July eNewsletter

Meet Ryan Seacrist, Director of Florida Operations at RVi

Established in May of this year, RVi's Orlando office is headed by licensed landscape architect and experienced office leader Ryan Seacrist. Though he bears no relation to the celebrity with a similar name, he certainly has every ounce of the same charisma and talent. We have really enjoyed getting to know Ryan over the past several months, and we thought you might enjoy getting to know him too, through his recent biographical essay, below.

Chasing "Glass Towers": One Landscape Architect's Drive for Growth

BY RYAN SEACRIST, PLA, ASLA 

My home of Charleston, West Virginia, is a quaint capital city of less than 50,000 residents and is nestled along the shallow banks of the meandering Kanawha River valley. Amongst the modest skyline, two imposing glass towers stand in the middle of town in near opposition to one another. One is clad in blue glass that shines brightly in the light of day, the other in deeply tinted black glass that absorbs more light than it reflects. 

As a child, my family lived outside the city limits in a rural neighborhood and my parents worked in town. We frequently made the journey into the city, and I recall being captivated by the striking glass towers as we traveled along the highway that cut across Charleston. With the towers in view, my mind would race with thoughts of the important people that must work there. 

RVi’s Mark Reddie Featured on Panel of Experts as Built-to-Rent Market Continues to Soar

This month, RVi’s own Mark Reddie traveled to Miami to share his expertise at the IMN 9th Annual Single Family Rental Forum. An expert in land planning, zoning entitlements, and site design efforts, Mark has led RVi’s work on dozens of Built for Rent residential communities. His panel focused on the similarities and differences among rental products, with Mark focusing on the role of the planner/designer in helping balance operational efficiencies with attractive amenities that fuel demand.

While many of RVi’s Built to Rent communities are currently in various stages of planning, design, and construction, this month we took the opportunity to visit one that recently completed construction in Phoenix, Arizona.

When Your Degree Alone Isn't Enough: A Cautionary Tale for College Students

BY JESSICA CHISHOLM

I suspect there are many ambitious, doe-eyed freshman who waltz off to college for a four-year degree, expecting they will work hard and receive an education that will prepare them to get a job in their chosen field. How can you blame them? It seems like a reasonable expectation in exchange for the thousands of dollars paid to that university over the course of those four years. But the truth is that even some of the best university programs out there do not fully equip you with the skills you need to achieve an entry-level job in your chosen field. I was once that doe-eyed freshman, and I’m here to tell you what I learned about preparing myself for my career.

In Other News

2021 Milestone Anniversaries

Congratulations to the following RViers for their milestone anniversaries this year!

Jason Crisanti - 15 years
Dennis Tonsor - 15 years
Doug Craig - 5 years
Nhasala Manandhar - 5 years

Welcome to RVi!

Clara Restrepo has joined the Austin office as a Designer.
Gunnar Lowe has joined the Atlanta Studio as a Designer.