Our Team
Jim Wallace
Founder
For over 40 years, Jim has specialized in the design and planning of multi-family housing developments. He has won multiple design awards, has been a frequent speaker for the Urban Land Institute and the Multi-Family Housing World Conference, and has held membership in numerous industry organizations — serving as an appointed member on the American Institute of Architect’s National Housing Committee. Jim graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1971. In 1975, he received his Architecture License in the State of Texas, and in 1987 Jim founded Wallace + Associates, renamed W Partnership, Inc. in 2018. With hundreds of thousands of multi-family units spanning across the U.S., he is a leader in the profession and remains active in the management of the firm.
Fred Wilson Jr.
Partner
Fred’s leadership has created a company culture with respect at its core, one that sparks collaboration and encourages individual potential. Through his commitment to quality, he develops close client relationships and helps continue W Partnership’s reputation for excellence. The firm has evolved during Fred’s tenure, his guidance and vision advancing innovative and intelligent design. He began working with Jim Wallace in 1993, became a partner in 2006 and an executive of the firm in 2012. He has held his Texas Architect’s license since 1999 and has since gained licensure in thirteen additional states. Fred is a LEED Accredited Professional, holding membership in AIA and NCARB. He enjoys spending time golfing and traveling with his family. In partnership with Agape Development, Fred has helped in their mission to revitalize a local neighborhood by designing affordable housing for an inclusive community.
Michael Gonos
Partner | Director of Design
Coming from a family background in building, Michael has a natural interest in structure and design. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Environmental Design and from the University of Kansas with a Master of Architecture. Michael joined W Partnership in 2011, became a licensed architect in 2014, and is a member of NCARB and a LEED accredited professional. As Director of Design, Michael guides the conceptual and schematic design for new projects. He works closely with clients to develop their ideas, crafting an architectural program that suits both practical and contextual needs. He also plays a key role in the leadership team to help manage the firm’s current endeavors and its future development.
Carl Hay
Principal | Director of Quality Control
As Director of Quality Control, Carl works jointly with WPI’s project managers to ensure that design and construction documents meet expected standards before construction begins. Previously working as a Design Manager with The Hanover Company, Carl joined W Partnership in 2010 and has maintained our firm’s long-established collaboration with the company, specializing in complex high-density projects. He is also an active member of WPI’s leadership team, assisting with firm management and planning. Carl attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his Bachelor of Architecture. He has over 30 years of experience in the profession, is a member of AIA and NCARB, and is a registered architect in Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. He pursued this career path thanks in part to his father, who was also an architect.
Phuong Nguyen
Associate Principal
Phuong has been with W Partnership since 1988 and credits his long tenure at the firm to its warm and respectful culture. He finds satisfaction in his role as a Senior Project Manager, specializing in high-density projects. He directs his team with clear communication and mentorship, organizing meetings and collaborating with clients to ensure success. As part of the Leadership Team, Phuong assists with the firm’s project planning. Phuong originally became fascinated with architecture after taking a drafting course in high school. After briefly studying computer science, he went on to receive a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Houston’s College of Architecture and Design. Phuong is inspired by historic architecture, particularly that of Gothic and Renaissance cathedrals.
Candice Tape
Principal | Dir. of Prof. Development
Candice joined W Partnership as an intern in 2007 while studying at The University of Houston’s College of Architecture and Design. She graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture, a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design, and a minor in International Business, and began working for the firm full-time in 2010. Since then, she has advanced to become an Associate Principal and Director of Professional Development. As a licensed architect, she performs feasibility studies, conducts site planning, and helps produce concept and schematic designs. In her role as Director of Professional Development, Candice encourages the growth of our leaders and team. She serves on the firm’s E:DI Action Committee in hopes of driving positive change by creating a more inclusive workplace and community.
