Donald I. King, FAIA

CEO/President

As President and CEO of DKA, Donald King is responsible for the firm’s direction and business development. With over 40 years of professional experience, Donald has led the firm in the planning and design of over 400 successful projects.

As an architect, Donald is known for his strengths as a planner, programmer, and designer. His project experience includes healthcare, education, library, and community facilities, as well as affordable housing. Donald is recognized for his excellent listening skills as he gathers information from end users and community members to create culturally appropriate environments that meet his clients’ budgetary and scheduling needs.

Donald is a facilitator of the inclusive design process. He has a knack for drawing out the goals and vision of groups who often have little experience with or understanding of design and the planning process. He encourages end-user participation, resulting in environments that resonate with the practical needs and motivations of the end users.

Elected leaders have placed confidence in his ability to respond to diverse planning and design issues. As a result, Donald has been appointed to numerous civic positions and selected for roles on large project teams. His designs are a significant contribution to the continuing development of the Puget Sound region’s rich urban fabric.

Rico Quirindongo, AIA

Architect

Rico is actively engaged in his community and champions positive social change supported by our built environment. In his 15 years of professional experience, Rico has developed a keen awareness of the special requirements of nonprofit and public projects. His clients include King County Housing Authority, Department of Labor, and Seattle Public Schools. Rico’s experience in adaptive reuse can be seen in his work as architect for the Northwest African American Museum.

Rico is involved in many professional organizations. He is an active member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Diversity Roundtable, is a founding member of the AIA Seattle Editorial Board for Forum Magazine, and is an incoming member of the AIA Seattle Board of Directors. Rico is a member of Tabor 100, a local African American business networking organization; is a board member of ARCADE, a journal for architecture and design in the Northwest; and is a founding member of the Northwest Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects.

In 2009, Rico became an honoree of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s “40 under 40” award program that spotlights top business leaders under the age of 40 who excel in their industry and show dynamic leadership.

Chuck Clegern

Senior Project Manager

Chuck brings over 30 years of construction management expertise to DKA; he has previously held key management positions in real estate and construction organizations. These positions included responsibilities for pre-construction design/cost development, sales, and operations.

For the last ten years, Chuck has been focused on owner representation services, such as preconstruction services, estimating, construction management, and move-planning services. He leads DKA’s owner representation services as a senior project manager, providing services for clients in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors.

Chuck’s expertise includes 15 years of corporate facilities program management, building renovations, and tenant improvements. Many of these projects have involved historic preservation and sustainable building practices. His project experience includes offices; retail spaces; banks; multifamily housing; hotels; medical, biotech, and industrial facilities; warehouses; schools; and churches.

Chet Wing

Senior Project Manager

Chet has over 30 years of experience in the design and management of complex multifamily residential structures, healthcare and community-based facilities, and single-family residences. His expertise includes campus master planning, programming, facility planning, design, construction documentation, and construction administration of new construction and renovations for projects ranging from $50,000 to $400 million. Chet’s healthcare design projects have taught him how to plan and construct projects to accommodate 24/7 operations, reduce stress for users, minimize disruptions while renovating within a complex infrastructure, and remain flexible. Chet is currently completing project management of the Seattle Housing Authority’s (SHA) Homeworks contract to modernize and renovate 23 existing SHA buildings across Seattle.

Mitch Yockey, AIA, LEED AP

Architect

As one of DKA’s senior architects, Mitch Yockey has more than 25 years of experience working successfully with a variety of clients on a number of project types. Mitch’s goal with any project is to create architecture that draws interest and fits within its setting, all with the project’s context firmly in mind—its site, adjacent buildings and environment, as well as the client’s needs and desires. Inquisitive, sensitive, and confident in his abilities, Mitch is a good listener and problem solver, known for his ability to work out complex issues. He is also a strong advocate of safe, energy-efficient and sustainable design, and is a LEED-accredited professional.

Mitch’s diverse experience includes custom single-family housing throughout the Northwest—new homes as well as additions/renovations to existing homes. His commercial experience includes multi-family housing, mixed-use residential/commercial buildings, commercial office buildings, banks, retail projects, churches, medical/mental health facilities, and community centers. He values design excellence, and his successes are reflected in his client relationships and design recognition.

Julie Koch, LEED AP

Senior Interior Designer

Julie is an accomplished professional with wide-ranging experience including facility management, project development/planning, and project management and interior design for bank facilities, corporations, the federal government, and aviation clients. She demonstrates expert project administration, organizational skills, written and verbal communication skills, and adherence to schedule and work scope.

Julie’s commitment to client satisfaction and strong client relationships is rewarded with repeat business and outstanding performance recognition. She has been lauded for her accomplishments in facilitating communication between multiple project teams, improving accuracy in coordination and reducing schedules and expenses. An active participant from project conception through punchlists and move-in, she is a trusted advisor on any project. Julie has extensive experience with workplace restacking, rebranding, and space planning on large, multifaceted projects. She is an efficient manager and handles even complicated projects with great success.

Ed Geiger

Controller

Ed comes to DKA with extensive business and management skills. He has served numerous local environmental, community, and educational nonprofit organizations as a founder, board member or president. One of these organizations produced the Environmental Resource Guide for developers, government entities, and urban planners.

Ed also helped create Frontier Geosciences Inc., a world-renowned for-profit environmental research company, and ran it for 14 years before selling it to employees. He then continued his career in the development and construction field, putting together investment groups and purchasing apartment buildings, as well as developing several green townhouses and single-family homes. His leadership and experience in construction and green building is invaluable to the DKA team.

Ed feels very strongly about the culture and philosophy of DKA and is proud to be a part of the positive impact on the social equity of our community.