Construction Surge Spurs New Hires

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LOS ANGELES-With Southern California experiencing a dramatic surge in construction activity, particularly in multifamily projects, Bernards has added more than 30 new professionals since the beginning of the year and remains in hiring mode. The commercial builder is building nearly one-third of the 8,100 new apartment units underway in the region.

Most recently, Lawrence Felton and Peggy Schulz have joined the firm. Felton is a program manager with significant California public-school construction expertise who has spent the last 13 years with Los Angeles Unified School District working on its multi-billion-dollar bond programs. He has 25 years of experience in commercial construction and 13 years of managing California public-school construction projects and is currently serving as program manager for the Beverly Hills USD Measure E Bond Program.

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Schulz, whose new title is director of marketing, is a branding and marketing specialist who was formerly a principal at Seattle-based PSS Brand Architecture & Marketing Consulting. In her new role, she will lead the company's marketing team, grow the brand equity and implement strategies that promote recognition of Bernards' accomplishments.

“Lawrence's extensive California public-school experience, including in-depth knowledge of the state's complex educational-project processes and procedures, positions Bernards to further serve Southern California public-school districts in managing their school-facility programs,” says Steve Pellegren, VP of preconstruction services for Bernards. “Peggy's expertise in marketing and branding strategies will provide our marketing team and creative staff the leadership and direction needed to showcase Bernards' commercial-construction expertise and accomplishments.”

Bernards has five offices throughout the Southwest and was recently cited as one of the top 100 “Best Places to Work.” As GlobeSt.com reported exclusively in June, Bernards is sponsoring two Southern California collegiate teams for the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013, an open-to-the-public event that will take place for the first time on the West Coast on October 3-13 at Orange County Great Park in Irvine. The event challenges collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are affordable, energy-efficient and aesthetically pleasing.