New Member News - Welcome Shannon Elliott, CSI

Posted: Fri, Mar 29, 2024

Please welcome our new member Shannon Elliott, CSI. I first knew Shannon when she was a member of the CSI Student Affiliate at the University of Tennessee. She always had a huge smile and was willing to help CSI students to do so many things – including building a CSI Homecoming float. Shannon graduated from UT with a Masters of Architecture in 2010.  She is licensed to practice architecture in both Tennessee and Kentucky.

Now she is a Sr. Project Architect at Parkway Construction and Architecture. When she was asked to describe her firm, she replied, “We are a Design-Build firm with national reach, and work in every sector except single family residential”. With offices out in the western US, and licenses in 49 states, they do reach most of the country.

She says she loves architecture, “because I’m interested in everything, and it combines so many fields of knowledge.” When asked what her favorite part about the profession is, she said, “…there is always something to learn.” 

Shannon came to Tennessee from Parkersburg, West Virginia in 1999. Her family still lives there. Her father raises 100 varieties of hostas. Shannon is pictured here with a variety called Guacamole. It gets up to 8 feet in diameter and 6 feet tall. The leaves are a big as your head!!

Shannon loves learning! She has just passed the Estimating Practioner’s exam, and she is studying for the CSI CCS exam this spring. Ask her about the CCS (Certified Construction Specifier) requirements. That is no small task!

When asked what she hope to gain from a CSI membership, she said that she looks forward to reconnecting with folks that she hasn’t seen in a while. She works remotely for her firm, whose offices are in Texas, California and Utah, so being part of CSI gives her the opportunity to stay connected with what is happening locally.

So reach out to Shannon at our next meeting and introduce yourself. Or rekindle an old acquaintance. You will be happy that you did! Welcome back Shannon to Knoxville CSI!

2024 Meal Plan Options

Posted: Mon, Mar 04, 2024

Starting in January 2023, the CSI dues no longer included the cost of monthly meals. The Knoxville Chapter Board voted on February 6, 2024 to implement a 2024 Meal Plan Option for the CSI Chapter. 

Monthly meal costs are $20 per person for lunch. This can be paid online in advance as you make your reservation at CSI Knoxville

The chapter is offering a discount meal ticket for $100 which will cover all the rest of the monthly lunches this year. (a $40 savings) You may purchase this online shortly or contact Suzan Jordan (suzanwjordan@yahoo.com) to receive an invoice for this amount.

A reservation for each meeting is still required in order to provide the caterer with a correct food count.

Students and first-time guests are always free.

CSI Product Show & Accessibility Seminar - March 19, 2024

Posted: Thu, Feb 08, 2024

The Knoxville Chapter of CSI will hold it's annual East TN Building Product Show on March 19 at the Foundry. Preceding the 4 - 7 PM Product Show will be a 2 hour HSW accredited continuing education program - The Accessibility Seminar - ADA Items Often Overlooked. Ms. Stephanie Cook, ADA Coordinator in the City of Knoxville Disability Services Office will present this program.

Both events are free, but registration at the seminar is required. Please Make a Reservation.

Product show opens at the close of the seminar. This is a sold out show of products and experts to learn from. Everyone in the Design and Construction Industry is invited to attend. 2-4 PM for the seminar, 4 -7 PM for the Product Show.

Architecture Student Shadows Local CSI Members at Work

Posted: Sun, Dec 24, 2023

by Gary Bergeron, FCSI

CSI friends, I'd like to introduce you to Karina Kane who is a third year architecture student at the University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design. (CoAD)

It all started with a text message from our chapter president who asked if I knew of an opportunity for a student to do some job shadowing in the local AECO industry. Karina was originally supposed to shadow at a local combined A/E firm but the schedules didn't work out. Luckily for our firm, Kelso-Regen, she called and asked if there was an opportunity to shadow at our firm over her Christmas break.

We started the morning with some samples of fire sprinkler heads that are used in several different types of buildings. Karina was shown a church floor plan that our office was currently working on and we showed how the sprinkler heads for light hazard occupancy where located in both acoustical tile ceilings and exposed structure. She was a quick study and offered to finish the sprinkler design intent drawing showing the all the sprinkler heads in the church. After a review of her work, we corrected a few discrepancies. 

Karina attended a progress meeting on the church with the architect, owner, electrical engineer, civil engineer, and myself on the following day. It was at the progress meeting that Karina observed that the architect is like the conductor of the orchestra of engineers, contractors, and owner. After the progress meeting we visited three architectural firms and one electrical engineering firm that have several female team members. Karina was able to observe the offices and obtained several business cards for future contacts. Later in the day, we also performed a site visit with another architect, contractor, and engineers to evaluate the existing conditions of a building. This was at a halfway house that was being renovated and doubled in size with new construction. 

We believe that Karina learned several things in the two days she shadowed us at our engineering firm and will be welcomed back at any time. If an architectural firm is interested in Karina's abilities we can provide stellar references.

We Are Growing - Come Join Us!

Posted: Mon, Dec 11, 2023

Lots of great things are happening in the Knoxville Chapter. This month we are celebrating together with a dinner cruise on the Volunteer Princess. We start 2024 with a lineup of great continuing education programs. In March we will be hosting the Accessibility Seminar (2 hr HSW) followed by the ETN Product Show at the Foundry. All we are missing is YOU! Come see us the second Tuesday of each month at the AGC Building on Ragsdale for our lunch meeting.