Time for another interview with one of our members who have recently accomplished their CDFA designation by passing the Certified Design Firm Administrator exam. This week we'll hear from Brandi Denmark, CDFA, Senior Administrative Assistant IV | Environmental Safety and Health with Pond & Company, Birmingham, Alabama.

What motivated you to earn your CDFA certification?

The desire to learn new skills and sharpen existing skills. It also gives me the ability to excel in my position and become a larger asset to my company.

Did you have any concerns, or fears, about taking the exam?

Venturing into unknown areas always comes with apprehension allowing myself to accept new information and encouragement of the people around me to help me overcome my concerns.

What study tools did you find most useful?

Studying in general is difficult for anyone but I was glad that I was able to be a part of the CDFA Marathon Training Group during weeks leading up to the testing.

Did you learn anything new, or surprising, while preparing for the exam?

There were several aspects of the study material that I found not only surprising but quite interesting. I would have to say that the Office Administrative section to be the most informative.

What section of the exam was the most difficult for you?

I would have to say the most intense section to me was the Human Resources Section. There are many rules/regulations to learn to make sure the employees’ rights are not compromised.

Did you have a CDFA mentor help you with the material?

Yes indeed. I had several CDFA members help with my preparation of testing along with other future test takers. Their knowledge and patience of the material really put me at ease.

Was your employer supportive of your CDFA goals and accomplishment?

Yes, my supervisor was completely supportive. He encouraged me by giving me the time and space to study and prepare for my testing.

What is your top tip to someone considering the pursuit of a CDFA designation?

Study and attend the marathon trainings. Ask questions.

What has obtaining your CDFA meant to you?

It gives me a high sense of accomplishment, achievement and courage to aim higher in my career.

Hae you been inspired to accomplish YOUR CDFA designation? Learn more about the process here: https://bit.ly/SDACDFALearnMore

We've been busy interviewing some of our members who have recently accomplished their CDFA designation by passing the Certified Design Firm Administrator exam. This week we'll hear from Jacqueline Coté, CDFA, Associate Principal/ Office Manager with Architectural Workshop in Denver, Colorado.

What motivated you to earn your CDFA certification?

I was interested in doing something to invest in my role and my employer suggested finding an organization to support me. After my research SDA seemed to be the best fit and jumping in and taking the certification made the most sense.

Did you have any concerns, or fears, about taking the exam?

I was concerned about studying and taking a test, it’s been a long time since I have had to do that.

What study tools did you find most useful?

I found that practice questions helped me the most. I would read and review a section at a time and then do the practice questions for that section. On any question I got wrong or felt as though I struggled, I would reread that section.

Did you learn anything new, or surprising, while preparing for the exam?

I was surprised how much of the content I am exposed to throughout my day. I wear so many different hats in my role.

What role, if any, has your CDFA played in advancing your professional or personal development, growth, network, or career?

As a new member knowing that I have a group of people in similar roles around the country that I can ask question of is great.

Was your employer supportive of your CDFA goals and accomplishment?

Yes, my employer encouraged me to find an organization to be involved with that would help with the responsibilities of my role within our firm. They have taken care of the dues and fees for me.

What is your top tip to someone considering the pursuit of a CDFA designation?

Jump in and do it, don’t over think it. There is a lot of it you know and there will be a lot of new stuff too but read the materials and find your best method to study and build in the time to do it.

What has obtaining your CDFA meant to you?

It felt great to set a personal goal and achieve it in the amount of time that was part of the goal. Yes, it is work related, but I did it for myself.

Are you ready to begin the journey toward accomplishing your CDFA designation? Learn more about the process here: https://bit.ly/SDACDFALearnMore

This year’s EDSymposium in Tampa, Florida was the first for me post-pandemic and I was excited to be immersed in the activities, the learning, and being amongst the people that makes EDSymposium the highlight of the year for my annual professional development.  Every year at EDSymposium, there is always a plethora of information that is not only taught by the high-caliber speakers, but also shared amongst the attendees.  For all the sessions I attended this year, my goal was to have one take-away nugget from each speaker that I could apply to my own daily responsibilities at my office or to my larger career path.

Tuesday, June 13

The pre-conference workshop focused on Project Management (PM) Administration (aka “Getting The Job Done”).  There were four industry leaders who tag teamed bringing the attendees on the journey a project takes starting with winning the proposal all the way through wrapping up the construction.  Each speaker emphasized how administrators can bring their skills and talents to the various aspects that make up PM Administration.

Deborah Gill, FSDA of Profit By Design LLC tackled the daunting tasks of presenting the numbers of a project in her talk of how PM Administrators Improve the Bottom Line.  Deborah gave many examples throughout a project timeline, from proposals to project execution, where administrators can be a benefit to a firm.  This benefit will result in better job retention which can lead to a longer career path that also further supports a higher salary.  NUGGET:  PM Administrators can make their position a career and not just a job because of the value that they add to a firm.  We are valuable!

Tony Casey of Intergroup Architects followed up covering Marketing and Contracts.  Before there is even a project to work on, he brought up points to consider about growth within a firm and the challenges that come from marketing and business development.  Because our product is a service, our best marketing depends on its people.  My own firm’s owner strongly believes this and always emphasizes that everyone, no matter what their role is in the firm, can and should network to promote the firm.  NUGGET:  Business development is everyone’s business.

