2025 Promotions to Associate

We are pleased to announce the following promotions to associate:

 

Michaela Cook, WELL AP

Michaela joined Alliiance in 2021 as an interiors team intern and quickly moved to a full-time position upon graduating. She brings enthusiasm, curiosity, and a great attitude to all her teams. Michaela is proficient in multiple software platforms and contributes to projects from programming and visual listening to design development and documentation. She has worked on a wide range of project types across the firm.

 

Mary Cutshall

Mary joined Alliiance in 2019 as a receptionist and transitioned to her current administrative role. She has quickly progressed, applying her skills and knowledge, primarily focusing on client invoicing. Her exceptional patience, maturity, and positive attitude are appreciated and an asset to those she works with internally and externally.

 

Adam Heier

Adam joined Alliiance in 2023 and has seven years of professional experience. Since joining the firm, he has worked primarily on aviation projects. His ability to quickly grasp complex design issues and offer solutions has made him a critical team member. He is a thoughtful designer, builds clear and convincing diagrams to communicate complex issues, and is a great presenter, delivering clear, concise arguments.

 

Anna Jacobsen-Smoler, CID

Anna joined Alliiance in 2022. With a warm disposition and strong communication skills, she has made many personal connections inside the firm and with clients. Anna brings a background in project management and a passion for design including detailing, finishes, and product research. While at Alliiance, Anna has worked across studios on projects for Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties; Target Center; Allianz Life; West Pharmaceutical; and SkyWater; to name a few. Her range, versatility, and great attitude make her a highly valued team member.

 

Madeline Juve

Madeline joined Alliiance as an intern in 2022 and transitioned to a full-time employee in 2023. A strong communicator with a broad range of skills, she has quickly made a big impact on the design, delivery, and messaging of her projects including a noteworthy project for Ecolab. With her design sensibility and focus on sustainable design, Madeline brings significant value in elevating design excellence.

 

Jessica Kraft, AIA

Jessica joined Alliiance in 2022 and has over 16 years of experience in higher education design. Her expertise, collaborative approach, and motivation have quickly made her one of the most sought-after and trusted lab design specialists within project teams. Jessica excels at engaging user groups through clear communication and meaningful collaboration, ensuring a seamless design process. Her strong analytical skills, paired with keen design sensitivity, allow her to balance quantitative performance with qualitative excellence, meeting project goals with precision.

 

Kyle Palzer, AIA, LEED Green Associate

Kyle joined Alliiance in 2021 and has been primarily focused on the Spokane International Airport expansion, along with work on other airports and the Minneapolis Convention Center. A committed advocate for community engagement, Kyle actively volunteers in various roles with the AIA at the state, regional, and national levels. His contributions were recognized with AIA Minnesota’s 2022 Young Architects Award. Passionate about designing spaces that foster community, cultural enrichment, and harmony with the natural environment, Kyle brings a self-motivated and collaborative spirit to every project.

 

Aubre Parsons, CPA

Aubre joined Alliiance in 2023 as an accountant. Her career began in public accounting, and later shifted into architecture, which Aubre has grown to love. She works on monthly project billing, payroll, taxes, and other accounting and business operational functions. An Excel lover, Aubre strives to make tasks more efficient and enjoys learning and teaching Excel tips and tricks. She values organization and is a collaborative team player.

 

Thea Rozenbergs, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

Thea joined Alliiance in 2022, bringing 13 years of prior architectural and sustainable design expertise. She has been a dedicated and influential advocate for design excellence and sustainability, spearheading initiatives that profoundly enhance our environmental impact. Thea has provided visionary leadership on several key sustainability projects, setting a new benchmark for sustainable architecture within the firm. Additionally, her groundbreaking work in water-positive and regenerative site design has been pivotal in helping clients achieve their water environmental stewardship goals.

 

Valery Wehrman

Valery joined Alliiance in 2019 and provides valuable day-to-day administrative support at Alliiance’s Airport Office. Primarily working with the Metropolitan Airports Commission on MSP Airport projects, she assists with managing project schedules, tracking consultant communication, setting up and updating project specifications, and reviewing quality control documents at project milestones, to name a few. Valery also elevates firm visibility through creative social media posts and builds camaraderie by leading icebreaker activities at staff meetings.

 

Bobby Youkhana, AIA

Bobby joined Alliiance in 2023 as a remote employee working from Chicago. In his tenure at Alliiance, Bobby has contributed significantly to several aviation projects and has become a valued team member for his thoughtful commitment to advancing the planning and design of complex projects. His open-minded and collaborative approach, as well as his ability to communicate issues clearly, brings teams together and empowers his teammates.