GFF Announces Three New Principals

From Left to Right: Jacquelyn Block, Ricardo Montoya, Todd Burtis 

GFF is excited to announce three new principals as our firm continues to expand its reach and add diversity of expertise and perspective to our Principal team. These three Architects are uniquely talented and proven leaders in our practice. Jacquelyn Block has a heart for people and their vision. Her leadership of our Church Works Studio and the projects they produce have given her a platform to connect with clients, end-users, communities, and the designers she leads daily. Her dedication to client service while managing award-winning design work is a model for our future leaders. Ricardo Montoya is a technical philosopher – he is rigorously thoughtful and considers every detail an opportunity to create something truly great. His methodical nature will provide our practice with an extra dose of bold leadership and analytical acuity. Todd Burtis is everything you want in a design leader: charismatic, confident, and talented at the creation of places that are both beautiful and uniquely personal to the people for whom he designs. His creative abilities inspire us all, and we look forward to years of compelling design as we continue to push the envelope of city-shaping projects throughout the state of Texas.

 

Congratulations to each of these three outstanding leaders!

Jacquelyn Block, AIA, LEED AP

Principal / Studio Director

“I am thrilled to join the GFF leadership team and look forward to continuing to solidify our practice as an industry leader by positively impacting communities through innovative design solutions and exceptional client service.”

Jacquelyn joined GFF in 2011 and has over 15 years of architectural experience with faith-based, non-profit, and educational clients. With a passion for religious and educational facilities, Jacquelyn works closely with her clients in the initial programming and planning phase to identify key strategies to create facilities that support her client’s mission and values in an innovative and creative way. Her passion is not just about great buildings, but also about developing trusting and long-lasting relationships.

Jacquelyn is a graduate of the AIA Emerging Leaders program, has participated as a design jurist at The University of Texas at Arlington and volunteers with several non-profits. She received her Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and her Master of Architecture Degree from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Ricardo Montoya, AIA, CDT

Principal / Director of Technical Resources

“At university, I was immediately drawn to Architecture for the opportunities it provided for creative exploration of the structures and spaces we inhabit.  In practice, I was drawn to the exploration of building assemblies, building materials, and execution of design concepts. As part of GFF’s leadership group, I look forward to working with a larger cross section of our firm to continue to refine and improve our design process in a way that bridges the creative, technical, and business aspects of our work.”

Ricardo is Director of Technical Resources and Senior Project Leader at GFF, with experience managing a broad range of project types of various scales. His project experience includes multiple building typologies including recreation centers, institutional facilities, multifamily and mixed-use projects, as well as retail and commercial facilities. Ricardo enjoys working directly with clients to realize their vision. He has successfully executed projects through close collaboration with the design team, owner, and general contractor by guiding the development process through land entitlements, building code analysis, material selection, acoustical considerations, cost control efforts, and other key challenges unique to each project. He received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from The University of Texas at Arlington in 2003.

Todd Burtis, AIA

Principal / Senior Design Leader

“Over the 19 years I have been with GFF, it has been amazing to witness the growth and evolution of our firm and work. I am very proud of what we have already accomplished, beyond excited by what we are achieving today and cannot wait to see what the future brings.”

Over the past 19 years, Todd has become one of our firm’s leading designers and has acquired extensive knowledge of project types from corporate offices, large scale mixed-use developments, and institutional facilities to boutique retail establishments. He is a 2003 graduate of Texas Tech University where he received a Master of Architecture. In addition to being a registered Architect in the state of Texas and a LEED Green Associate, Todd is active within The Real Estate Council (TREC) serving on both the Community Initiatives and R+D Committees. These important community outreach groups foster and fund programs that focus on job creation and education.

Our Leadership Team

Learn more about the rest of our leadership team.

Evan Beattie

Senior Principal + Chief Executive Officer / Chairman

A black and white portrait of Evan Beattie, a Senior Principal and the Chief Executive Officer / Chairman with GFF, in front of a white background.

Allison Hubbard

Senior Principal + Chief Operating Officer

A black and white portrait of Allison Hubbard, a Senior Principal, Chief Operating Officer, and Corporate Treasurer with GFF, in front of a white background.

Jim West

Principal + Managing Director – Austin

A black and white portrait of Jim West, a Principal and the Managing Director – Austin with GFF in the Austin Studio, in front of a white background.

Maria Gomez

Principal + Studio Director

A black and white portrait of Maria Gomez, a Principal and Studio Director with GFF in the Corporate / Office Studio, in front of a white background.

Brian Kuper

Design Principal

A black and white portrait of Brian Kuper, the Design Principal with GFF, in front of a white background.

Brian Moore

Principal + Director of Planning

A black and white portrait of Brian Moore, a Principal and the Director of Planning with GFF in the Planning Studio, in front of a white background.

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Our Work