Dijana Alickovic Rambo (who turned 41 Sept. 28) has one of the more interesting stories in her rise from Bosnian teenage refugee to acclaimed architect at Salt Lake-based ajc architects. In 1997, Dijana Alickovic fled her war-torn country with her parents and wound up in Salt Lake City, which had a fairly well-established Bosnian community at that time.

Living in a small apartment near Liberty Park, the 15-year-old spoke little English at first but quickly adapted to her new surroundings, attending Highland High and continuing her interests in science, math and drafting. "I always enjoyed solving problems as a kid, in biology, physics, and math," she said. "I wanted to be a biologist and help find a cure for AIDS."

In her senior year, she entered—and won—a design competition, sparking a career change. "My whole life as a teen was prepping for biology and it just switched my senior year.”

She ultimately graduated from the University of Utah's School of Architecture, earning her undergrad in 2005 and a Master of Architecture in 2008. She named Julio Bermudez, a professor at the U, as one of her biggest mentors.

"One of the most valuable lessons he taught us—that I use to this day—is how to experience architecture; how to experience the light, the sound, the architectural elements," she said.

In 2009, she spent 13 months as a volunteer for AmeriCorps VISTA, and from 2009-15 she was a co-founder and participant in the non-profit Common Studio with other local architects, including Laura Smith, Bryan Markkanen, and Molli Kiser. They teamed with local non-profit Haitian Roots and the architectural studio at the University of Utah to design a school in Haiti.

She worked at Salt Lake-based Prescott Muir from 2011-16, before being hired at Salt Lake-based ajc architects in 2016, where she now serves as a Senior Associate. Architecture has been satisfying for her because of its problem-solving nature.

"With architecture, it's about providing solutions in programming, design, detailing, and constructability," she said. "It's rewarding to see the success of a project and getting positive feedback from the client once they start occupying the space."

Rambo (she married Matthew Rambo in 2020) has thrived working on public projects, in addition to affordable housing and hospitality markets.

She lists the three homeless shelters in Salt Lake County that were designed and built from 2018-19 as her favorite projects. "That was the most memorable—they were the most challenging and the most rewarding projects. Seeing the genuine care and effort everyone put into making these projects successful was rewarding. The feedback we received mentioned the abundance of daylighting, sound (mitigation), and how spacious and comfortable everything was."

Two interesting current projects on her plate include the Behavioral Health Transitional Facility for State of Utah DFCM, and a retrofit of the World War II-era armory to give it a second life as a Community Center for Murray City. Other cool projects on her radar are a new Visitor Center at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument east of Billings, Montana, and a hospitality project in Ketchum, Idaho. 

"These projects are very exciting," she said, particularly given her passion for the great outdoors.

“Dijana always has creative and insightful ideas that she contributes to all her projects and relationships. She has a way with people that is always encouraging and pushes folks to their limits," said Jill Jones, Principal Partner and Founder of ajc architects. "From her work on the Homeless Resource Centers to overseeing the design for a new Visitor Center for Little Bighorn, her expertise is versatile and thoughtful in everything she takes on. She has been an incredible mentor to all who have the opportunity to work with her."

Alickovic Rambo has long been impressed with the firm's inclusive, progressive-thinking culture and is excited about her future at ajc.

"I love our firm culture—it's very dynamic and vibrant," she said. "We're very collaborative. In architecture, you can learn any skill, but our culture is bigger than that. We work on diverse projects and focus on giving back to the community whenever possible."

A native of Maryland, when Julia Oderda moved to Salt Lake City at age 10, she had already developed a rudimentary interest in building things with Legos and Lincoln Logs. It wasn't until taking an art class at Judge Memorial High, however, until architecture came into play as a potential career.

"We had a segment on architecture [...] we had to design a house. I spent stupid amounts of hours working on it, drawing and re-drawing it," said Oderda. "I loved all parts of that." 

She moved back to the east coast after graduating from JMH in 2000, earning an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland in 2005, and moving back to Utah to attend the University of Utah School of Architecture and earn a Master of Architecture in 2007. 

Oderda started working at Salt Lake-based VCBO at the beginning of grad school in 2005, and 18 years later, she relishes her role within the firm and the projects she's been able to design the past two decades. Her portfolio spans K-12 schools, higher education, and high-density housing. 

