Technology Design Associate Tom Gilliland, RCDD, Retires
Dec 21, 2020
Technology Design Associate Tom Gilliland, RCDD, has retired. Gilliland was Karpinski’s Director of Technology for more than a decade.
“Tom is the ultimate professional and he will be missed by Karpinski Engineering,” said Karpinski President Jim Cicero, PE, LEED AP.
Gilliland came to Karpinski from the service industry to lead the Technology department. According to Cicero, Gilliland quickly went to work to understand Karpinski’s business and the consulting business in general.
“He quickly earned a lot of respect from our clients,” Cicero said.
In his years at Karpinski, Gilliland worked with a diverse array of clients, including healthcare institutions, colleges and universities, corporate clients, and K-12 school districts. He contributed to award-winning projects, including the Tomsich Pathology Laboratories Building at Cleveland Clinic, Heights High School, Cleveland Clinic Lakewood Family Health Center, and Cuyahoga County’s Harvard Avenue Maintenance Facility.
Gilliland especially enjoyed K-12 schools projects. He worked on more than 20 K-12 schools while at Karpinski, including eight new schools or substantial additions and renovations.
“K-12 school projects were a favorite, as they include a variety of technology systems, such as security and audio-visual systems, and they help form environments to educate kids,” he said.
As Director of Technology, Gilliland’s responsibilities extended beyond technical expertise. For him, his greatest accomplishment was “being instrumental in building a team of technology staff that know how to identify client needs and provide a quality product that meets, and in most cases exceeds, client expectations.”
According to Cicero, Gilliland’s work training and mentoring others allowed the department to grow. One of Gilliland’s mentees is Technology Associate Ryan Smith, RCDD, who has taken over as Director of Technology.
As Gilliland transitions into retirement, he is looking forward to spending more time with his grandchildren, playing ping pong and billiards, and completing home projects.