Advancing its commitment to meaningful design, development and leadership, the architecture and art integration firm Svigals + Partners announces the promotions of five key staff members to associate principal and associate positions, amplifying the firm’s attention to exceptional design innovation and client service. 

Newly named to the position of associate principal are Brian Stancavage, AIA, CDT and Cheryl Hart, director of marketing and business development. The promoted associates include office manager and project accounting coordinator, Debbie Ferrell, plus architects April Gaddis, AIA, and Bryan Moore, AIA.

“We’re proud to recognize our team’s exceptional work in advancing client goals and project excellence, as well as our exemplary business operations,” says Jay Brotman, AIA, managing partner, who has led the firm since 2016. “Together, they express Svigals + Partners’ top ideals through their steadfast commitment and passion for collaboration, architecture and design, and the betterment of the communities where we work.”

Associate Principals 

Strengthening the firm’s leadership in the architecture and design of productive, welcoming environments, the new associate principals offer extensive experience in project work and communications, extending the firm’s leading expertise and outreach.  

Brian Stancavage has been a driving force in Svigals + Partners' robust quality assurance and quality control program since joining the firm in 2016. His strategic leadership in meeting and exceeding stringent quality standards has benefited clients across the multifamily, mixed-use, commercial, and educational sectors. Recent clients include Bexorg, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, Pierce Laboratory, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Technolutions software development firm, and Biohaven Pharmaceuticals. A mentor in precision and excellence for younger team members, Stancavage holds certification as Construction Documents Technologist. Stancavage earned his master’s in architecture with an AIA School Medal for Excellence from the University of Hartford, where he also graduated magna cum laude with an undergraduate degree in architectural engineering.   

Cheryl Hart came to Svigals + Partners in 2019 with a breadth of experience in the creative arts. Previously Vice President, Account Director at advertising agency BBDO New York, Hart's early career was spent developing brand stories for new product launches and managing teams to deliver on multimillion dollar production budgets. Hart eventually pivoted from client management to explore her own creative sensibilities, studied at the esteemed New York School of Interior Design, and built a decade-plus residential business serving clients in Manhattan and on the East End of Long Island. After relocating to Connecticut in 2016, she looked to the AEC industry to merge her marketing and design experience. Her fresh and strategic perspective on positioning, branding, and business development has elevated Svigals + Partners’ messaging across sectors. She holds two bachelor’s degrees from the University of California, Santa Barbara in communications and English. 

Associates 

Each of the promoted associates, says Brotman, is driving a high standard of achievement rooted in the firm’s ideologies, benefitting team and client work.

Deborah Ferrell has been with Svigals + Partners for 14 years and has filled several roles within the organization from office manager to finance and beyond. Her dedication, organization, and expertise foster the firm’s team, client, and project successes, including daily financial management and staff training on the firm's customer and financial management tools. Beyond her technical role, Ferrell is also a mentor and leader for interoffice initiatives and staff development. She graduated Cum Laude from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology. 

April Gaddis joined Svigals + Partners in 2016. Noted for her professionalism with peers and clients, the newly licensed architect is relied on for her effective approach to projects, such as Central Connecticut State University Barnard Hall, Technolutions software development firm, and the Yale Child Study Center. Gaddis is a dedicated achiever, passionately advancing initiatives ranging from office facilities, to emerging professionals, code stewardship, and mentorship with the ACE Mentor Program for high school students interested in architecture, construction and engineering. Gaddis graduated with a master’s in architecture from Roger Williams University, where she also earned her bachelor’s in science, with minors in sustainability, and art and architectural history. 

Architect Bryan Moore embodies Svigals + Partners’ dedication and presence throughout the architecture and design industry. A leader and role model, he joined the firm in 2022, advancing the architecture and design of numerous firm projects, such as Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen in New Haven, an assisted living renovation at the Mary Wade campus, plus various academic and science environments for University of Connecticut Health in Farmington and Yale University in New Haven. A Magna Cum Laude graduate of the State University of New York Delhi, Moore’s exemplary rapport with clients, membership in industry associations such as Connecticut Building Congress and Friends of NOMAct, and co-leadership of Svigals' Emerging Professionals group further the firm’s valued influence and team expertise.