Design that supports community.

Designing public facilities requires collaboration and transparency. Each of our projects reflects our core values of community engagement and public stewardship. We collaborate with our public sector clients to design courts and public safety facilities, operations centers, city administration buildings and community libraries that serve community needs and make cities, states and counties operate more effectively. We believe in early stakeholder engagement and sincerely embrace our role in supporting our clients’ fiscal responsibilities and commitment to public trust. Whether completing a renovation, new construction, preservation or adaptive reuse, we design buildings that are enduring, efficient, environmentally responsible, secure and part of the surrounding community fabric.

Meet the team

  • Smiling woman with light brown hair and blue eyes wearing a black leather jacket and a blue top.

    Cindy McCleary, AIA

    Vice President
    Senior Director - Institutional

    Cindy’s career includes experience with over thirty law enforcement/public safety projects providing planning expertise in criminal justice, forensics, evidence, training, holding and emergency response facilities.
    ‍ ‍

    Email | Linkedin

  • A man with short brown hair, glasses, and a beard, wearing a dark blazer and a light blue shirt, smiling in an office setting.

    Dan Yudchitz, AIA

    Vice President
    Design Director

    Dan’s career has been focused on the design of public, workplace, institutional and educational facilities. He is dedicated and devoted to working with clients to achieve solutions that are both pragmatic and creative.

    Email | Linkedin

  • Portrait of Anya Grant, market sector leader for civic.

    Anya Grant, AIA

    Associate
    Market Sector Leader - Civic

    Anya’s 13-year career has encompassed programming, planning and design for higher education. She is an excellent communicator who actively engages clients and community in the design process.

    Email | Linkedin

  • A smiling bald man wearing a gray blazer and white shirt, standing in front of colorful abstract artwork.

    Todd LaVold, AIA

    Senior Associate
    Market Sector Leader - Public Safety

    Todd has 20 years of experience in the design and management of a wide variety of project types, including police stations, law enforcement training, fire stations, and justice facility projects.

    Email | Linkedin

  • Color headshot of Stacy Feit

    Stacy Feit, AIA

    Senior Associate
    Project Director

    Stacy is a licensed architect and LEED AP who brings a client-focused approach to the planning and delivery of civic projects. She works collaboratively with clients and project teams to develop thoughtful, sustainable design solutions that support community needs and advance project goals

    Email | LinkedIn

  • A man with glasses and a beard smiling, wearing a blue sweater and dark collared shirt, standing in an indoor space with chairs and tables in the background.

    Matthew Keenan

    Associate
    Project Director

    Matthew is a Project Director with more than 20+ years of experience. He leads complex civic and public safety projects, providing strategic oversight, quality assurance, and team leadership to ensure successful project delivery and exceptional client service.

    Email | LinkedIn

  • Color headshot of Cheri Pavlik

    Cheri Pavlik

    Vice President
    Business Development

    Cheri is a business development leader who connects clients, communities, and design professionals to advance civic projects and public initiatives. She leverages deep knowledge of the planning, development, and design process to build strategic partnerships and help clients achieve successful project outcomes.

    Email | LinkedIn

  • A woman with long brown hair smiling in an office setting, wearing a black blazer and a white and green striped shirt.

    Chris Rupert, AICP

    Senior Associate
    Market Sector Leader - Civic

    Chris is a practice leader and certified planner for public projects. Her experience includes projects ranging from small building renovations to master plans for thousands of acres.

    Email | Linkedin

  • A smiling woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a gray blazer and pink top, in front of a colorful abstract background.

    Kelly Ptacek

    Associate
    Business Development - Midwest

    Kelly is a client relations and business development specialist focused on building strong, trusted partnerships. She connects clients with the firm’s multidisciplinary expertise to align goals, strategy, and outcomes.

    Email | Linkedin

Featured projects

  • Women walking up stairs to second floor landing of Hosmer Library in Hennepin County

    Hosmer Library, Hennepin County

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  • Modern building with dark exterior and glass windows, surrounded by green trees and grass, with a few people sitting on the lawn, under a partly cloudy sky.

    Centennial Library, Anoka County

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  • Exterior of a modern building with concrete stairs, black railings, and a wooden overhang at the entrance, under a clear blue sky.

    Pennington County Administration and Evidence Facility

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  • Modern building with black and gray exterior and vertical wooden accents, with sign 'Lake Elmo City Center' and an American flag flying nearby. One person walks on the sidewalk in front.

    Lake Elmo, Public Safety Complex & City Hall

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  • Entry view to the city of Forest Lake civic complex.

    City of Forest Lake, Admin & Public Safety Complex

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  • The image shows a red brick building with large arched windows, surrounded by green trees with white flowers. There is a sign on top of the building that reads "OWATONNA POWER PLANT."

    Owatonna Public Utilities

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  • Omaha Police Department West Precinct

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  • The image shows a modern multi-story building with beige and blue exterior walls, large glass windows, and balconies. In front, there is a landscaped area with various plants, small trees with reddish leaves, and a gray stone bench. A person is sitting on the bench, talking on their phone. The sky is partly cloudy.

    Columbia Heights, City Hall

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  • Modern building with glass entrance and brick exterior, surrounded by gravel and mulch landscaping, under a partly cloudy sky.

    Hennepin County Medical Examiner Facility

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  • Perimeter curved window wall of Wentworth Library in Dakota County with a woman seated in a teal blue chairs facing windows

    Wentworth Library, Dakota County

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Perspectives

Perspectives
Creating a modern library that welcomes everyone 
Creating a modern library that welcomes everyone 

LEO A DALY Senior Architect Joe Bower shares how thoughtful library design can support wayfinding, accessibility, safety, technology and community connection. 

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Designing a net zero building for all day, every day
Designing a net zero building for all day, every day

Hennepin County, Minnesota, needed an energy efficient, wellness-forward space for sheriff’s deputies to train, perform administrative tasks and meet with the public. LEO A DALY provided a daylight-filled design keeping both security and wellness in mind while delivering net zero energy under continuous operation.

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Giving voice to all stakeholders in civic design: 5 questions with Anya Grant
Giving voice to all stakeholders in civic design: 5 questions with Anya Grant

Civic projects are all about the public. Universities, libraries, city halls: These institutions are for people, so the design should accommodate the needs of the people. In this interview, LEO A DALY’s Anya Grant, a civic market sector leader, shares strategies for reaching into all corners of the community to gather insight.

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Preserving civic architecture on a budget: Five Questions with Michael Bjornberg
Preserving civic architecture on a budget: Five Questions with Michael Bjornberg

Historic Preservation expert Michael Bjornberg, FAIA, skillfully navigates regulatory requirements to perform historic preservation work that meets a building owner’s needs. In this edition of 5 Questions, he talks about how to do this work on public projects, even when budgets are tight.

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Reenvisioning an historic City Hall: Five Questions with Irena Savakova
Reenvisioning an historic City Hall: Five Questions with Irena Savakova

In this Five Questions interview, global design principal Irena Savakova discusses the role of placemaking and history in the reimagining of Alexandria City Hall and Market Square. A renovation project, necessitated by deteriorating conditions and a lack of accessibility, will reinvent and upgrade the historic structure and open space in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.

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