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PROFILE

Empowering people: Greg Matthews President and CEO of Cushing Terrell, a multidisciplinary firm that empowers creative designers to discover imaginative, responsible first-of-their-kind environments.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

A s president and CEO of Cushing Terrell (Billings, MT), Matthews says he’s fortunate to lead an incredibly talented team of architects, engineers, and design professionals who pride themselves on always improving. With more than 25 years of experience with Cushing Terrell, Matthews previously served as co-lead for the firm’s healthcare design studio, which gave him a keen sense of how much people matter in the design equation. His team members, clients, and partners are top priorities. “At the end of a project, we have an amazing building to show for our hard work, but it’s the relationships I’ve built along the way that truly stand out,” Matthews says. “For me, it’s always been about the people I work with to bring a project to life, as well as the people who will use the building and the benefit it will bring to the surrounding community.” A CONVERSATION WITH GREG MATTHEWS. The Zweig Letter: When did you first know that you wanted

to be an architect? Did it turn out to be what you first envisioned? Greg Matthews: In high school, I had an amazing drafting teacher who talked a lot about architecture, and I fell in love with the idea of using drawings to communicate ideas and bring them to life. During the summers, I worked for a construction contractor, and I vividly recall sitting around the rough-framed house we were building and hearing the carpenters talk about the poor quality of the drawings. I remember thinking I’d like to be part of this process and create great designs that were a pleasure to build. It turns out the summers I spent in the construction field provided me with some of the best education for my career as an architect. I was able to experience the process from a contractor’s point of view. My career has been everything I had imagined it to be – creative, collaborative, and an opportunity to envision a building and see it realized. It’s a very rewarding experience. TZL: As firm president, what’s one of your top goals for

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTE

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