Cultivating a Culture of Mentorship

From my first day at DLA, the office vibe was work hard but make sure you have fun – a philosophy and environment that was perfect for me. Since I’ve always been eager to learn, it was a bonus that I found two great mentors in Bruce Dahlquist and Dwain Lutzow. Over the last 22 years, I learned a great deal from these two very different individuals – one of whom was apparently preparing me for his job long before I realized it.

While our design philosophy of form follows learning means the architecture should support and help to inspire learning, it is also the core of who we are at DLA.  The structure of our company has been formed around the concept of mentoring and learning. It is this philosophy that has shaped me into who I am today and one that has made this transition very smooth.

I am extremely proud and honored to be a pivotal part of the next generation of DLA Architects and to continue the culture of working hard while having fun along the way. As a mentor myself, I look forward to sharing what I’ve learned with my colleagues… because one day I’ll have the chance to develop that leader who is my replacement.

Carrie Matlock

President

Read more in Learning By Design and Crain’s Chicago Business.

Facility Tour of Brewers Stadium
Chicago Architecture River Tour
Chicago Architecture River Tour
Itasca Food Drive
Facility Tour of Brewers Stadium
Facility Tour at Brookfield Zoo
The Learning Environments for Tomorrow (LEFT) Design team works on their assignment.