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Saretta Tillmaand

project architect at Otak Inc.

Saretta Tillmaand is a voracious learner that isn鈥檛 afraid to dig deep and ask questions. As a teenager, she knew she wanted to pursue her architecture license and she didn鈥檛 give up on that dream.

During her time at Otak, Tillmaand has been involved in a variety of technically complex and large-scale projects. She has emerged as a technical leader with Building Information Systems and takes great care in mentoring junior staff, having helped establish a Project Architects group that focuses on project-specific issues and solutions.

Tillmaand said that to build a successful career, it鈥檚 critical to surround yourself with people from all fields.

鈥淭here are so many people who paved the way for where I and all other women in our industry are now,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y advice is to pester everyone around you who seems remotely interesting and interested in helping you until you find mentors. For me it has never been just one person 鈥� it has always been different people with different roles, who are willing to put up with my questions, take the time to provide thoughtful answers, and bolster me when I鈥檓 feeling overwhelmed.鈥�

When she鈥檚 not working, Tillmaand volunteers with Habitat for Humanity. She also served as the U.S. Green Building Council鈥檚 Emerging Professional Chair in Tucson, Arizona, and Cincinnati, Ohio.

鈥淪aretta challenges and encourages her peers to work with a high-level of professionalism. She guides teams on a daily basis and balances the challenges of raising a family and working professionally. Her leadership within our firm supports and reinforces our culture of balancing design, technical proficiency, mentorship, and client service. Our firm depends on her professionalism. Junior architectural staff, and specifically women, look to her as a role model,鈥� said Josh Guerra, Otak senior project architect, when nominating Tillmaand for a Women of Vision award.