Lauren Christian
Associate Principal
In addition to her role as a Project Manager of mid- and high-rise podium projects, Lauren serves as the firm’s Summer Intern Supervisor and Coordinator of the Architectural Experience Program and Architect Registration Examination groups. She is a member of W Partnership’s Standard Ops Committee and is fondly known as the office’s Unofficial Revit Guru. Originally from Philadelphia, Lauren attended the Catholic University of America where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Planning. Lauren then achieved a Master of Architecture at Texas A&M. She joined W Partnership in 2014 and earned her Architect and Interior Design Licensures in 2017.
Irini Kotelou
Senior Project Manager
Irini has always had an aesthetic appreciation for space and design. Her interest in the impact that architecture has on our visual environment, on society, and on the individual experience guided her decision to enter the profession. Irini studied Architecture at the National Technical University of Athens and moved to the United States for post-graduate studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 2013, she joined W Partnership and is now one of the firm’s project managers, specializing in high-density projects. She works with the design team as they collaborate with clients on schematic design and develops the drawings with her team, coordinating with consultants and clients through the completion of the project.
Victoria Kulbick
Senior Project Manager
Due to her father’s advice and encouragement, Victoria chose to earn a Bachelor of Science in Architecture at Catholic University and went on to achieve a graduate degree from Miami University in Ohio. She joined W Partnership in 2015 and now serves as a Senior Project Manager, coordinating with clients and consultants and leading her team from Design Development through Construction. She is a member of several office committees: Standard Operations, CAD Standards, and the Events Committee.
Joel Njenga
Senior Project Manager
Joel always knew that he wanted to have a career that utilized his creative skills. When he discovered that he could pursue Architecture as a profession, he developed his artistic and technical skills and attended SCAD & Kennesaw State University for his Bachelor of Architecture. Joel joined W Partnership in 2011 and currently serves as a Senior Project Manager. In this role, Joel is in constant communication with clients, consultants, and colleagues. He is responsible for organizing the project schedule, reviewing drawings, monitoring project scope and budget, and, most importantly, leading and mentoring his team to ensure their success. He does this from Design Development though the construction phase. In his new role, Joel is working with Leadership to ensure the company Vision & Mission for the future are implemented.
Alberto Gonzalez
Project Manager
Alberto has had an interest in design and building as far back as he can remember. Originally from Indiana, Alberto moved to Texas and attended the University of Houston’s College of Architecture and Design to receive a bachelor’s degree in Architecture. He is a licensed architect in Texas, Wisconsin, and South Carolina; a member of AIA and NCARB; and has been working in the industry for over twenty years. Alberto joined the team at W Partnership in 2021. In his role as a project manager, he collaborates with consultants and guides his team on multiple projects from design development to final construction.
Kurt Reyna
PM - Construction Phase Architect
Kurt joined W Partnership in 2012 and earned his Texas Architect License in 2015. He is in AIA, NCARB, and is a LEED BD & C Accredited Professional, currently serving as Construction Phase Manager. In this role, Kurt handles construction administration submittals and RFIs. He collaborates with clients and consultants, performs preliminary research, leads site visits, and finds solutions to any challenges during the construction phase. Kurt first became interested in architecture and construction as a kid while exploring new housing developments near his childhood home. As a young adult, he was inspired by the 80’s international style seen on Miami Vice reruns, and he graduated from Texas Tech with his degree in architecture.
Francia Velez
Project Manager
Francia moved to US permanently in 1993 and started working on commercial and residential Highrise buildings, most of the projects located overseas having the opportunity to be involved on the evolution of the projects from SD to CA. Francia joined W Partnership in 2015, and now serves as a Project Manager. She leads her team to coordinate drawings for multiple projects in the Construction Documentation and Administration phases, collaborates with clients and consultants, and studies code in various states and municipalities to ensure compliance. She attained her degree at Universidad de Caldas in Manizales, Colombia.
Mark Causey
Senior Project Coordinator
After Mark graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Environmental Design, he moved to Houston and got a job building townhouses. Finding the work unsustainable due to the Gulf Coast’s weather, he decided to join a structural engineering company as a draftsman, and in 1987 Mark was hired by Jim Wallace for a new business venture. Mark has stayed with W Partnership through name changes, office moves, and major shifts in the industry and holds the longest tenure at the firm second to Jim. His focus is on garden-style projects, where he uses CAD to help manage the Construction Documents phase.