Notably, she led the creation of Odyssey Elementary, Utah's first zero-energy K-12 project (2014), the Graham Science Center at Snow College that doubles as an educational museum (2014), the Paperbox Lofts apartments in Salt Lake (2022), and the Family and Graduate Housing on the West Village site at the University of Utah. 

As the only openly transgender architect in a leadership position—she was named a Principal in January—at a prominent Utah firm, Oderda has established a distinct place in the industry. Her perspective, derived from personal experiences within a marginalized community, brings unparalleled value to her projects, earning the respect and admiration of clients and peers. Nationally recognized, she has advocated for equality and representation, not just for queer architects but for other underserved groups as well. This dedication to advocacy has been highlighted in numerous publications and culminated in her being named the Utah-based Women in Architecture's Architect of the Year in 2022. 

"Julia serves as an advocate and a mentor for transgender professionals," said Celestia Carson, Principal at VCBO and Founder of Women in Architecture. "At the time of Julia's transition, VCBO leadership had no experience in shepherding an employee, let alone the office, through this change. Despite the deeply personal journey Julia faced aligning her publicly perceived gender with her internal one, she took great effort to provide the office the tools and resources to support her coworkers, and clients, through the change. For many people in our design and construction community, Julia is the first openly transgender professional they know. That can be an overwhelming responsibility for anyone. Yet Julia fearlessly, and seemingly effortlessly, carries the weight of that responsibility with grace, all while managing multi-million-dollar design projects." 

During her personal transition, which began in 2018, Oderda identified a gap in VCBO's preparedness. In response, she not only equipped her office with needed tools but also established herself as a beacon for many in the industry encountering their first openly transgender professional. Proactively, Julia assists firms and professionals in formulating inclusive policies. She's been a voice of education at multiple AIA Utah events, advocating the chapter to have more inclusive building code adaptations. 

"I have a personal passion for inclusion and diversity within our profession," she said. "We've made great strides in a lot of categories over the year. Women and (other minority) architects are underrepresented in Utah. I hope to see that improve as time goes on." 

A native of Brigham City and graduate of Box Elder High (2001), it made sense for Jake Beck to pursue a career in engineering, since his father was one, albeit in the aerospace field working for Thiokol/ATK in Utah. Beck knew engineering would make for an interesting career, given his math skills, but changed majors a handful of times before landing on mechanical engineering.

"I wanted to do something other than aerospace just to be different from what my dad did," said Beck. "It's been a great industry to work in; I enjoy seeing projects built that I contributed the mechanical design on."

Beck studied at Utah State University in Logan, earning a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering in 2008. He quickly landed a job at Van Boerum & Frank Associates in Salt Lake, and more than 15 years later has established himself as a fixture designing leading-edge, energy efficient systems for projects across several building markets. 

He said he enjoys seeing projects progress from rudimentary ideas to finished buildings, no matter the size and scope. There is something interesting in any project if you look hard enough to find it. 

"I enjoy seeing the final product. When I go out in public and see a building I designed, I feel a sense of pride," he said. "Sometimes I point out the building to people I am with. I enjoy seeing buildings I helped design systems for used by the public and seeing the space meet the needs of the client. Whether it's an auditorium, convention center, fire station, it's gratifying to work on important buildings utilized by the public."

Beck said he feels fortunate to have landed a job in '08 at a top-shelf firm soon after graduating, particularly given that the recession kicked in that same year. He cites numerous influences for his progression to talented all-around engineer. 

"Everyone at VBFA has helped me in one way or another," he said. "It would be tough to single out a few people. VBFA is a great company to work for." 

"I remember when Jake Beck over 15 years ago; based on my interactions with him at that point, I knew he had the work ethic and approach to excel and be a future leader at VBFA," said Jeff Watkins, President/CEO of VBFA. "Fast forward to now and Jake did not prove me wrong. He has done a fantastic job of taking on all types of projects and has shown the ability to develop relationships with fellow engineers, architects, and owners and be sought out as an expert in his field."

Two of his recent projects are NetZero fire stations for Salt Lake City, projects that allow designers to push the envelope on developing sustainable solutions that ultimately allow a building to produce more energy than it consumes. It's noble work, and certainly heightens the challenge of the profession, he said. "Energy efficient is a big topic; implementing your ideas to help a project achieve a NetZero rating was a great experience."

