August 14, 2024

Johnston Architects

Simons

Lopez

Borsari

Baiata-Nicolai

Flores

Seikel

Peabody

Johnston Architects (JA) has promoted Jasmyn Flores to senior marketing specialist, Jesse Baiata-Nicolai, Sierra Borsari and Natalie Lopez to associate, and John B. Simons to senior associate.

The firm has also hired Addison Peabody as a designer and James Seikel as business manager.

Flores earned her BA in Apparel Product Development with a Minor in Interior Design from the University of Idaho. She joined JA in 2019 and applies her expertise in proposal management, award submissions, graphic design and website development to the firm's marketing efforts.

Flores has been instrumental in JA's successful pursuits for the Pierce County Library System's new Sumner Library, Puyallup Library Teen Center Remodel and the Camas Public Library Renovation. She led award submissions for the Winthrop Library, which was recognized with an AIA Seattle Award of Honor, AIA Washington Council Civic Design Award and WoodWorks Design Award.

Baiata-Nicolai earned his BS and Master's degrees in Architecture from the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. He joined JA in 2021 and serves as the firm's design technology manager, where he optimizes the use of design platforms and Building Information Modeling. His responsibilities range from creating custom parametric content in Revit to developing Python plugins. Recently, he has been instrumental in creating a rendering material library to manage the extensive image assets required for high-quality photorealistic renderings.

Borsari earned her BS in Architecture from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and holds Master's Degrees in Architecture and Civil Engineering Construction Management from Washington University in Saint Louis. She joined JA in 2022 and brings her expertise in public projects, multifamily developments, and single-family projects to the firm.

At JA, Borsari recently served as the project manager on the Redmond Senior & Community Center. She has also worked as the project architect for a custom residence in Salida, Colorado, and as the project architect for the Lake Wilderness Community Clubhouse.

Lopez studied Human Resource Management at Western Governors University and joined JA in 2022. Lopez has made significant contributions to JA's operational excellence, including improvements to the firm's hiring process, employee onboarding, payroll, staff feedback process, and managing employee relations. This includes creating a new assessment system to gather feedback for managers through anonymous surveys and supporting firm leadership in its implementation.

Lopez also overhauled the performance review process to ensure a consistent experience for all staff. She holds an HR certification through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-CP).

Simons earned his BS in Architecture from Texas Tech University and a Master of Architecture from the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University. He joined JA in 2019, bringing expertise in design and project management for a mix of project types and scales in New York and abroad. Simons is currently serving as project architect for the 18,000-square-foot Lake Wilderness Clubhouse for the city of Maple Valley and project manager for the new Sumner Library in Pierce County. His experience at JA spans multiple sectors, including multifamily, single-family, civic facilities, and hospitality projects.

Peabody earned his BA in Architecture from the University of Washington, where he graduated Cum Laude with Honors in 2018. He returned to UW to earn his Master's in Architecture and was the program's 2022 recipient of the AIA Medal for Academic Excellence. Prior to joining JA in 2023, Peabody's work included high-rise student housing, mid-rise multifamily and affordable housing developments. He has extensive 3D rendering and visualization experience in traditional and alternative delivery models such as Design/Build. At JA, Peabody served as a designer on the Puyallup Library Teen Center Remodel, Camas Library Renovation and a new library for Park County in Powell, Wyoming.

Seikel received his Bachelor's in History from Purdue University and earned his Master's in Museum Studies from Indiana University, along with his MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Illinois. Seikel's diverse work history includes roles in museum administration for the State of Utah and the city of Port Isabel, Texas, and in operations for Encompass and Semi-Retired MD. In 2021, Seikel co-founded a bookkeeping business aimed to support small businesses and nonprofits. Seikel brings to JA expertise in accounting, finance, human resources, information technology, marketing, operations, and strategy.

As business manager at JA, Seikel's role is to maintain the firm's accounting and finance practices, streamline operational programs, and ensure clear fiscal communication with clients, consultants and employees.