MHTN Architects Advances 17 Members Company-Wide

The Architecture and Design Firm Promoted Staff Throughout the Firm, Showcasing its Commitment to Internal Growth 

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — MHTN Architects, a Salt Lake City-based architecture and design firm, specializing in education, commercial, healthcare, and urban planning projects, recently promoted 17 team members across the firm. In an effort to continue strengthening MHTN from within, and fortify the company’s expertise across its’ specialties, MHTN promoted at the associate, director, associate principal, principal board director, and vice president levels. MHTN announced the advancements shortly after the firm moved to its new location in Salt Lake City’s Historic Ford Building. 

“MHTN has always been committed to cultivating our talented, educated, and dedicated team,” says Peggy McDonough, AIA, LEED AP, president at MHTN Architects. “We hope to continue their growth, solidify their passions, and intensify their drives to produce thoughtfully and creatively-designed projects.” 

Additional insight into a few of the advancements at the principal and executive levels can be found below: 

Mark Peterson, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer: With over 20 years at MHTN, Peterson serves as the firm’s chief operating officer. His responsibilities include coordinating with project consultants, interfacing with clients, and applying standard architectural techniques, procedures, and criteria into construction documents. Peterson has extensive experience on a variety of project types, bringing a multidisciplinary approach to each project.

Clifford Curtis, AIA, A4LE, Principal, K-12: Dedicating his career to designing safe learning environments, Curtis generates curiosity and innovative thinking for both students and teachers. He is an integral member of MHTN’s design and project management teams, working on a variety of projects from small renovation projects to full-scale phased developments in the K-12, higher education, resort, and hospitality sectors.

Heather Knighton, Principal, Marketing: Knighton oversees MHTN’s marketing and business development team. With over 20 years of experience in the AEC industry, she brings a great depth of knowledge to the firm’s marketing efforts. Her appreciation for thoughtfully designed buildings, and those that design them, drive Knighton’s dedication to MHTN’s growth. 

Ryan Berry, AIA, Principal, Technology Environments: Berry draws on his 17 years of experience in design and construction to collaborate with his clients, transforming projects’ initial concepts to their ultimate completion. His attentive nature propels each project through the development and design stages, ensuring his clients’ visions are realized.

Randall Knight, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Project Manager: Knight specializes in the planning and design of student fife facilities on campuses nationwide. Dedicated to clients, he brings an excellent listening ear; he is equally excited by the design process as the ultimate outcome.  Knight’s ability to visualize at many scales, from the most intricate detail to the macro relationships that drive communities, leads to immersive and inclusive environments.

Scott Later, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, K-12: As a principal at MHTN, Later ensures that K-12 education projects meet each district’s vision for education and facility needs. He works closely with clients to keep projects on schedule and on budget. Later collaborates with internal staff members and specialty consultants to focus team activities on successful outcomes during design, documentation, and construction.

Ryan Wallace, AIA, LEED GA, APA/AICP, NCARB, Principal, Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Municipality: Wallace is an architect and planner with significant experience in higher education projects. His focuses include campus master planning, programming, design, and construction. With a combined background in urban planning and architecture, Wallace can work at multiple scales simultaneously. He has contributed significantly to projects through his careful attention to detail, passion for client engagement, and development of innovative solutions to complex problems.

MHTN also promoted the following staff members: Ben Hansen, AIA, A4LE, advanced to Associate Principal, K-12 Learning Environments; Jeff Juip, AIA, advanced to Associate Principal, Commercial Environments; Darrah Jakab, AIA, NCARB, CPHC, advanced to Associate Principal, Sustainable Design; Amy Stevenson, NCIDQ, IIDA, LEED AP, advanced to Associate Principal, Interior Design and Pre-Design; Curtis Leetham, AIA, LEED AP, advanced to Associate Principal, Healthcare Environments; Madeline Peterson advanced to Director of Systems Operations; Matthew Hieb, AIA, advanced to Director of Temple Development; Vince Olcott, ASLA, advanced to Director of Landscape Architecture; Tales Brito advanced to Associate, Professional Development Leader; Justin Bowman, AIA, LEED AP, advanced to Associate, Technical Excellence Leader. 

About MHTN Architects

Established in 1923 as a local Salt Lake City practice, MHTN Architects is a leading full-service architectural firm with a widely-respected reputation for design excellence, sustainable design ethics, professionalism, and integrity. Founded on values of leadership and innovation, MHTN offers a team of over 80 professionals serving clients regionally and across the country. 

MHTN believes design excellence comes from listening carefully to clients to understand their needs and expectations. By understanding our clients, we can provide planning which is not only cost effective, but is also of the highest quality design to meet current and future needs and leave a design legacy to the community. We believe achieving success in design involves people from all disciplines and at every level working together in the unified effort to create inspiring environments that enhance the human condition.