At GFF, we work hard to build a better culture every day. Yes, we work hard to deliver the best designs and service to our clients, but we also invest a significant amount of time thinking about our team, the communities we live in, and how we can make them better. Our commitment to providing pro-bono and in-kind services in our communities for non-profits, our approach to technology that allows us to focus more on design and be adaptable, our commitment to letting the best ideas win, and our continuous pursuit of improved work-life balance have given us many opportunities to take pride in the strong culture we’ve built these challenging last 18-months.
Not surprisingly, we are in a celebratory mood as we’ve received three firm awards in 2021 for service, leadership, and workplace culture and are excited to recognize the people that have made it possible – all 140 members of this firm that work at our offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin.
D Magazine – Non-Profit and Corporate Citizenship Award
We are committed to always have several active pro-bono design efforts in the works at GFF and we’ve recently completed a design to give SoupMobile a permanent home from which to provide sustenance for those in need. Our work for Buckner Family Hope Center will help their organization protect some of the most vulnerable children in North Texas, and we will continue to partner with organizations that have the stated goal of making Texas a better and more equitable place for all.
D Magazine recognized us for our in-kind service contributions at this year’s Non-Profit and Corporate Citizenship Awards. During the pandemic, we engaged six new graduates to participate in a GFF sponsored design competition for a new animal shelter facility for Cane Rosso Rescue. These new graduates each approached the competition with wonderful ideas and became part of our permanent family once we were able to move back into the office. Their designs gave Cane Rosso Rescue much to work with and we’re so honored to work with organizations that want to give back to our communities.
SoupMobile
Cane Rosso Rescue
Dallas Business Journal – Women in Business Award
Our fearless Chief Operating Officer, Allison Hubbard, was recognized by the Dallas Business Journal alongside 24 extraordinary women for the example she has set for us in her career at GFF. The Women in Business Award honors Allison for the culture she has helped build and leadership she provides within our firm, while also serving in significant leadership roles for several non-profit organizations. Allison has blazed a trail and been a mentor for many women in our business community, working hard to increase opportunities for women in Commercial Real Estate over the last several decades.
“I always tell everyone that GFF is my favorite design project.” -Allison Hubbard, COO
Allison Hubbard is a 2021 recipient of the Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Business Award
Dallas Business Journal – Most Inspiring Leaders
GFF was also recognized by the Dallas Business Journal for its Most Inspiring Leaders Award for the way our team handled the early days of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our principal group invested heavily in technology and training for our employees in the years preceding the pandemic and we were well positioned to continue to provide great design services to our clients without interruption through 18-months of disruptions in the way we work. Our Chairman/CEO, Evan Beattie, represented our leadership team in accepting this award and gave a great interview with the Dallas Business Journal’s Ollie Chandhok that you can watch here!
Evan Beattie spoke with the Dallas Business Journal’s Ollie Chandhok about GFF
GFF’s Principal Team
However, we believe that leadership has a different meaning in our firm than is typical. “We,” as Allison Hubbard often says, is much more powerful than “I.” It’s not just the 10 principals that we call leaders. It’s each and every one of us.
When we win design awards, it’s because we approach design as a team of problem solvers in the most collaborative way we know how. We respond to brutal snowstorms and global pandemics with a “We can do this.” attitude and the response to these challenges come from a collection of voices from every level of our firm. It’s we, not me, when we try to establish the most equitable way forward in a year that has asked the world to reevaluate privilege and point-of-view. We are a leadership team of talented people, experienced and brand-new to the profession, from this or that background, Principal or Intern, operationally minded or wildly artistic, early riser or night owl, black, white, or brown.
We are grateful to be recognized for these honors and we can’t wait for you to see what we will do next!
