Carey Brendalen Retirement_Website

Celebrating the Retirement of Carey Brendalen, AIA, LEED AP

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After an incredible career spanning more than 43 years, Alliiance Principal, Carey Brendalen, AIA, LEED AP, is retiring.

Carey has exemplified quiet, steady leadership throughout his time at Alliiance, serving as the firm’s president from 2008 to 2015, as well as a board member and Workplace Studio co-leader. As both a trusted advisor to clients and a thoughtful steward of the firm’s future, his influence has never depended on being the loudest voice in the room. Instead, it has been built through preparation, dependability, and careful listening.

Carey’s project portfolio spans workplace environments, corporate headquarters, research facilities, and technical campuses for many of the firm’s longest-standing clients, including Abbott, Allianz Life, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ecolab, General Mills, Medtronic, and the University of Minnesota. Among Carey’s greatest contributions are the relationships he has built over decades, helping organizations evolve while creating workplaces that support innovation and growth.

Within the firm, Carey’s leadership reached well beyond project work. Through mentoring emerging leaders and helping navigate important firmwide decisions, he consistently reinforced the firm’s values while embracing strategic change. Colleagues, clients, and project partners have long appreciated his steady guidance and ability to navigate complex challenges with clarity and professionalism.

Those who have worked alongside Carey describe him as compassionate, gracious, and remarkably dependable. Whether mentoring colleagues, supporting clients, or strengthening our firm culture, he led by example, creating confidence through consistency and respect.

Many of us will also remember his thorough redlines, his adventurous spirit on the ski slopes and bike trails, and the kindness he extended to everyone around him.

Thank you, Carey, for your wisdom, generosity, and unwavering commitment to Alliiance’s people and future. We wish you all the best in retirement.