HOLT Architects announces staff promotions

HOLT Architects recently announced the following promotions as it
continues its strategic growth in the firm’s key sectors of healthcare, higher education,
and multi-family housing.

Kelly Maher has been promoted to the position of principal of the firm. Maher
joins the firm’s existing principals — Paul Levesque, Steve Hugo, and Quay
Thompson — in a continuation of the legacy that began in 1963. Maher has been with
HOLT for 10 years and, overall, brings nearly 20 years of architectural experience to her
new position. At HOLT, her primary focus has been on healthcare and childcare
facilities. In healthcare design, her passion is for designing behavioral health spaces
and she is a respected professional in this area, having contributed to the national
guidelines that impact these facilities. In addition, her healthcare experience includes a
wide range of inpatient and outpatient modalities.

“I appreciate the opportunities that HOLT has provided me and its culture, which fosters
growth in balance with family and life,” states Kelly Maher. “I am excited for our future as
we continue the pursuit of great design and places of well-being and healing for the
communities where we work.”

According to HOLT’s president, Paul Levesque, “Kelly has consistently demonstrated
outstanding leadership across every aspect of our practice. She excels at mentoring
emerging professionals, fostering a collaborative culture, and guiding her project teams
with clarity and purpose through every phase of design and construction. What truly
sets Kelly apart is her unwavering commitment to her clients. She not only leads
complex projects to successful completion, but she also becomes a trusted, go-to
partner for her clients—someone they rely on long after the project is done. Her
promotion to Principal reflects both the impact she’s made at HOLT and the confidence
we have in her continued leadership.”

Catherine Blakemore has been promoted to Principal Associate. Blakemore
has a passion for creating spaces that are both inspiring and functional. Blakemore works
closely with clients to ensure their vision is realized through innovative, sustainable, and
thoughtful design solutions. She will join the firm’s Senior Leadership Team — allowing
her wealth of expertise in design, keen eye for detail, and working closely with
designers to grow their skills and experience, which allows her to have an even greater
impact on HOLT and its staff. In addition to being a licensed architect, Blakemore is also a
NYS Code Official and will continue her role as Director of Code Compliance for the
firm.

Blakemore says, “I really enjoy the variety of work that HOLT pursues and the ability to collaborate with all my colleagues. As a team, we are continuously expanding and honing our
subject matter expertise to provide each client with the best possible design for the
present and the future. I am extremely honored to be part of the HOLT team and excited
to join the leadership team.”

Tom Kinslow has been promoted to Associate. Kinslow has been a practicing
architect since 1978 and brings his extensive knowledge to his work. In his new role at
HOLT, Tom will continue contributing as a leader and mentor in the firm’s Syracuse
office and his work with key clients in our higher education and community sectors.

Before joining HOLT, much of his career was in Boston. Kinslow taught at Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute and has been a visiting critic at Syracuse University, University of
Maryland, Boston Architectural Center, Northeastern University, and the University of
Tennessee. Kinslow has extensive experience in multi-unit residential projects, higher
education, dormitories, labs, retail spaces, restaurants, offices, and master planning.

HOLT is also proud to announce the advancement of team members whose
contributions are vital to the firm’s continued success.

Lacey Bolton has been promoted to Project Manager 2. Bolton has nearly two
decades of professional healthcare experience, working with numerous New York State
Institutions. Her focused design background and project management skills are
essential to the success of each project. She is dedicated to the clients’ needs and
sensitive to the goals of each project, keeping it on schedule and on budget.

According to Bolton, “Healthcare design is my passion. It is very rewarding to create healing
environments that strengthen the health and well-being of my community.”

Matthew Gavette has been promoted to Project Manager 1. Gavette’s work is
focused on the planning and design of healthcare environments. He balances stringent requirements with the project vision to ensure that projects meet the immediate needs
of patients and staff. Matthew holds an Evidence-Based Design Accreditation and
Certification (EDAC), which is awarded to individuals who demonstrate the ability to
apply an evidence-based process to healthcare facility design, including measuring and
reporting results.

Brigitte Rotker has been promoted to Project Manager 1. Rotker is a talented Well
Certified Healthcare Designer who brings her dedication and thorough approach to the
design process, making her an integral part of the team from concept to construction
documents. She works collaboratively to help define the vision and then create solutions
to meet a project’s stated goals. With her extensive experience in new construction and
renovation projects of all sizes, she has a strong aptitude for problem-solving and
construction detailing. In reflecting on her work with HOLT, she feels “inspired by our
commitment to sustainable, responsible design and its impact on the communities we
serve.”