Finnegan and Howe Earn Vice President Status

SMMA is proud to announce the appointments of Lorraine Finnegan, AIA and Jennifer Howe, PE to the roles of Vice President and corporate officer. Finnegan, Director of the firm’s K-12 Studio, and Howe, Director of the Federal Government Studio and Director of Site Design, are both principals of the firm.

“These promotions to Vice President acknowledge the contributions both Lorraine and Jenn have made to SMMA and to our firm’s culture,” said Ara Krafian, CEO. “We are proud to celebrate their achievements, boundless energy, and the high standard they set for the company’s next generation of senior leadership.”

Finnegan, who joined SMMA 20 years ago, is instrumental in the success of many of the firm’s most prominent educational designs. These achievements include the Bancroft Elementary School, an AIA New England People’s Choice Award in 2015, the Winchester High School multi-phased transformation, and the Boston Public Schools Education and Facilities Master Plan which will guide the City’s one billion dollar investment in its community schools.

^{Lorraine Finnegan (left) is pictured with Ellen Sturgis, Chair of the Stow Building Committee, at the ribbon cutting ceremony for The Center School in Stow.}

Finnegan is active in the AEC community. She serves as President Elect on the Board of Directors of the Association for Learning Environments New England Chapter and participates on the Boston Society of Architect's Educational Facilities committee.

“Lorraine represents the best that SMMA offers. She is a consummate professional of course, but beyond aesthetic and technical skills, she cares deeply about her clients and the impact her work has on their lives,” said SMMA Director of Institutional Practice Studios, Alex Pitkin, AIA.

Since joining SMMA in 1999, Howe has spearheaded both the Site Design Group and the Federal Government Studio. Under her leadership, the firm’s talented group of landscape architects and civil engineers continue to flourish within the firm’s integrated practice model. In addition, she has cultivated and expanded SMMA’s relationship with the Department of Defense, helping to secure the firm’s first indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts with the United States Army Corps of Engineers New England District, Hanscom Air Force Base, and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command for Connecticut, Rhode Island, and the Mid-Atlantic regions.

^{Jennifer Howe addresses the crowd at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Aviation Readiness Center in Bangor, Maine.}

“Jennifer promotes true collaboration where design ideation benefits from the best of SMMA's multidisciplinary mindset. We are very excited to see Jennifer in position as an officer and look forward to seeing her influence adopted by the next generation of leaders," stated Mark Spaulding, AIA, Director of Design.

Outside of the office, Howe serves on the Board of Directors for the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts in the role of Senior Vice President.

“I am thrilled with the Board’s decision to promote Lorraine and Jennifer,” said SMMA Chief Executive Officer, Ara Krafian.

"Their work ethic, learning attitude, cooperation, and willingness to engage has shaped a journey that exemplifies the difference between a job and a career. They exemplify our next generation of leadership and continue the collaborative tradition our founders initiated in 1955.”