Richard Fernandez
Senior Project Coordinator
Richard holds fond memories of seeing architectural drawings at a young age, which inspired him to join the profession. After gaining his education in architectural delineation and design, Richard initially worked for an engineering company. However, when the opportunity arose for him to pursue his true passion, he jumped at the chance, moving to a new city to join an architectural firm. Richard has over 35 years of experience in architecture and has been with W Partnership since 2010. He works in CAD and Revit to create drawings for construction, to accurately convey the designs to contractors.
Maria Martinez-Cisnado
Project Designer
Maria graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a minor in Anthropology. She joined W Partnership as an architectural intern in 2019 and became a Project Coordinator in 2020, contributing to projects’ schematic design and assisting in construction coordination. As part of the Marketing Team, Maria helps prepare award submittals and company publications. She is a strong advocate for minority representation in the industry, holding memberships in NOMA, AIA’s Women in Architecture, APX, and W Partnership’s EDI Action Committee. She also supports AIA Houston’s MGMC Scholarship, Project Pipeline, and is secretary of UH’s Alpha Rho Chi Alumni Association.
Silvana Batllori
Assistant Project Manager
Originally from Merida, Mexico, Silvana is an avid traveler. She attended the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán in Mexico, and the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Saint-Etienne in France, where she earned her Bachelor of Architecture. Silvana then got her master’s degree at Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura de Barcelona in Spain, specializing in Restoration and Rehabilitation of existing buildings. In her role as Assistant Project Manager, Silvana enjoys collaborating creatively to develop design solutions. Silvana is a member of NCARB, a LEED Green Associate, and she earned her Texas Architect’s License shortly after joining W Partnership in 2020.
Tim Everett
Assistant Project Manager
Tim Everett has been working on multifamily residential projects since 2000. After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from The Catholic University of America and working for the first 3 years of his professional career at a Firm in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia, he moved to Houston, Texas in 2003. Tim joined W Partnership, Inc. in 2010. Tim works on a wide variety of projects and in his role as Assistant Project Manager, he works closely with the Project Manager(s) to assign project tasks to team members, set project deadlines, and organize/run project meetings. He also reviews project documents (drawings, meeting agenda & meetings, etc.) throughout the project(s) schedule to ensure the Firm’s high standards of quality are met.
Ashley Hesser
Assistant Project Manager
Originally from San Antonio, Ashley began attending the University of Houston in the spring of 2006. There, she obtained her Bachelor of Architecture and her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design in 2011. Upon graduation, she immediately began working in the Houston architecture community eventually making her way to W Partnership in July of 2020. Ashley has project manager experience in a variety of projects ranging from single family residential to large scale commercial work.
Jose Juarez
Assistant Project Manager
Jose has had a fascination with architectural drawings since childhood. With his family’s encouragement he has over 20 years of experience in the industry. He joined W Partnership in 2018, currently serving as an assistant project manager. He helps to lead the project teams by coordinating with designers, communicating with clients, and distributing architectural background drawings to the consultants. Jose also assists with construction administration once the project has reached the construction phase.
Monica Ma
Assistant Project Manager
Monica pursued a degree in architecture after a studio visit to a friend inspired her to enroll in the University of Houston’s College of Architecture and Design. After graduating with her B.A. in Architecture and a B.S. in Environmental Design, Monica moved across the globe to Hong Kong. While there, she gained over a decade of experience in commercial and industrial projects. In 2020, Monica returned to Houston and joined W Partnership, where she now focuses on construction and design development.
Sonia Olivares
Assistant Project Manager
Sonia joined W Partnership in the spring of 2021 and was promoted to her current role as an Assistant Project Manager in spring of 2023. Sonia graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Architecture in 2012. Her experience ranges from single family homes, townhomes, rental apartment houses, to Multifamily mid-rise buildings and Condos. In this role, she collaborates with her team and consultants to ensure production documents are complete and accurate during design development and through construction phase.
