Don Hensley, AIA, joins LEO A DALY as managing principal in Dallas

Hensley brings more than 30 years of executive-level leadership experience to lead the growing Dallas architecture and interior design studio

LEO A DALY is pleased to announce that Don Hensley, AIA, LEED AP, has joined the firm as vice president and managing principal in Dallas. In this role, he leads the Dallas design studio in all matters of strategy, business development, talent management, project delivery and design excellence.

Hensley has more than 30 years of leadership experience in architecture and engineering, including executive-level positions at CannonDesign and Stantec. His portfolio of work spans market sectors and project delivery methods, including megaprojects combining a wide variety of public, private and institutional uses. He is an expert practice leader who is passionate about employee engagement, culture-building and innovation.

“I’m very excited to have Don joining LEO A DALY to fill this critical position in the Dallas studio, which is a young, vibrant, growing location. We looked long and hard for a candidate who could provide the glue for this studio, not only as a leader, but also a partner to the strong team in place. Don has a long track-record of success building multi-studio teams to partner on pursuits and projects, which will be critical to our success as we continue to grow as one firm. His experience as a practice builder will be invaluable, not just in growing our hospitality and healthcare markets in Dallas, but in seeking and delivering on new ways to serve our clients, both locally and nationwide,” said Steve Lichtenberger, AIA, president of LEO A DALY.

Hensley joins LEO A DALY at a time of significant growth for the Dallas studio. Within the last few months, the Dallas team has won several significant projects in the healthcare and hospitality markets, made a series of key hires, and moved into a state-of-the-art new studio space.

Recent project wins include two large resorts, one in Anguilla and one in Jamaica, and two major hospital projects in Oklahoma.

The Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club, set to debut in November, repositions the former Resorts & Residences by Cuisinart with a new design inspired by the island’s natural splendor, traditions and personality. The project will roll out in phases, ultimately touching all of the resort’s public spaces, guest rooms and suites.

The Veterans Hospital in Tulsa (VHiT) project will convert an existing state office building adjacent to the Oklahoma State University Medical Center Campus in downtown Tulsa into a modern, 58-bed medical-surgical hospital for veterans.

The other projects remain confidential.

With the growing project load, the studio has hired for several key positions in the last few months, including three interior designers, one architect and a new director of interior design for the hospitality team.

To accommodate growth, the Dallas studio recently moved from its previous office at Mockingbird Station to One McKinney in Uptown. The new workplace was designed in-house and features a sustainable design focused on creativity, client service and flexibility. The location provides easy access to the Arts, Design and Medical Districts, where many of the firm’s vendors, clients and partners are located, and the high-rise allows for views of downtown Dallas and the surrounding parks.

The studio remains in hiring mode, including project manager positions on both the healthcare and hospitality teams.