He's focused much of his efforts in recent years in four other sectors, including K-12, Higher Education, Municipal and Office. He's done notable work at campuses for Snow College in Ephraim and Salt Lake Community College and is currently working on a high-profile new office building, Rocky Mountain Power's new 200,000 SF headquarters located at the recently designated "Ballpark District" on downtown Salt Lake's west side. 

"Seeing technology develop, especially pertaining to sustainability, is exciting. It's interesting to learn about new systems and approaches to saving energy," Beck added. "It's always been a major focus on our firm; I appreciate the subtle changes to technology, including equipment advances."

St. George native Brandon Burnett is back in his hometown, working as Sr. Project Manager on one of the biggest projects to grace Washington County—Black Desert Resort, a ritzy, high-end hospitality project that's in full swing, having broken ground in February 2022. 

"We have an aggressive schedule ahead of us—things are going really well," said Burnett. "Modifications (to design) are being made and we have to do the best we can responding to that. It's a heavy task making it come together."

Burnett's journey from Pine View High graduate in 2003 to serving as one of the top construction executives on a major resort project featuring five distinct buildings and 450 keypad hotel and condo rooms was aided by a church member he met during an LDS mission to San Diego. 

"I had thought about going into engineering and met a (Brigham Young University) CM (Construction Management) graduate on my mission—that's what turned the light bulb on regarding the path I needed to go on," said Burnett. "It changed the course of my career."

Post-mission, Burnett ended up getting accepted to BYU's CM program in 2006 and graduated in 2010, while the recession was still impacting the A/E/C market. 

At the Y, one of the program's requirements had students attend a Thursday lunch-and-learn forum where local construction professionals spoke about their experiences, while promoting their respective firms and fishing for new talent. Al Peterson, Founder of Lehi-based SIRQ Construction, and his team had a lasting impact on Burnett.

"I'd seen all the big firms come through, and they were all impressive. When SIRQ presented, they had this new (CM) philosophy in mind, and it resonated," said Burnett. "The team struck me as a high-level professional and I wanted to work for them."

Despite landing an interview with SIRQ two months before graduating, an offer didn't come right then and he took a job for heavy/civil contractor ASI Construction of Pueblo, Colo., where he built dams and other infrastructure projects from 2010-14. 

His first project was serving as Project Engineer on a new dam in Escalante—his wife's hometown—and his father-in-law happened to be president of the water company. "I was just happy to have a job and very thankful for it," Burnett said. "When I first accepted the job it seemed like little glamour, but I soon realized these projects are important structures. We self-performed most of the work and I got into a productive mindset. I can see (now) how subs track their productivity."

Other ASI projects he worked on included a geothermal power plant near El Centro, Calif., a dam in Scranton, Penn., a spillway raise in Mount St. Helen's, Wash., and two reservoirs in Sherman, Texas. 

"It was a great experience in a lot of ways and accelerated my path," said Burnett, who cited Kenny Bryant as being a key friend and mentor during this time, someone who "took me under his wing [...] he gave me a lot of responsibility and helped me understand risk."

In 2014, Burnett was hired by SIRQ, and he's made a notable impact during his nine years. Memorable projects include two police stations—the Joseph D. Adams Public Safety Building in Lehi and a new station in Saratoga Springs. 

"I'd be cool with building police stations the rest of my career," he said. "You come away from those projects with greater appreciation for the work (officers) do. Those guys are the cream of the crop."

"We take great pride in attracting exceptional talent at SIRQ and are truly pleased that Brandon chose to join our team," said Peterson. "We are grateful for the impact he is making with our leadership efforts."

When SIRQ landed the contract to build Black Desert, Burnett jumped at the chance to be on the team and has thrived in the role. 

"Given the often-dynamic circumstances of design and construction, Brandon's intuitive nature is a defining benefit for our clients and our complex projects, said Bill Baum, Black Desert Resort Project Director for SIRQ. "He is quick to consider the options, identify the best solutions, and keep moving forward."

Being part of a progressive, high-profile project, one that illustrates the tremendous growth in the area the past 20 years, gives him a unique viewpoint on what's to come. 

"I loved St. George when it was smaller; in some ways I miss those days," he said. "On the other hand, without growth, I wouldn't have this job. So, I appreciate the growth and I'm glad I'm working on a project that the owner is aware of its impact and cognizant of the local perspective." 

Anthony Lyman's interest in design started in elementary school when he utilized Microsoft Vizio software to create rudimentary line drawings representing skateboard ramps.

