As senior vice president of property, facilities and risk management for the YMCA of the Triangle Area and former vice president of program management for Heery International — both based in Raleigh, North Carolina — Carr credits his success to the AE program, where he earned his bachelor of architectural engineering degree in 1981.
“What stands out most then and now is that the program’s commitment to industry relevance is unmatched,” he said. “It gave me foundational knowledge in all areas of building design and sciences, providing the framework for a diverse career in design, planning, construction program management and facility management.”
Carr focused on the environmental option as an undergraduate and started his career in building design and project management, but he quickly moved into construction and facilities management.
In his current role as a property and facilities manager, Carr develops master plans; integrates design standards into multiple facility locations; provides capital planning through a comprehensive facility condition assessment program; and leads a team responsible for the planning, design, construction and management of 23 campus locations within seven counties of central North Carolina.
“I’ve spent a lot of time working with existing facilities,” he said. “My AE background combined with my career path has helped countless clients achieve their goals. I always focus on engaging with an owner during the design and construction phases of a project to ensure that decisions consider the cost of operating and maintaining a building over its lifespan.”
In his 31 years with Heery International, Carr was often involved in developing bond referendum programs for K-12 school systems, colleges and universities in order to strategically schedule and finance facility renewal and replacement.
“I looked at how to put facilities, like school buildings, on a path to be maintained proactively rather than reactively,” he said. “I made sure the investments were in the right places to get the best use out of those facilities.”
Carr served on AE’s Industrial and Professional Advisory Council (IPAC) from 2009 to 2014. IPAC takes representatives from industry, government agencies, academia and the professions to advise the department on academic issues, current industry trends and emerging opportunities in architectural engineering — keeping industry leaders constantly engaged with the classroom.
“That’s the benefit to the AE program,” Carr said. “It is constantly on top of industry needs and trends, so that when firms are ready to hire graduates, they know those students are well equipped and ready to move directly into design and project management.”
More than anything, Carr is committed to giving back.
“I want to help provide the best facilities that all AE students can use, regardless of their background or their skills,” he said.
This gift will advance “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hard-working students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.