SPT Architecture’s Renae Slusser was nominated and selected as an honoree for Wichita Business Journal‘s Women Who Lead in Real Estate, Construction and Design 2024 collection.

2024 WBJ Women Who Lead in Real Estate, Construction and Design
Renae Slusser

Q. What has been your career path?
A. I received my master of architecture in 2012. My first position out of school was as architectural intern at J VanSickle and Co., a real estate development firm in Wichita, specializing in multifamily residential. I started as an architectural intern at SPT in 2014, became licensed in 2019, and gained experience as project manager on small to midsize projects of all types.

Q. Who are your mentors and how have they influenced your career?
A. Ron Spangenberg, who retired in 2020, shared so many stories of his lifetime of project successes and improvement opportunities; the best learning moments were in the car or after hours listening to his stories and his thoughts on what was happening in the office. I try to incorporate his simple and straightforward leadership style, wherein his actions influenced others to follow, with little words needed. He encouraged all ideas and opinions, and always said you can’t criticize an idea unless you have a different solution.

Q. Best advice for a women wanting to enter your field?
A. Lean into your particular strengths as a woman; a lot of qualities commonly associated with women are invaluable in solving design problems and working with clients and project teams.

Q. What do you like most about your role?
A. I love the variety of project types and sizes and project personnel. I enjoy that some projects are full of problem solving, while others are more predictable.

SPT Architecture’s Kristine Pafford was nominated and selected as an honoree for Wichita Business Journal‘s Women Who Lead in Real Estate, Construction and Design 2023 collection.

2023 WBJ Women Who Lead in Real Estate, Construction and Design
Kristine Pafford

Q. What has been your career path?
A. I have been at SPT Architecture my entire career. After my sophomore year at Kansas State University, I started as a part-time receptionist for the summer and returned the following summer as an architectural intern. After graduation in 2002, I accepted a full-time position and have been at SPT ever since. Although I’ve spent my career at one firm, the variety of project types I’ve been able to work on has kept me on my toes and I continually learn new things.

Q. Who are your mentors and how have they influenced your career?
A. I’m incredibly lucky to have worked closely with Ron Spangenberg on many projects. The trust he had in me as a young architect was a little scary! Ron taught me that design doesn’t have to be complicated to be good, and that the best design tool is the trash can. I learned a lot about integrity and work ethic from Ron. I hope that I can be a good mentor to other young architects so I can pass down that knowledge.

Q. Best advice for a women wanting to enter your field?
A. My advice for other women or any young person is that you must be proactive. You will need to become comfortable asking questions and seeking information. Nobody expects you to know everything, but you must be willing to find answers. Always do what you say you’re going to do, and always follow up. Being accountable is how you build a great reputation.

Q. What do you like most about your role?
A. Architects have a great responsibility to their clients. I don’t take it lightly that the lines I draw represent real spaces that people are going to inhabit to learn, work, receive healthcare, etc. Our clients put their trust in me to guide them through the design and construction process, which can be a stressful experience for them. The best part of my job is when clients are happy with the completed project, and their vision has become a reality.

SPT Architecture’s Rebecca Gates was nominated and selected as an honoree for Wichita Business Journal‘s Women Who Lead in Real Estate, Construction and Design 2022 collection.

2022 WBJ Women Who Lead in Real Estate, Construction and Design
Rebecca Gates

Q. What has been your career path?
A. My career path started when I decided that I wanted to be an architect at the age of 15. My father was a general contractor and at that time he had a construction project at the beautiful Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs — I was fascinated by all the details. I went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in interior architecture from K-State, and began with TK Architects to design numerous movie theaters in the U.S., Kuwait, Europe, and Asia, including India and China. With that experience I joined SPT Architecture 18 years ago and began work with the Warren Theatres. I became a firm partner in 2007.

Q. Who are your mentors and how have they influenced your career?
A. In the beginning, I was blessed with two dynamic female mentors, the first was the head of design at the architecture firm with 20 years of experience, and the second was a client’s construction project manager; both offered me the opportunity to work closely with them and learn valuable leadership techniques and tap into their tremendous base of industry knowledge. They stressed the importance of continual learning and old-fashioned hard work. As females in a traditional male industry, they emphasized that people respect people who work hard and develop an expertise in their field, regardless of gender.

Q. Best advice for a women wanting to enter your field?
A. Be fearless and observant; see the world and how the environment and people are touched by what you do. Get involved in likeminded organizations.

Q. What do you like most about your role?
A. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with so many wonderful and influential people as clients, colleagues, and friends, along with the opportunity to impact the built environment. It is also very rewarding to have the opportunity to work with and mentor our interior architecture designers who are beginning their careers at SPT.