In high school (Alta High, class of 2002) Lyman interned at Salt Lake-based MHTN Architects and also Holladay-based Beecher Walker Architects, gaining some key foundational knowledge of the art, which led him to further his education in architecture. He ultimately attended the University of Utah and earned a Master of Architecture from the U's School of Architecture in 2010.

He hired on at Beecher Walker in 2001 and quickly proved his merit working on several custom home projects. That market captivated his attention and helped him better understand the design process.

"My favorite aspect of design, that got me hooked on architecture a long time ago, was working on high-end homes," he recalled. "To take (an idea) from a 2' x 4' sheet, to being able to walk through and experience the project [...] it's a remarkable process."

Designing commercial office buildings has also been an important part of his career, and one that has brought great satisfaction.

"I love office buildings—they need to be flexible and adaptable for the different needs of various tenants over the years plus look appealing so that tenants want to lease space there and all be done on a budget, so it makes sense for the developer to build it in the first place—I like that challenge," said Lyman. I started in our T.I. (tenant improvement) department years ago and did mostly T.I. projects for a long time. Our strongest markets currently are multi-family, hotels/hospitality, some retail. We're very much a private developer-based firm and enjoy working in these markets."

Notable projects he's been the lead project architect and designer include:

•  Hyatt Place in Boise, a 150-room custom variation of the hotel's prototype, completed in 2017.

•  Minuteman Office Plaza 5 and 6 in Draper; both are five levels and 130,000 SF each, completed in 2020 and 2023, respectively.

•  Summit 2 Apartments in Sandy, a massive 7-level, 337-unit multi-family project that is still in design and slated to break ground in spring 2024.

Named a Partner in 2021, Lyman's daily focus has progressed to where he's doing more project management and other administrative tasks vs. straight design, about a 70-30 split, which suits him just fine. He also stepped up and handles the firm's IT and training needs, along with writing specifications, profitability, and cost analysis (becoming an integral part of Beecher Walker's success), along with having LEED AP designation. 

"We have a lot of projects under construction right now, so that requires more oversight and working with contractors," he said.

He appreciates the influence of company founders Lyle Beecher and Jory Walker, and said he's been fortunate to spend time working on both of their projects at different times over the years.

Of Beecher he said, "The one thing I've always loved about Lyle is his ability to meet people and just network; it boggles my mind how easily he does that."

On Walker, he said, "Jory, he's more of the creative side of the firm and has the ability to know from the beginning what (projects) will and won't work. He has that vision and understanding of what he can and can't do to make a project pencil for the developer." 

He's also been intrigued at how quickly interior design trends have been changing in the past decade, noting a seemingly infinite well of materials, styles, and furnishings to draw from.

"It used to be we'd design a lot of the same materials into projects, whereas now there are more material options. Also, the digital side of the profession is growing so quickly. Every project is (stored) in the cloud and it allows us to collaborate easier with contractors and engineers," he said.

"Anthony is an integral part of our company and is a big reason for much of our success," said Walker, who is President of the firm. "I'm honored to have him as a partner." 

During his high school days at Snow Canyon High, Steve Beesley toggled between architecture and dentistry as potential careers, until his grandfather—a practicing dentist himself—firmly advised against the latter.

"In reviewing the pros and cons of dentistry, he quickly convinced me to change back to architecture—I am truly indebted to him for that course correction," said Beesley, who started his professional career at St. George-based Studio 8 Architects, working there for just shy of seven years (2006-12). Other experience includes engineering drafting and residential home design as owner of Studio3B for six years.

Beesley earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Management with an emphasis on Visual Technologies from Utah Tech (then Dixie State) University in 2015. As a Sr. Project Manager, he's a vital member of the Desert Edge team and has worked alongside firm founders Ben Roger and Scott Gilberg since 2014. 

"He blew me away with his knowledge and skills and broke the stereotype of those seeking alternate routes of licensure outside of an architectural degree," said Rogers. "We have positioned him as our Sr. PM due to his client relation skills, quality documentation and coordination, and management of more than a dozen projects at a time. Steve is our next generation leader—our clients trust him." 

Beyond the influence of Rogers and Gilberg, Beesley cited Jeremy Call, Studio 8 Founder, as a mentor who allowed him to do research, build models and put together conceptual designs, learning via trial and error. 

"The designs in the beginning were pretty terrible, but I received great feedback and encouragement, which led to motivation to work harder and continue improving," said Beesley. 

