UCLA in Civil Engineering and Architecture. As a recognized member of the AIA College of Fellows (FAIA), she has grown a career of positive impact, receiving recognitions including the Building Design+Construction’s ‘40 Under 40’ Award and was a nominee for the Los Angeles Business Journal ‘Women Making a Difference’ award. She is also a founding chair of the Women in Architecture Committee of AIA-LA, served as the President of the AIA-LA Chapter in 2018, and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles.
Enrique Suarez has served as CMO since 2015. He has dedicated his skills to serving a diverse array of corporate and institutional clients and has led teams across the nation focused on advancing architecture thought leadership. Suarez has won over 20 design awards in his tenure with the firm and has been the recipient of many distinguished awards. Enrique is an honors graduate of the University of Kansas with a professional degree in Architecture.
In the Co-CEO role, Van Herle will serve as the firm’s Operations Leader, focusing her efforts on further optimizing project delivery, driving workflow efficiencies, and facilitating more pathways for individual and team success. Suarez will oversee client strategy and external marketing efforts, shepherding in a new vision of HED as a tech-based, solutions-oriented consultancy firm. Together they will work as a team to create a culture of innovation, belonging, and exceptional design that advances HED’s clients, the community, and the world.
“As Co-CEO, I look forward to challenging and inspiring our people to greater heights. By crafting a human-centered organization, it will allow our teams’ passions to drive us forward,” said Tania Van Herle, Co-CEO, HED. “I’m honored to work alongside Enrique in continuing to grow the firm so that we can successfully reinvest in our team and communities.”
“Tania is an incredible leader and together we plan to continue to lead our design practice to deliver value and produce work that is on the cutting edge of architecture and engineering," said Enrique Suarez, Co-CEO, HED. "The industry is evolving rapidly, and within that evolution in technology, materials, and process there is room for disruption and demand for greater agility in how we deliver design solutions to our clients and partners."
On March 14, 2023, Van Herle and Suarez began their roles as Co-CEOs. Brett Paloutzian, AIA, LEED Green Associate and managing principal at HED, will be taking over from Devereaux as Chairman of the Board.
As former principals of merged firms, the leadership appointments of Paloutzian, Van Herle, and Suarez, illustrate HED’s commitment to the development and cultivation of all acquired talent.
About HED
At HED, great design is about thinking creatively to overcome challenges and improve real world outcomes. Our firm has a long history and reputation for excellence because we believe that all the facets of our design, from architecture, consulting, engineering, and planning, must create a positive impact for our clients, the community, and the world through responsive, innovative, and sustainable design solutions. This belief has allowed our firm to succeed and grow in a broad range of markets in eight U.S. offices (Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Sacramento).
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 29, 2024
More than 1.2 billion sf of office space have strong potential for residential conversion
More than 1.2 billion sf of U.S. office space—14.8% of the nation’s total—have strong potential for conversion to residential use, according to real estate software and services firm Yardi. Yardi’s new Conversion Feasibility Index scores office buildings on their suitability for multifamily conversion.
K-12 Schools | Aug 29, 2024
Designing for dyslexia: How architecture can address neurodiversity in K-12 schools
Architects play a critical role in designing school environments that support students with learning differences, particularly dyslexia, by enhancing social and emotional competence and physical comfort. Effective design principles not only benefit students with dyslexia but also improve the learning experience for all students and faculty. This article explores how key design strategies at the campus, classroom, and individual levels can foster confidence, comfort, and resilience, thereby optimizing educational outcomes for students with dyslexia and other learning differences.
Museums | Aug 29, 2024
Bjarke Ingels' Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art conceived as village of 12 pavilions
The 60,000-sm Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China recently topped out. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the museum is conceived as a village of 12 pavilions, offering a modern interpretation of the elements that have defined the city’s urbanism, architecture, and landscape for centuries.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 28, 2024
Cities in Washington State will offer tax breaks for office-to-residential conversions
A law passed earlier this year by the Washington State Legislature allows developers to defer sales and use taxes if they convert existing structures, including office buildings, into affordable housing.
Industrial Facilities | Aug 28, 2024
UK-based tire company plans to build the first carbon-neutral tire factory in the U.S.
ENSO, a U.K.-based company that makes tires for electric vehicles, has announced plans to build the first carbon-neutral tire factory in the U.S. The $500 million ENSO technology campus will be powered entirely by renewable energy. The first-of-its-kind tire factory aims to be carbon neutral without purchased offsets, using carbon-neutral raw materials and building materials.
Architects | Aug 28, 2024
KTGY acquires residential high-rise specialist GDA Architects
KTGY, an award-winning design firm focused on architecture, interior design, branded environments and urban design, announced that it has acquired GDA Architects, a Dallas-based architectural firm specializing in high rise residential, hospitality and industrial design.
K-12 Schools | Aug 26, 2024
Windows in K-12 classrooms provide opportunities, not distractions
On a knee-jerk level, a window seems like a built-in distraction, guaranteed to promote wandering minds in any classroom or workspace. Yet, a steady stream of studies has found the opposite to be true.
Building Technology | Aug 23, 2024
Top-down construction: Streamlining the building process | BD+C
Learn why top-down construction is becoming popular again for urban projects and how it can benefit your construction process in this comprehensive blog.
Airports | Aug 22, 2024
Portland opens $2 billion mass timber expansion and renovation to its international airport
This month, the Portland International Airport (PDX) main terminal expansion opened to passengers. Designed by ZGF for the Port of Portland, the 1 million-sf project doubles the capacity of PDX and enables the airport to welcome 35 million passengers per year by 2045.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 22, 2024
6 key fire and life safety considerations for office-to-residential conversions
Office-to-residential conversions may be fraught with fire and life safety challenges, from egress requirements to fire protection system gaps. Here are six important considerations to consider.
