On behalf of the Partners, I (Armand) am personally very pleased to announce the promotion of Eric Delong as a new Associate of the firm. Eric truly represents a USA-homegrown success story.
One of my first official duties, after becoming the PIC of the Easton Office, was to interview and subsequently hire a young Eric Delong. That was early in 2003.
At that time, Eric had recently completed his Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Drexel University (2001) and spent five years interning at the Architectural Studio, a local competitor also in Easton. The Drexel program allows students to work during the day and attend classes at night. As such, it was a long and arduous process, especially when he lived and worked in the Lehigh Valley and had to drive to and from Philadelphia each day to attend class. This spoke volumes to me about Eric’s drive, ambition, and fortitude. Qualities that I believe are essential for an Architect to succeed in what I already knew was “a challenging career choice”.
Beyond my impression of his hard-work ethic, he then showed me his portfolio of projects from his time at Architectural Studio. I was impressed when I saw what they were letting this “kid” do while he was still a student.
I have a memory of asking him (at least three times).
- (me) “Did you actually draw these Wall Sections yourself?”
- (him) “Yes, absolutely!”
- (me) “Did someone sketch them for you to draft”
- (him) “No! Like I told you already, I developed them myself.”
I knew at once that Eric had a real appreciation, and a talent, for Building Materials and Methods of Construction, in addition to a nice sense of design.
22 years later, Eric still embodies these hard work and work-smart qualities, while he has developed into one of the most technically competent Architects that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He still enjoys designing at every level and has grown into an excellent Project Manager, who’s been responsible for a long list of outstanding projects.
In addition to directing, in the management of his projects, I see him enjoying the collaboration with his co-workers. This includes coaching and teaching the less experienced designers while relating professionally and pleasantly to our Consultants and our most demanding Clients.
Eric’s regular performance serves as a true reflection of his love for the profession, and an exemplary commitment to USA Architects. We all agree that he is highly deserving of this promotion.
