PGAV Destinations announces the expansion of its St. Louis and Orlando design studios. With the addition of new team members, PGAV is poised to create leading destinations in the realms of travel, tourism, and entertainment both at home and abroad.
By welcoming talented individuals across various design disciplines, the company is prepared for increased activity in themed entertainment, zoos, aquariums, museums, brand destinations, and hospitality projects worldwide. With their leading experts at the helm, PGAV Destinations is ready to bring experiences to every corner of the globe.
“We are thrilled to welcome these talented new team members,” said Mike Konzen, PGAV CEO. “They demonstrate our continued growth and add to the strongest group that we’ve had in our 58-year history. PGAV Destinations is set to complete our second consecutive year of unprecedented growth as we finish 2023 and carry that momentum into 2024. Alongside our recruitment programs, we continue to make significant investments in our team, including our firm-wide trip to Abu Dhabi in October to visit one of our latest projects, SeaWorld Yas Island.”
Introducing PGAV Destinations’ new team members:
Hailey Collum
Architectural Designer, Hailey Collum, received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She has previous experience as a Space Management Assistant with UIUC Facilities and Services, as a graduate teaching assistant at UIUC, and as an architectural intern at PGAV.
Riley Ewing
Architectural Designer, Riley Ewing from Ashland, Ohio, received his bachelor’s degree in architecture, with a minor in entrepreneurship from the University of Cincinnati. His previous work experience includes internships in Toledo, Ohio, Jacksonville, Florida, and San Francisco, California.
Cole Harley
Landscape Designer, Cole Harley, of North Augusta, South Carolina, received his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture at Clemson University. His previous experience includes work experience at RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture, and he has done themed entertainment internships at Universal Creative and AECOM.
Bethany Lavery
Designer, Bethany Lavery, from Sacramento, California, received her bachelor’s degree in creative technologies from Virginia Tech and her Master of Fine Arts in themed entertainment design from Savannah College of Art and Design. Her previous experience includes roles as a Business Analyst at Accenture and as a 3D Modeler for Three Geared Robot, along with internships at Universal and Aaron Sims Creative,
Charlie Lutz
Project Architect, Charlie Lutz, of Saint Louis, Missouri, received his Master of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Charlie joins us from HOK, where his previous experience includes 18 years designing a variety of buildings, from a lab in Palermo, Italy, to a wood-framed garage at the Saint Louis Art Museum.
Katie Neyer
Architectural Designer, Katie Neyer, of Saint Louis, Missouri, received her BS in architectural studies and Master of Architecture with a certificate in historic preservation at the University of Kansas. Katie was a former intern at PGAV and has prior work experience at Grant’s Farm – the historic Busch Family Home.
Ethan Sandburg
Architectural Designer, Ethan Sandburg of Tonganoxie, Kansas, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture with a minor in geography from the University of Kansas. His previous experience includes an internship at Hollis+Miller Architects.
Javier Saumell
Architectural Designer, Javier Saumell of Miami, Florida, received his Bachelor of Design in Architecture from the University of Central Florida. His previous experience includes operations at Universal Studios Orlando.