"There are days where the job is tough, but the creativity that comes with a career in architecture keeps me coming back for more."

He said he enjoys the design process, the driving factor in what makes the profession enjoyable for him. 

"I spend way more time responding to emails and reviewing documents than I ever anticipated, but that is part of the gig," he said of being a Sr. PM. "Design is what it's all about, being creative, solving puzzles. This is a very rewarding career full of ups and downs, but in the end, we get to see the fruits of our labor everywhere we go." 

He said he's learned to appreciate even the more simple, rudimentary elements of design and construction, which was inspired at a concrete convention in Fort Worth, Texas, several years ago, which included a visit to the Modern Art Museum that was designed by legendary Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

"I was blown away by how such a simple material like concrete can be so stunning," said Beesley. "I have never seen concrete finished to perfection like they were able to do on that building. That made me reflect on design—and life—and realize that all things can be simple and still be impactful."

Notable projects he's helped design include the Hurricane Middle School Remodel/Addition, and the Joule Plaza, a mixed-use project in St. George that helped diversify the downtown area.

"It was a project that went through a variety of iterations [...] over a three-year period until design was finalized. It had many hurdles that were overcome but ended up being a beautiful building in a great location."

He appreciates his role at Desert Edge and looks forward to another 20-plus years of designing great projects. He credits Rogers for "helping me become the architect I am today. Ben has always trusted in me and allowed me to stretch myself in this career. He has an amazing eye for design." 

Destined for a career in architecture, Chantelle Menlove instead switched to construction management at the recommendation of an architect, no less. 

"I was working for (Salt Lake-based) Naylor Wentworth Lund (NWL Architects) and asking for recommendations to architecture school and Ken Naylor said to me 'Because of your experience, and the fact you like more technical aspects, maybe you would like construction management better.' I met with a counselor and found (CM to be) a good fit; it speaks my language more than architecture." 

A native of Beaver, Menlove attended Dixie State (now Utah Tech) University for a semester, then spent two years at the University of Utah before redirecting to Weber State University and attending the Parson Construction Management program from 2009-13. 

She juggled full-time work at NWL with an equally full school schedule and excelled at both. She worked at NWL from 2006-14 as a CADD Technician and moved to Salt Lake-based Big-D Construction in 2015 after meeting Mike Plaudis, who was Big-D's Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Manager at the time. 

"He said architects make good BIM coordinators, so it's been a great fit," said Menlove. During her eight years at Big-D, she has been a stalwart in the firm's VDC program, serving as VDC Manager from 2019-2023 and then being named Director of VDC in March. In this position she oversees the firm's BIM coordination, lidar scanning, drone surveys, aerial photography, 4D scheduling, layout, and geolocation, along with working closely with business development and other technologically advanced work. 

"Chantelle developed and led our VDC transformation by taking a team of three BIM coordinators in 2019 and building a collaborative VDC team of over a dozen experts across all offices," said Michael Sant, Chief Strategy Officer for Big-D. "Her vision and leadership add tremendous value every day."

Menlove helped lead the charge on Big-D transitioning from NavisWorks to Revitzo, a competitive BIM/3D software that allows "all the models to (be input) and it becomes a federated model that runs clash automation and is great at finding and reducing errors in the model, so it's more easily fabricated," she said. "There's been a lot of effort made in the past ten years to get everything compatible."

Big-D's rapid corporate growth during her time at the firm—which has included the acquisition of large, established firms in other regional markets like Boise and Las Vegas—offers challenges in getting all offices in line and its VDC teams competent with the same software. Keeping up with technology is exciting, and often equally as taxing.

"The amount of technology growth and changes in the last three years in construction has been astronomical, just around VDC processes," said Menlove, adding that the pandemic fueled new innovations and improvements to the BIM world. "AI is also huge—it's a conversation we're having every day. There are major changes happening in basic functions of program we're already using. We're seeing (AI) coming quickly." 

Being in a high-profile corporate leadership position at a relatively young age does not faze Menlove, although she admits it adds a little more pressure to an already demanding job.

"I see it as a challenge, and growth is always going to be there," she said. "How do I influence that? I like to talk to Mike Sant about how the department can improve our company, and how we can be proactive implementing new technology. A lot of my career has been taking something we do and making it better. VDC touches all aspects of construction. We're engaged with all ends of the process."