Dean Kelly And Gunnar Gladics Join Rice Fergus Miller Ownership
In Celebration Of The Firm’s 35th Anniversary
Marking A New Era Of Distributed Leadership, Transparency, And Mentorship
BREMERTON, Wash. — Rice Fergus Miller, Inc., a B Corp. renowned for their community-based projects, celebrates 35 years as one of the Pacific Northwest’s leading architecture, interiors, and planning firms. The occasion is marked by welcoming Principals Dean Kelly and Gunnar Gladics as firm owners alongside Principals Jennifer Fleming and Greg Belding. Kelly and Gladics were personally selected by Fleming and Belding for their shared values, leadership, and expertise in carrying out and building upon the firm’s founding legacy.
“I think it’s really balanced,” said Belding. “Jennifer falls into operations and talent management and Gunnar falls into financial management. I fall into project process and Dean falls into project design. That’s how we leverage our strengths across how we will be moving forward from a leadership standpoint in our firm.”
Gladics brings over 20 years of experience as the regionally-recognized and go-to designer for emergency response facilities. His deep knowledge in the field is rooted in his many years as a volunteer firefighter and EMT, with his lived experience informing his designs. His focus, Gladics said, is on designing for the health of firefighters with an eye on innovating for the future.
For Kelly, architecture runs in the family, but ownership at RFM is much more than a personal milestone. He finds purpose in designing housing for specialty communities, such as regional Tribes or for seniors. “We need housing of every single type,” he said of his work that focuses on high-density, human-centered projects. “I like the scale of it. I like projects that contribute to the broader good.”
The firm’s 35th Anniversary marks the first full turnover from founding principals to the next generation of owners. Fleming, Belding, Kelly, and Gladics are leading with a new model they call “distributed leadership.” Rather than silo market leadership with any single leader, the new model emphasizes expertise from many people, allowing the firm to bolster the breadth and depth of knowledge they contribute to their projects.
This approach is also marked by increased transparency into business, personnel, and financial decisions, such as by inviting the broader team into the room where these conversations are happening. Fleming sees this shift as a mechanism to cultivate future talent by giving them the opportunity to see what leadership looks like up close, rather than discussing it in the abstract.
“I don’t want anyone to ever feel like we’re forcing a title on them or forcing them into a leadership position,” said Fleming. “I want it to be a choice that we’re offering them a title and if they accept it, there are expectations and responsibilities that come with it. But how can we ask more of them if we’re not also exposing them to that side of the business?”
Rice Fergus Miller is eponymously named for its founding principals, Steve Rice, Dave Fergus, Mike Miller, who each retired over the past few years. This new chapter is anchored by RFM’s legacy of serving the community through their work in housing, healthcare, hospitality, community impact, education, and fire and emergency services.
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About Rice Fergus Miller
Rice Fergus Miller, Inc.—a B Corp., is an architecture, interior design, and planning firm based in Bremerton, Washington. Established in 1987 and the only architecture firm in Washington State with Certified B Corporation status, the firm is committed to performing meaningful work that builds and strengthens communities. Housed in a reclaimed Sears auto service center that is one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the United States, Rice Fergus Miller blends the personal aspirations of its more than 50 team members with a vision for sustainable design. In 2022, the firm is celebrating 35 years in business. Learn more at www.rfmarch.com