Diane Mika of Berkley Design Professional covered Managing Risk through Effective Contracts in her sessions.  I had previously attended several Zoom webinars that Diane led, and it was exciting to see her in person speaking passionately about contracts.  She spoke of how risk management can be achieved through an effective contract management process.  It came down to the more firms stay within their contractual agreements, the more they can manage all of their risks.  NUGGET:  PM administrators can help to distill the details of contracts to help the design team to stay on budget and in scope. 

Val Higgins of Stambaugh Ness covered Project Execution.  I have also attended numerous Zoom webinars that Val led and again it was so much more dynamic to have the speaker in the same room leading the session.  Covering communication management, change management, and scope management, it was a great reminder that no matter what your role is on the team, it’s crucial for all to know the project’s scope, budget, and schedule.  NUGGET:  The PM Administrator can play the gatekeeper role to keep projects on track.

Wednesday, June 14

The Keynote Breakfast was led by Steve Gavatorta of Steve Gavatorta Group, Inc.  His topic of Emerging Leadership Principles for a Fast-Paced Ever-Evolving World tackled communication and how we can survive and thrive during these VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) times.  Steve described the difference in the DISC styles (dominance, influence, steadiness, compliance) and it was a great group exercise in seeing how the attendees self-identified within these categories.  NUGGET:  In adversity, we need to build our cortext thinking (rational) to respond in recognizing the DISC style of those involved, versus our limbic “lizard” brain (emotional) being reactionary.

Matthew Fultz of Matheson Financial Advisors followed up discussing Fine Tuning Financial Management in Uncertain Times.  He dived into the concepts of profit, revenue trends, valuation, and ownership transition, as well as touching on how the pandemic had an impact on each of those issues.  NUGGET:  It’s important to be aware of how the current economic market can affect the A/E/C markets to be able to respond accordingly.

Mike Rankin of Relational Advisors covered Maximizing Benefits: Balancing the Rising Cost of Benefits with Rising Wages.  Rather than simply looking and comparing salary dollars, Mike brought up the important topic of employee benefits and how that affects both current employees as well as recruiting new hires.  New benefits to consider include a lifestyle HRA, an unused PTO bank that can be cashed in, and various 401(k) enhancements.  NUGGET:  Explore expanding your benefits package to attract new hires and to retain existing employees.   

The Keynote Lunch was led by Michael Davis of WGI covering A/E Firm Strategic Planning – Because Hope and Luck Are Not Strategic.  Michael emphasized the importance of both a tactical plan (annual) as well as a strategic plan (3 to 5 years).  Along with a SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) and PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental) analysis, he emphasized that it was also crucial to remember the organization’s purpose.  NUGGET:  Firm culture and core values are crucial to an organization’s vision in guiding strategic planning.

Jennifer Stutts of RS&H kicked off the afternoon with Get Smart:  Marketing Edition – Maximize the Funnel.  She covered the marketing funnel (our superhero power!) and each of the various phases:  awareness, consideration, conversion, loyalty, and advocacy.  She also gave a takeaway recipe for creating a great presentation, that included identifying the audience’s problem, explaining your plan to help, describing a successful ending, and finally prompting the audience with an action.  NUGGET:  You are your company’s secret weapon – everyone is involved in marketing.

Jennifer Kawecki of NCARB and Tiffany Mayhew of NOMA shared the podium in covering the Baseline on Belonging.  They provided the results of the NCARB/NOMA study that had the goal of better understanding why people of color leave the path to licensure at higher rates.  With over 5,000 completed responses with 59% of respondents being people of color and 45% being women, the results were an eye opener that highlighted areas to offer additional support, conduct deeper research, and to implement measurable solutions.  NUGGET:  Administrators can have a direct impact by helping to fill the gap in advocacy at firms.

Our final session for the day brought back the energy level, being led by a fellow Seattle Chapter member Emily Moline Meyer, CDFA in discussing Leading from the Second Chair & Leveraging Your Influence.  She shared a list of books she highly recommended for a deeper reading and from a few of those, she shared descriptions of “visionaries” vs “integrators” as well as “multipliers” vs “diminishers”. The audience could all relate to where they identified, as well as co-workers that they needed to interact with on various levels.  NUGGET:  Vision without execution is just hallucination.  We need all types to get things done.

Thursday, June 15

The breakfast session was facilitated by the Fellows Panel in covering Putting It All Together – Where Do We Go From Here.  After sharing how varied a path could be to become a Fellow, the Fellows provided their insight and knowledge to general questions from the group.  The attendees also contributed their own personal experiences from their own firms and how it all has an impact on their positions, responsibilities, and influence at their firms.  NUGGET:  The administrator skill set is valuable – you may start off with a job, but you can end up with a career.

Along with the jam-packed educational sessions, there were also times for socializing, networking, and purely just hanging out and having fun.  The PPC Trivia night was a fun (yet VERY competitive!) time, with my team (The Space Noodles!) clawing our way to a second-place victory.  The closing banquet was a wonderful wrap-up, recognizing and celebrating the achievements of our members from the past year.  With the installation of the 2023-2024 National Officers, I am now looking forward to the upcoming year and next year’s EDSymposium, where the ”Sky is the Limit - What is on your horizon?”