The Power of Relationships: A Conversation with Kay Olsen Brown ’90 M.Arch, ’83 B.Arch

"I knew I wasn’t going to design buildings, but I really loved what went on around the creation of buildings. I think my time since graduation reflects that those skills were transferable across the full spectrum of the built environment."
 

After a full and rewarding architecture career that spans marketing, facilities, project management and corporate relations, CAPLA Director of Alumni Relations and Community Engagement Kay Olsen Brown has retired.

Before she rode off into the sunset—on a dirt bike, no less—Brown sat down with Simmons Buntin, CAPLA director of marketing and communications, to share stories about her career, her experience at CAPLA, the “daily shot of adrenaline” she received from our students and more.

Enjoy this conversation, and please join us in wishing Kay Olsen Brown all the best in her retirement!
 

Simmons Buntin: You’ve had an interesting career since you graduated from what was then the College of Architecture with your Bachelor of Architecture in 1983, and then again with your Master of Architecture in 1990. Will you share some stories about your earlier work?

Kay Olsen Brown: Let me start by saying I was a challenged student at the College of Architecture. When I arrived at the University of Arizona, I didn’t know what architecture was—it was a romantic notion. So I had a steep learning curve, though the longer I was here the more fascinated I became. Fortunately, I was blessed that faculty knew I didn’t quite fit the mold but recognized that I did have what was needed in the profession. It wasn’t about my drawing or design skills, but rather about my enthusiasm, hard work and strong communications skills. I knew I wasn’t going to design buildings, but I really loved what went on around the creation of buildings. I think my time since graduation reflects that those skills were transferable across the full spectrum of the built environment.

So, those stories… I do have a few!

When I worked for Gresham & Beach Architects in the 1990s as marketing director, I solicited Raytheon and eventually they gave us a project. We didn’t have an available project manager at the time, so the principal in the firm asked me to get the work started and, once a project manager was freed up in a few weeks, they would take over. I was given a team and began the project. As planned, a few weeks later the project manager was available and I took him with me to the next project team meeting at Raytheon. I introduced him and conducted the project lead handoff, and then he led the rest of the meeting. Before I got back to the office that afternoon, our Raytheon lead had called the principal and said, “No can do. There will be no handoff. We want Kay to continue leading the project.”

That was very flattering, of course, and led to many more projects over several years with Raytheon, my first real exposure to project management, though I continued to lead marketing for our firm, as well. I found that to be a wonderful balance.

About two-and-a-half years later, Tom Roof, the owner of T.L. Roof & Associates (now W.E. O’Neil), asked me to join them as project manager. T.L. Roof was a part of the Raytheon project team as a contractor. When I said I’m really not a project manager, that I don’t have experience with scheduling and budgets, Tom disagreed. “I can teach you to be a project manager,” he said. “But what I can’t teach you is the attitude you have, and that’s what we need.”

T.L. Roof was essentially a family-owned business, with a great environment and a real demonstration of integrity—which I find so important. I joined them as project manager and eventually also marketing director. My daughter Addison was an active kid when I worked there. I remember my manager coming into my office in the morning and asking how my day looked. I’d tell him my project priorities and he’d ask, “Does Addison have a game today?” If she did, I’d say yes. We’d be in a meeting that afternoon and he would look at his watch and say, “Kay, time to go. Addison’s game starts soon.” He would kick me out of meetings to go and be a mom! That was truly special.

Simmons Buntin: I imagine you have a story about how you came to CAPLA in 2016, too. But let me rewind a bit: If you weren’t a typical design student, why did you come back to earn your Master of Architecture?

Kay Olsen Brown: After working for Pan Am World Services in my home town of Los Alamos, New Mexico for five years, I was ready to dive deeper into the idea of marketing architectural services. Marketing had never really been a part of the profession. It was a new conversation, and I hoped by going back to grad school, I could be a part of that early conversation. But I was only considering the possibility when I reached out to my former professor, Doug Macneil, in May of 1988 to discuss the idea. “Oh, okay,” he said. “I’ll call you in a couple days…”

When he called me back, he said everything was taken care of. My application had been approved. “School starts on August 18 and I’ll see you then.”

In our first conversation we hadn’t even gotten around to what I was interested in—he just knew it was the right move for me. I served as a teaching assistant for Doug and other faculty. I also spent a lot of time in the college library while taking both design and business classes. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but I wanted to read a lot about the profession. Except for classes, I’d spend the entire day in the library, treating it like a job—reading periodicals, practice books and the like.

