Directors
Tim Williams CPA
Senior Director / Chief Financial Officer
Tim is integral to the firm’s financial well-being and strategic initiatives, bringing a wealth of expert financial and business knowledge with over 15 years as a CFO and more than 33 years of accounting, finance, budgeting, banking, taxes and financial systems experience. A Certified Public Accountant for more than 30 years, Tim joined DAHLIN in 2007 as the CFO.
Gabriela Eaton SPHR, SHRM-SCP (she/her)
Senior Director - Human Resources
Gabriela thrives on creating workplaces that attract and enable creative, talented people to bring their best. She firmly believes that our Passion for Place® starts with our own working environment—a positive community where people thrive. Known for her ability to deploy best business practices with a people-centric view, she intuitively facilitates a design thinking approach to opportunities and challenges alike. Her expertise in management, combined with her diverse background in people development, enables individuals and teams to create the best of architecture that promotes human fulfillment and well-being in our communities.
Vanessa Yust CPSM
Senior Director - Branding
Drawing upon her 20+ years in marketing and her training as a professional coach, Vanessa leads firm-wide strategy of integrated brand communications across all channels of marketing, business development and cultural activities. Through her collaborative partnership with practice group leaders, she drives brand awareness, visibility, client acquisition and retention.
Chris Fernandez
Director - Planning
Chris works hand in hand with a talented team of planners, designers, and project managers in developing successful communities from initial design to successful entitlements for residential developments throughout the western U.S. His strengths are his leadership, strategic insight and creative thinking and his portfolio includes master planned communities, site-specific neighborhood design, urban infill and mixed-use multifamily developments.
Padru Kang
Director - Design
Over nearly two decades, Padru has earned a reputation for dynamic and innovative design. Padru leads integration of the ever-evolving, fast-paced world of technology into the DAHLIN design process ensuring design integrity in service of the client. With a zeal for motivating and encouraging greatness, he is one of the firm’s integral mentors, bringing up the next generation of leaders taking design to the next level. His leadership elevates the client experience, pushing teams to provide clients with higher levels of quality, efficiency, and communication throughout the lifecycle of a project.
Ryan White
Director - Design
An innovator in design thinking, Ryan challenges teams across the firm to think differently. Harnessing the potential of a given project’s vision, he is known for seeding brainstorming sessions with fresh perspective and thought-provoking questions that inspire our teams to push the envelope of design and solve problems for our clients. He has led the innovative architectural design of many building types that have moved design forward while passing the test of market demands. Dedicated to the homebuilding industry, Ryan is a member of the BIA Orange County Board of Directors.
Lauren Jessup-Mosu
Managing Director - Bellevue Office
Leading the Bellevue, Washington office, Lauren is passionate about staff mentorship and fostering a collaborative environment for creativity. She embodies a deep care for the life experiences of the people who live and work within built environments, whether that be a DAHLIN office or a client project. Her enthusiasm and experience in single-family and multifamily communities allows her to efficiently manage projects during all phases from design through construction administration, contributing to sustainable development and supporting the region’s economic growth and vitality.
Jaclyn Anderson LEED® AP
Managing Director - Administration
Jaclyn leads business operations across the firm, including the administrative and operations teams and the ESOP communications committee. Specializing in contract documents and risk management, she shapes the strategies for and oversees the implementation of best practices for project management as well as legal, contracting, and risk management. She is passionate about driving process efficiencies and exceeding industry benchmarks that support excellent client and employee relationship experiences.
Chris Apostolopoulos CGBP
Director - Affordable Housing
Committed to the firm’s mission of bringing quality housing to society’s vulnerable, Chris is an expert in the complexities of affordable housing development and the many funding source requirements. He leads the affordable housing sector, providing overall strategic direction and advising teams across the firm in helping clients achieve beautifully designed communities that maximize the value of public funding to provide as much housing as possible. He participates in various affordable housing organizations, including Non-Profit Housing, East Bay Housing Organization, and Housing California.
Don Ricci
Director - Neighborhood Residential
As Director of the Neighborhood Residential sector, Don oversees design, entitlement and construction documents for multiple teams across the firm, at all scales of residential development. He has excellent communication skills with developer and builder clients, closely interacting with their management teams on all levels. As a member of the North State BIA Associates Council, Don is active in shaping the direction and supporting the goals of the homebuilding industry. Don embodies a passion for placemaking and enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for the homebuilding industry with staff and clients alike.
Jeff Escott AIA, LEED® AP
Director - Architecture
Jeff is passionate about taking projects from paper to "Place." He brings a collaborative spirit to the construction process, working with the design teams and contractors to bring our clients’ desires to reality. A leader of multifamily, affordable housing, and senior living teams, his mentorship of our staff in the knowledge of code and construction practices that result in efficient and buildable projects is securing the foundation for the continuity of quality in DAHLIN construction documentation and administration across teams. Committed to delivering an excellent client service experience, Jeff’s leadership is distinguished by his dual stewardship of a project’s design intent and buildability and his ability to teach others how to do the same.
Kurt Fehlberg AIA, LEED® AP
Director - Architecture
Growing up in a family of artists and architects—his father a successful architect and his mother an art editor—Kurt’s passion for architecture started from an early age. Thankful for the mentorship of his family, he is deeply committed to mentoring DAHLIN staff into well-rounded professionals who are excellent designers with the technical swagger to lead teams in getting it accomplished in the field. He pushes teams across the firm to ensure that design continues to inform their solutions throughout the life of the project until the last nail is placed. Kurt plays an integral role in DAHLIN quality control, regularly reviewing drawings across the firm and identifying opportunities to further refine the processes that improve constructability and enable teams to focus on making the architecture great.
Jennifer Bien
Director - Interior Design
An experienced interior design leader, Jennifer is passionate about all aspects of design, from generating creative new ideas to fresh interpretations of classic styles. She regularly provides inspiration and guidance to teams across the firm. Known for welcoming challenges with open arms, she collaborates with clients through every phase of the design process to understand their vision and translate that vision into design solutions that inspire and attract buyers. In addition to her eye for design, she has strong project management skills, and ensures the integrity of our clients’ visions from start to finish.
Desiree Pool
Managing Director - Information Technology and Facilities
Desiree's energetic, hands-on approach to problem-solving supports teams across all offices, maintaining the quality of our facilities and equipping us with the latest technology in information services. With more than 30 years in Information Technology, she is passionate about mentoring the next generation of IT leaders. Her collaborative leadership of people and firm-wide strategic initiatives in technology and facility operations is an integral component of DAHLIN’s resilience and growth amidst the realities of an evolving landscape.