Edgar Saucedo
Assistant Project Manager
Edgar attended the University of Houston’s College of Architecture and Design, where he majored in Architecture and Environmental Design. In 2013, Edgar joined the team at W Partnership, where he now serves as an Assistant Project Manager. In this role, Edgar develops Revit models and drawings from Schematic Design through the Construction Development phase, specializing in podium and mid-rise project types.
Michael Agurcia
Project Coordinator
When beginning his studies at the University of Houston, Michael chose to pursue a career in architecture out of an appreciation of art and a fascination with technical composition. He achieved a Bachelor of Architecture with a minor in Construction Management and then joined W Partnership in the spring of 2021. A member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), Michael is currently studying to attain his Texas licensure.
Erick Bretana
Project Coordinator
Originally from Caracas, Venezuela. He moved to Houston after getting married in 2006, and he joined W Partnership as a project coordinator in 2022. Erick attained his bachelor’s degree in Architecture in 2004 at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. He has over 18 years of experience in TV set design, commercial, hospitality, medical and residential projects. Erick as a project coordinator gets involved in the projects from the design phase to the construction development phase.
Lulieth Cardona-Mejia
Project Coordinator
Multi-talented Designer/Researcher/Reviewer with a wide array experience in different Industries, and more than 25 years working in Architectural projects. Lulieth attained her Bachelor of Science, Industrial Design in Colombia and moved to U.S in 1999. She joined WPI family as a Project Coordinator in 2022.
Simon Cruz
Project Coordinator
Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Simon’s true home is Calgary, Canada. He moved to Houston after getting married in 2014, and he joined W Partnership as a project coordinator in 2021. After playing with Legos throughout his childhood, Simon followed his passion to study architecture at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, where he earned his degree in Architecture and Urban Studies. He then went on to achieve a master’s degree in History of Architecture.
Vilma Umanzor
Project Coordinator
A true creative, Vilma spent a lot of time as a child drawing and painting, which sparked her interest to pursue a career in architecture. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Houston’s College of Architecture and Design and joined W Partnership as an architectural intern in 2021. In her current role, Vilma uses Revit to assist designers and project managers during a project’s Construction Development phase.
Sara White
Project Coordinator
Sara is inspired by the effects the built environment has on human emotions and psyche. She moved to Texas from lil’ ol’ Iowa to attend the University of Houston, where she graduated in 2021. She promptly joined W Partnership and has become a valuable asset to her team.
Rachel Williams
Project Coordinator
Rachel has always had a respect and fascination for architecture. Rachel started her journey with design in 2015 at HCC studying Architectural Drafting and Design. In 2017 she went on to pursue her degree in Architecture at the University of Houston’s College of Architecture and Design. She joined W Partnership’s summer internship program in 2018 and returned to the firm each year to gain experience in the field. Since graduating University of Houston in 2022, Rachel was hired full time as a Project Coordinator and is a valued team member. She is also a member of W Partnership’s Marketing Team and helps to manage the firm’s social media presence.
Priscilla Siswanto
Seasonal Intern
Priscilla is a rising 4th year student at the University of Texas and is enrolled in the Architecture/Architectural Engineering Dual degree program. Priscilla is dedicated to her education, and is involved in extracurricular activities such as the UT Undergraduate Architecture Student Council and is a Coordinator for the UT Material Exchange.
Melody Wright
Office Manager
As Office Manager, Melody wears many hats at W Partnership. She joined the firm in 2015 and was promoted to her current role in 2018. Her leadership responsibilities include preparing client proposals, project contracts, processes and balances both AP & AR, ensuring both architect and firm licensing is in compliance in seventeen different states, maintains business insurance coverage, manages payroll system, coordinating benefits, and providing guidance on human resources for the office. Melody also manages staff records and onboarding, and she works closely with principals and partners to help direct the firm. She is a notary of the public and has had years of experience through her administrative work at other architectural firms. She serves on the Events and EDI Action Committees in order to build a warm and inclusive office environment.