AG Architecture is pleased to announce Hailey Schwobe was honored as one of the 2021 Newsmakers by The Daily Reporter. Join us in congratulating her on being recognized as a Project Manager of the Year.
It was a trip to France in high school that opened Hailey’s eyes to the world of architecture. She was fascinated by the historic structures. This passion guided her in the following years as she enrolled in tech education courses, exploring art and architecture classes such as drafting. She built her first house model during this time. It was clear to her that architecture was the right career path, so she enrolled at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee School of Architecture & Urban Planning.
During her time at UWM, she worked for University Housing which exposed her to the intricacies of MEP and the admin side of working with contractors. She also had to deal with things like door hardware, keys, and maintenance issues. She maintained this position throughout undergraduate and graduate school.
A highlight of her education was once again traveling to study abroad, returning to France where she originally fell in love with architecture. This trip included time in Italy as well as walking the streets of London guided by Bob Greenstreet. For her, this trip brought everything about her architectural path full circle.
As she completed her Masters, she interviewed with AG Architecture where she spent the first five years of her professional career and was geared toward project management from the start.
“Hailey had me sold on her capabilities during her interview by sharing her thesis that included a garage with collectible cars,” muses Gene Guszkowski, car aficionado and founding principal of AG Architecture. “Or perhaps it was those intangibles that are so hard to define yet so easy to recognize when you see them. Hailey demonstrated clear intelligence and confidence without arrogance, perhaps even unknowingly, with ease. As a young professional she was both eager to learn and certain that her best path to a successful career would be in project management. Organized, willing to make decisions, always conscious of the big picture, her skills and stature have grown with leaps and bounds. Though it was painful for us when she left for an opportunity at another firm, we were absolutely delighted when she chose to return to AG. She has proven to be a consummate professional, and AG Architecture will have a bright future with her as a key member of the organization.”
While AG focuses on senior living and multifamily/mixed use work, her two years with another firm exposed her to education projects and more multifamily work. In the education sector, she coordinated and managed referendum projects for school districts and participated in all phases from early planning and referendum through construction. As part of that, she managed referendum budgets of $8.5 million to $40.5 million that encompassed multiple buildings and work areas within districts.
Since returning to AG, she has played a key role managing the large campus reposition and renovation of Eastcastle Place in Milwaukee. A master planning initiative identified multiple phases of work to right-size the community offerings. The project encompasses an approximately 132,000-sq.ft. renovation and 400-sq.ft. addition. The scope includes renovations for residents in all levels of care (independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing).) It involves the renovation of multiple buildings on campus and construction costs are estimated in excess of $15 million. The construction sequencing is complex due to the nature of the existing facility and the necessity to keep buildings operational during construction. Management of this job includes close work with the City of Milwaukee and Historic Preservation due to the historic nature of buildings on campus.
Hailey is also serving as project manager on a 138,000-sq.ft. new construction senior living project in West Dundee, Ill. called Woodlands at Canterfield. With an estimated construction cost of $33 million, the project includes 91 assisted living units on three stories and an assisted living commons building as well as 40 memory care units.
“What always sets Hailey apart for me is her amazing attention to detail, and her overall knowledge on every project. She knows the history of every move, every decision, and every change that has been done for the project—and recalls why it needed to be done. She never needs to refer back to notes or meeting minutes, she keeps it all stored for every project she has worked on from start to finish. Her communication skills are wonderful. There is no point in the project as an owner where you do not know what is going on or the next task that needs to be accomplished by the team. She is the project manager you want in charge of the team and the project. She is someone you can always count on to get the job completed. And the project will, in the end, come out better than you imagined.”
— Jessica Basile, Associate Vice President of Facilities Planning & Design | FRANCISCAN MINISTRIES
Hailey relishes her role as project manager. She enjoys the client interaction—being part of the early discussions, verifying wants and needs, bringing the client’s vision to paper, and then experiencing the construction process with them as the projects come to fruition. While she truly loves what she does, client and colleague praise make it evident that she also excels at it—and rises above other project managers.
“Hailey is awesome! It’s not just her work ethic or attention to detail, it’s the way she throws herself into every project and task. She completely owns the projects she’s involved with. She’s a great communicator with owners, contractors, and her own team. With Hailey, all I have to do is give her some direction and get out of her way.”–David Trinkner, Senior Associate – Team Lead | AG Architecture
Outside of her stellar work as a project manager, Hailey is a superstar wife and mother of two. She is also committed to professional development and supporting the future of the industry. She attends Women in Design (WID) events and has participated in the WID speed networking programs at UWM as a mentor. She also serves on the MATC Architecture Advisory Board Committee.
“I had the pleasure of working with Hailey as her team lead. She is a person that takes responsibility seriously and strives to always give 110%. She is extremely knowledgeable and approaches everything with a positive attitude. She is a treasure for any project she works on and a pleasure to work with every day. Her skill set is beyond her years of experience, and she was one of the youngest registered architects. She truly sought out getting registered as soon as she possibly could. Hailey brings so much value with her ideas to each project. In addition, she balances work with motherhood and is someone that has been able to juggle both and still have a smile on her face.”–Ann D’Acquisto, Senior Associate – Team Lead | AG Architecture