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ON THE MOVE AMES & GOUGH APPOINTS MARGUERITE PARENT AS EQUITY PARTNER Ames & Gough, a leading insurance broker and risk management consultant, announced the appointment of Marguerite Parent as an equity partner of the firm. “Ever since she joined Ames & Gough more than a decade ago, Marguerite has been an important driver in the development and growth of both our property/casualty business and the Boston office,” said Dan Knise, president and CEO, Ames & Gough. “We’re delighted to welcome her as an equity partner of the firm and look forward to her continued contributions and leadership in the years ahead.” “Over the years, Marguerite has been a key participant in our business development and
client service teams in Boston,” added Brett Gough, head of the firm’s Boston operations. “Her steadfast commitment to providing exceptional client service and her extensive industry knowledge have helped us expand our relationships with many large design firm clients here in the Northeast and throughout the country. I’m pleased to join with the other partners in welcoming Marguerite as the newest member of our leadership team.” A recognized expert on construction-related insurance matters, Parent has more than two decades of experience in insurance brokerage and risk management consulting. She joined Ames & Gough in 2006, after having served with William Gallagher Associates in Boston. Before that, she was an account manager with the Thomas E. Sears Insurance Agency.
A graduate of Northeastern University, she earned the Construction Risk & Insurance Specialist designation from the International Risk Management Institute. With more than 1,500 architects, engineering firms, and other construction professionals of all sizes as clients, Ames & Gough is the leading insurance brokerage and risk consulting firm serving the needs of these professionals. Ames & Gough also has established itself as a committed, superior resource for law firms and associations and nonprofit organizations in need of professional liability, management liability, and property/casualty insurance and risk management assistance. Established in 1992, the firm has offices in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
BILL HODGE, from page 9
money. Complicated layers, views, phases, and sheet layout all cost me money and don’t necessarily add value to a project. Referencing files on top of files makes updates an unnecessar- ily long process. If you have certain expectations about these items and man- datory use of construction management packages (Newfor- ma, Procore, BuilderTrend, etc.), let us know before we give you a fee proposal, so we’re both protected. ❚ ❚ I don’t want to be involved at the beginning of your proj- ect, but I should be. We don’t get excited about conceptual and schematic design meetings, but you need space for RPZs, mop sinks, water heaters, drinking fountains, switchgear, transformers, HVAC equipment, standpipes, fire risers, fire pumps, elevator sump containment barrels, etc. We can help. Getting involved early is not a waste of our time and it may prevent us all from “gotchas.” ❚ ❚ I want to poke your structural engineer in the eye. They don’t have to go to meetings, follow the production schedule, meet delivery dates, or share files with others. But we MEP folks must change our design to match their latest iteration. Their final drawings may or may not resemble any other ver- sion of their previous drawings. So it’s back to the drawing board for the MEP designers. ❚ ❚ We pour our souls into your projects. We have feelings, usually to a fault. When problems happen, we do take it per- sonally. As we drive around the area, our family members can point out our projects. You can crush our spirits much more easily than you can imagine. However, kind words, a little praise, a little appreciation can motivate us far better than money. We’ll do our best to share praise and our appreciation of your efforts with you too. Clear communication, a willingness to collaborate as often as necessary, plus some shared compassion for each other’s expertise and daily challenges, will help all of us to create better projects for our clients. In the end, that’s what matters the most. BILL HODGE is executive vice president at HP Engineering, Inc., a MEP company with four offices in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Founded in 2007 by Hodge and his business partner, Brandon Pinkerton, HP Engineering serves architects, building owners, and construction professionals across the United States. Hodge can be reached at bill@ hpengineeringinc.com.
lines. Your firewalls don’t go to deck. Look, we all want the model to be perfect, but we are human, so a little grace goes a long way to promote teamwork. ❚ ❚ Every day I work on multiple projects. We are probably not working on your project when you call. We can’t remember what we had for lunch yesterday, much less the size of the duct chase to the roof. We’ve answered at least 25 RFIs since answering yours, so grant us a little time finding the specific answer you seek. We will persist in finding the correct answer for you. ❚ ❚ Your firm has no office standards. Everyone in your office has their own, individual expectations about sheet layout, look, feel, timelines, definitions, specifications, expectations, correspondence, etc. It’s different with every person in your office. We try to remember the differences, but it’s impossible. So if something from us looks different from one project to the next, that’s probably why. Now might be the time to get your team on the same standards. If you ask us, we’ll give you some honest feedback on what works best. ❚ ❚ Your favorite lighting rep is probably not my favorite. We work with a lot of lighting reps and know from experience how well they respond to problems. We work on hundreds of projects each year, so we’ve seen all these reps at their best and worst. Unless you need a specialized product or there is a good busi- ness reason, please don’t ask us to work with someone specifi- cally. Let’s talk about this when the project kicks off. ❚ ❚ When you take a long time to pay me, your projects get a lower priority. You’ve probably experienced this yourself from your own customers. When you pay us soon, you’ll see how well “quick payment karma” makes things better all around. ❚ ❚ I don’t start drawing until I think you’re finished mess- ing with the floorplan. Most of my front-end work is cal- culations, system selection, equipment selection, and site coordination, so your “percentage complete” will never match mine. Time is money, so don’t be that architect who is known for constantly changing their floorplan through the entire design schedule. ❚ ❚ I’m convinced you look for new ways for me to lose
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THE ZWEIG LETTER March 18, 2019, ISSUE 1288
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