Higher Education Planning and Development in Oregon: Insights from Leading Colleges and Universities

Gain invaluable knowledge about the capital planning and development plans of local colleges and universities directly from the institutions

Date: February 25, 2010
Time: 11:30 am-noon: Registration; Noon-1:30 pm: Program
Location: Hilton Portland, Lower Level Ballroom, 921 SW Sixth Avenue, Portland

 

Presenter(s) (see speaker bios below for more information):
Moderator:
Michael Sestric, Principal, Michael Sestric Facilities Planning 
Panelists:
Carl Vance, President of Business & Finance, Lewis & Clark College;
David Smith, Director, Planning & Construction, Washington State University Vancouver;  
Denis Ransmeier, Vice President for Financial Affairs, University of Portland;
Additional panelists expected from the Oregon University System and Portland State University

Pricing:
Member: $35
Member Firm: $40
Non-member: $50
Prices increase by $10 after February 18th

RSVP Date: Noon, February 25th

Is Food Provided? Yes. Plated lunch.

Program Description:
A powerful combination of change has impacted colleges and universities in the Northwest and beyond. Decreased funding, increased enrollment, progressive sustainability initiatives and changing pedagogies are all having a significant impact on how our local educational institutions are planning their future physical development.

This insightful panel of representatives from local colleges and universities will share their institution’s current and future plans for campus development. By attending this program, you will:

  • Gain the most current knowledge on local college’s and university’s planning efforts.
  • Understand what these colleges and universities are looking for when they hire an architect, engineer or contractor for their upcoming projects.
  • Learn about what types of projects colleges and universities focusing on, and what their current priorities for development are.
  • Uncover where the best opportunities will emerge in building construction and planning for higher education institutions in our region.
  • Hear how these colleges and universities are addressing their financial challenges, and how they anticipate funding their projects.
  • Consider the implications that college and university development plans have on your firm’s strategic planning efforts and gain a competitive advantage by harnessing this knowledge.
  • Interact with the panel by asking the questions you want answers to.

Who Should Attend?

  • Principals
  • Associates
  • Project Managers
  • VPs of Marketing/Business Development
  • Directors of Marketing/Business Development
  • Managers of Marketing/Business Development
  • Marketing Coordinators

Moderator Bio:
Michael Sestric, Principal, Michael Sestric Facilities Planning 
Michael Sestric provides independent space programming, budgeting and project management services for educational, health care and non-profit organizations. Recent and on-going clients include Portland Community College, Oregon Health Sciences University, Lewis & Clark College, Legacy Health System, Kaiser Permanente and Providence Health System. Michael served as Campus Planner at Lewis & Clark College for thirteen years, where he managed the long-range master facilities program planning, including facilities programming, physical planning, projects budgeting, scheduling, and coordination with local planning agencies and consultants. Mr. Sestric prepared contracts for, and managed design and construction for all capital improvement programs while at Lewis & Clark College, including a $100M comprehensive 10-year development program that included facilities development in the sciences, arts, administrative, residential and infrastructure sectors of the College. Mr. Sestric is a registered Architect in Oregon and received his MA and BED in Architecture from North Carolina State University.

Panelist Bios:
Scott Huff, Dean of Instruction, Portland Community College Cascade Campus
Scott Huff is Dean of Instruction at Portland Community College’s Cascade Campus in north Portland. He is a licensed Professional Engineer who worked in the consulting field for over a decade before beginning to teach civil and environmental engineering and engineering management at PCC, as well as at Portland State University. His current responsibilities include instructional administration, budget management, and operations oversight for PCC’s Cascade Campus. Mr. Huff is currently chair of the Oregon Council of Instructional Administrators, which provides for coordination of instructional efforts at community colleges across the state, has been involved with ABET, the national accrediting body for engineering and engineering technology programs, for more than 20 years, and is a past-president of the Oregon Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Denis Ransmeier, Vice President for Financial Affairs, University of Portland
Denis S. Ransmeier was appointed vice president for financial affairs in 2008. Mr. Ransmeier held a similar position for 20 years at Seattle University, where he served as vice president for finance and investments from 1986 to 2005. He later served as vice president and treasurer for business and finance at Lewis & Clark College from 2005 to 2006, and more recently had been working as a financial consultant. Mr. Ransmeier started his career as an accountant for Price Waterhouse & Company in Washington, D.C., and was an assistant dean and director of administration at Georgetown University Law Center from 1977 to 1986. Under Mr. Ransmeier’s leadership, the endowment at Seattle University grew from $21 million in 1986 to $181 million in 2005. While at Lewis & Clark, Mr. Ransmeier served on a committee that helped update the school’s investment policy and to select a new investment consultant. Mr. Ransmeier has a master’s of business administration from Columbia University, a master’s degree in education from Boston College and a bachelor’s degree in English from Amherst College.

Robyn K. Pierce, Director, Facilities & Planning, Portland State University
Robyn K. Pierce (MPA degree in Public Administration, Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University) has fourteen years experience in all aspects of university facilities management in traditional and urban environments. As the Chief Facilities Officer at PSU, she has had an active role in over one million square feet of campus growth in the past eight years. Ms. Pierce’s responsibilities include operations, maintenance and construction with a department staff of 120.  Under Robyn’s leadership, the Facilities and Planning Department has increased annual capital expenditures over 2,000% from $35.2 million in fiscal year 2008 to $100 million at the conclusion of the 2009-10 fiscal year.
Ms. Pierce’s experience at PSU includes planning, design and construction of two new mixed use residence halls, a Native American Student and Community Center, renovation and expansion of the child care center, a new Engineering building, and the brand new Gold LEED certified Academic and Student Recreation Center. PSU is committed to incorporating sustainability in their construction projects and is proud to have the first LEED certified greenhouse complex. She also participated in the procurement and continuous operation of an active hotel on a 4 and one-half acre site. The newest buildings on campus included two LEED Gold Facilities, Engineering and the ASRC, three LEED Silver buildings include The Broadway and Steven Epler Hall. 
Ms. Pierce is currently involved in long term, campus-wide planning for future growth of the University including the upcoming addition of new housing and academic facilities.

David L. Smith, Director, Capital Planning and Development, Washington State University
David (Dave) Smith is Director of Capital Planning and Development, and Campus Architect at WSU Vancouver. He provides overall leadership and guidance in long-range planning, and capital development at the regional campus of Washington State University with support from the institution’s department of Capital Planning and Development. Mr. Smith serves as campus space manager and provides support to the campus Facilities Operations group. He supports the Associate Vice President in the creation and implementation of development programs for university facilities statewide. Mr. Smith serves on various statewide and campus committees and is a member of the WSU Vancouver Chancellor’s Cabinet.

Carl Vance, President of Business & Finance, Lewis & Clark College
Carl Vance joined Lewis & Clark College on August 1, 2006 as Vice President of Business and Finance. Mr. Vance had been Linfield College's vice president for finance and business since 1996. Prior to Linfield, Mr. Vance served for ten years as the vice president for business and finance at Occidental College, where he directed legal, administrative and financial operations. Before joining Occidental, he was deputy director for the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and exhibitions associate at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Vance earned a B.A. in economics from the University of Illinois, an M.B.A. in arts management from the University of California at Los Angeles, and an Advanced Executive M.B.A. from Claremont Graduate University. Mr. Vance was appointed by the State Treasurer to the Oregon 529 Saving Plan board of directors in 2006.

Event Organizer Contact:
Sarah Hacker, THA Architecture, 503.227.1254, shacker@thaarchitecture.com

Registration:
Click here to register