2022 Downtown Partnership's Annual Breakfast

As a long-time member of the Downtown Partnership of Colorado Springs, RTA was excited to be a sponsor of the annual breakfast, held this year at the new Ed Robson Area on the Colorado College Campus. With our offices located in downtown Colorado Springs for more than 20 years, RTA supports efforts to promote a vital downtown through our sponsorship, involvement, and advocacy. 

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Beyond the Blueprints: Interior Designer Ann Marie Jackson

In our newest Beyond the Blueprints feature, meet interior designer Ann Marie Jackson! At RTA, Ann Marie designs beautiful, functional spaces for our K-12 and healthcare clients. In her free time, she volunteers as a docent at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to educate visitors about the reptiles and furry creatures she helps care for.

AM with Annemarie

  1. Why do you volunteer at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo?

I have always loved animals and considered being a zoologist, but I also enjoyed design and architecture. Even though design caught my attention for a career, I still love animals.   Volunteering at the zoo allows me to live in both worlds.

  1. What are some daily tasks you get to complete? What is your favorite?

My favorite thing is interacting with the public and experiencing their first-time interaction with an animal or seeing them light up when they learn something new and exciting. One instance that I remember was an older woman touching a snake for the first time with delight while her burly grandson was terrified and walked away. Both had vastly different interactions with the same animal.

AM with Elephants

  1. How long have you been volunteering at the zoo? How long do you intend to stay?

I have volunteered at Cheyenne mountain zoo since 2014 and spent seven years at Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, Michigan. I enjoy this and will stick with it as long as I can juggle it with work and other activities. I can see myself being involved for a while.

  1. Do you work with all the animals? Do you have a favorite to work with?

I get to work with the small ambassador animals that live in the Loft; my favorite is Wakanda, a Moroccan Spiny Tailed lizard. I met him when he was very young and have seen him mature. His scales have an unusual texture for a reptile, and he is chartreuse green with a touch of blue-gray. He is beautiful.

AM with Tristen

  1. What’s the most challenging part about volunteering?

The most common question is, “how old is the animal?”.   It is difficult to recall all those numbers. So I need to look it up each time before I present to be sure I tell the guests the correct information.

  1. Do you need any skills to be a volunteer at the zoo?

Not officially, but you should have a passion for animals and the environment. And to be a docent, it helps if you are comfortable talking and presenting in front of groups. The zoo provides a ten-week training class.

AM with Waukanda

Fowler School District R4J Breaks Ground for Building Addition

The Fowler School District R4J, Nunn Construction, and RTA celebrated the groundbreaking for the Jr./Sr. High school addition. This 66,000-sf addition to the south end of the existing elementary school will optimize the use of shared resources and create a safe, unified campus. This project was funded by a community Bond and the BEST program.  The design will also provide improved parent drop-off and pick-up, improved playgrounds, a new gymnasium, and a cafeteria with space for community use. Read more about this great project here.

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St. Francis Hospital Cuts the Ribbon for the IMCU-CCU Expansion at

We have been honored to work with St. Francis Hospital as it expands and renovates its’ campus over the last several years and were so happy to celebrate the ribbon-cutting for the fifth floor of the IMCU-CCU Expansion. This floor added 30 patient rooms for the Intermediate Care Unit bringing the total number of beds to 317. Read more about the expansion here.

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Cherry Creek School District Cuts the Ribbon for New Woodland Elementary School

The Cherry Creek School District and the community celebrated the completion of the new Woodland Elementary School with a fantastic ribbon-cutting ceremony. The pom squad and band were present to get the crowd fired up for this milestone. Financed through a bond measure to accommodate growth, this 74,000 sf elementary school features innovative 21st Century learning spaces promoting critical thinking, curiosity/inquiry, teamwork, project-based learning, real-world discovery, and problem-solving skills. Read more about this incredible new school here.

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Pikes Peak Summit Complex Projects Named ENR Mountain States 2022 Best Projects

Congratulations to our Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center and High Altitude Research Laboratory project partners for being recognized by ENR Mountain States as 2022 Colorado/Wyoming/Dakotas Best Projects winners!
  • Cultural/Worship: Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center, GE Johnson
  • Specialty Construction: Pikes Peak Visitor Center, ICI LLC
  • Small Project: High Altitude Research Lab, GE Johnson
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Michelle Kersey Celebrates 30 Years with RTA

Congratulations to and a huge THANK YOU to our incredible Finance Manager Michelle Kersey who recently celebrated 30 years with RTA. Michelle is a key team member who wears many hats to support our office and keep things running smoothly.  Thank you, Michelle, for your three decades of service!

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ACE Students Experience Design Life at RTA

RTA was pleased to have Amina and Sophia, two high school students from D-11 Palmer high school involved in the ACE Mentor Program of Colorado, in our office to experience firsthand what we do day to day. The two were very busy during their two-week internship! They went on multiple site visits, attended a ribbon cutting, modeled in project photography, developed concepts and study models, and learned how to fly the drone. Wow!

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St. Thomas-More / St. Mary Corwin Foundation Flight for Life Golf Tournament

The sun was shining at the Pueblo Country Club for the St. Thomas More / St. Mary Corwin Foundation annual golf tournament benefitting Flight for Life. RTA is always down for some fun out on the green!

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St. Francis Hospital Celebrates New Flight for Life Helipad

As St. Francis Hospital’s expansion nears completion, another milestone was achieved as the blessing ceremony for the new Flight for Life helipad took place. In life-saving scenarios, where every minute matters, the rooftop helipad will allow Flight for Life responders to deliver critical patients to the ED  utilizing the extended trauma elevators. Learn more about the new Flight for Life helipad here.

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