While pursuing my M.Arch I was also able to sit in on campus architecture reviews. It was a very new process then, and I found it fascinating—a real opportunity to be a fly on the wall during those interviews, proposal reviews and other meetings. I learned a lot.

My thesis was Marketing Architectural Services, and that wonderful experience served as a springboard into my role as marketing director with NBBJ Architects. I’ve been in Tucson ever since.

Simmons Buntin: What will you miss most about your six years as director of alumni relations and community engagement at CAPLA?

Kay Olsen Brown: I will miss the amazing people: our incredible, devoted staff; our lively, energetic and quirky students; and our faculty—an interesting group of individuals who devote themselves to students across the board. It has been inspiring to finish my career at CAPLA and to see just how much a small college can accomplish.

Simmons Buntin: How have you seen CAPLA change in your time here?

Kay Olsen Brown: The most noticeable change is our significant growth in the number of students and new programs. It’s been a healthy change for the college and our future, though not of course without its growing pains. But these changes have made CAPLA more well-rounded—a fuller expression of what goes on in the design and building industries. Just as importantly, we can now appeal to and serve a greater number and greater diversity of students.

Simmons Buntin: One of our recent graduates, Brooke Sands ’22 B.Arch, told me that you have been her mother when her own mother wasn’t available, since she’s from Chicago. You have this kind of special relationship with a lot of CAPLA students. Tell me about that.

Kay Olsen Brown: Getting to know our students has been a shining part of the days for me at CAPLA. They are such individuals, so enthusiastic, so bright. My office faces the Sundt Gallery, so I see students come and go through the college’s front door every day—and that’s been like getting a shot of adrenaline every day. They are the fuel behind what I have been doing in a lot of ways. Knowing that they are our future alumni, I wanted them to know they had support here. It all goes back to how I was treated when I was a student.

Before COVID, I walked through the studios a lot to meet the students, I asked faculty if there were students who were struggling and I watched reviews—all to get a feel and match names with faces and get to know them a little bit. Since I was involved in awarding CAPLA scholarships, I was also able to get to know some of our students that way. Their personal statements when applying for scholarships say a lot—and I got to know their successes, failures and challenges. Then I continued to be a liaison to those students, so our relationships continued to grow.

I still remember when Brooke visited as a prospective student. Her grandfather also graduated from the College of Architecture, and her parents are UArizona grads. But Tucson is a long way from Chicago, so I took Brooke’s mom aside during that visit and said, “I am not Brook’s mom, but I am a mom, and if Brooke needs anything, she can call me anytime. Or if you need anything, you can call me.”

Simmons Buntin: It’s all about relationships for you.

Kay Olsen Brown: Oh yes. It’s always personal. I put a lot of myself into my work, and I put a lot of trust into the people I work with. I learned that early on in my career and relationship-building holds as true for the students I’ve had the good fortune of interacting with as it did for clients.

Simmons Buntin: When you studied here, whether for your undergraduate or graduate degree, you were one of just a few women. That has changed, but are we where we need to be at when it comes to equity, diversity and inclusion as a college—and as a profession?

Kay Olsen Brown: We’ve made incredible headway at CAPLA. Our male to female student ratio this year was nearly 50:50. So I don’t see the challenges of CAPLA being about gender equality. I do think, however, that we have room for improvement in terms of diversity. But it is significantly better than it has ever been, and it’s getting better. We’ve provided a lot of outstanding opportunities for our students. When they go out into the profession, on whatever path they’ve chosen, I think they shine. They’re given a really great start here. So the dial is pointing the right way, and I sense that’s the case in the profession, too.

Simmons Buntin: Thanks so much for this wonderful conversation, Kay. The CAPLA community sure is going to miss you! But I’m not letting you get away without telling me about that dirt bike on which you plan to ride off into the sunset…

Kay Olsen Brown: It might just happen! My daughter Addison, who now lives in Portland, Oregon, has been riding and now racing dirt bikes for several years—and I’ve joked to her that I wanted to race, too. She just got third place in her class last weekend, though I admit only four or five women actually finished the race. (The other riders were 50 and 40, one with a one-year-old son.) Addison just bought a new bike and saved her old one for me. I want to learn to ride, though I probably won’t race.

My husband Barry is retiring as executive director of generation and transmission from Arizona Electric Power on the same day I’m retiring, so we are looking forward to having lots of time together to try all kinds of different things.

Simmons Buntin: Thank you Kay, and ride well!

Kay Olsen Brown: And thank you, Simmons. I can’t really even express what a great career I’ve had. There aren’t words to share it—I’ve been so lucky. And it all started here with CAPLA. I was fortunate to have had faculty who said, “There’s a place for you in this profession. Keep going.”