Decker and Kemp

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="3" width=180 BGCOLOR="#330000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div>   </div> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#330000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B>Decker and Kemp</B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#336699" FACE="Lucida Sans" > </FONT><A HREF="http://www.dlkinc.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.dlkinc.com"><U><B>www.DLKInc.com</B></U></A><B>                                          </B><A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Projects by Building Type"><U><B>Projects by Building Type</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=326 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#330000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> Upon graduation from the University of Illinois with a joint MBA and Masters of Architecture, I joined the 6 month old firm of Decker and Kemp Architecture and Urban Planning (know DLK Architecture, Inc.).  I had gone back to school to gain experience in firm management and my role at D & K was the perfect testing ground for my newly acquired skills and ambitions.</div> <bR> <div> As a new firm they were in need of every office operational system one could imagine:  from filing systems (both computer and paper files) to a project numbering system to a billing system.  In addition, other office management activities, such as evaluating and buying professional liability insurance, filing for state licensure for the firm, authoring an employee handbook, establishing personel review procedures and developing marketing brochures needed to be done.  And it all needed to be done yesterday to get the firm into the "black" as quickly as possible.</div> <bR> <div> I was immediately immersed with not only setting up an office, but trying to evolve how the office should function to best support the work that the architects did in that firm.  The concept was to have a highly efficient office that operated seamlessly in the background as the architects did what they loved:  if they could focus on their professional pursuits then the clients would be more satisfied with the resulting projects.  Satisfied cllients meant return business and referrals.  </div> <bR> <div> The year was challenging.  I achieved my goal of managing a firm and Decker and Kemp has thrived.</div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=72 BGCOLOR="#330000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Deborah A. Burkhart, AIA, CSI, CCS"><U>Deborah A. Burkhart</U></A>, AIA      Chicago, IL   </div> <div> Copyright 2004, <A HREF="mailto: dabdab@RCN.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto: dabdab@RCN.com"><U>Deborah A. Burkhart</U></A>, all rights reserved.   <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#339999" FACE="Lucida Sans" >  </FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0099FF" FACE="Lucida Sans" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Deborah A. Burkhart, AIA, CSI, CCS"><U><B>Home </B></U></A><B>         </B><A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Architectural Career"><U><B>Architectural Home</B></U></A></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0099FF" FACE="Lucida Sans" ><A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Architectural Career"><U> </U></A></FONT>      <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#66CCFF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Perkins Will International"><U><IMG SRC="0430e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></FONT>  <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shepley Bulfinch Richardson Abbot"><U><IMG SRC="0420e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>       <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14">   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Architectural Career"><U><IMG SRC="0450e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0099CC" FACE="Lucida Sans" >  </FONT></div> <bR> <div>                                                                      </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>