Page 14 - 2022 Annual Report 2022 01.18 0528

the threat of a looming recession. At the same time, we have implemented new procedures to find the
best candidates we can and grow both our expertise and our technical abilities as a firm. In many ways,
this is not mutually exclusive. We are oftentimes doing both with the same critical hires.

Early October 2021 our Board of Directors approved a Fiscal Year 2022 Budget projecting a net
revenue of $24 million and an anticipated net profit before bonus, taxes and PPP Loan forgiveness of
$1.77 million. I am happy to say we have surpassed that projected budget.

Our focus this past year, beginning with our 2020 Strategic Planning workshops, has been our people.
It is difficult to objectively evaluate our success or failure while we are in the middle of the process. Last
year began with a “Return to the Office” in October 2021. Robert Iger, CEO of Disney may have said it
best when he stated to CNBC; "And in a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to
connect, observe, and create with peers that comes from being physically together, nor the
opportunity to grow professionally by learning from leaders and mentors." Though, as a firm, we have
successfully adapted to a hybrid work policy which allows for both remote work and creative and
mentoring time together. And as a firm, we thank you for the success this policy has brought us so far.

In November 2021, Elizabeth Wojtowicz joined us as our first Chief People Officer (and our first
degreed HR professional in any capacity). Since her hire, Elizabeth has spearheaded many initiatives to
help improve our daily work experience. Developing our People Plan, updating our Employee
Handbook, implementing a new performance review system, streamlining benefit renewals, beginning
a staff growth initiative to provide technical training to recent graduates and advanced career
guidance to our more seasoned people. All of these initiatives are in various stages of implementation
– with more to come.
The new year saw Lemay Erickson
Willcox Architects join FGMA. LEWA’s
nationally recognized expertise in the
design of public safety, faith-based and
multifamily/mixed-use projects helps us
move a step closer achieving our
strategic goal of growing revenue
outside of Illinois. We also gained a new
practice area in Multifamily/Mixed-Use,
which is especially helpful as rising
interest rates cause a decrease in single-
family home mortgages, which in turn
causes increased demand for multifamily
housing.
Our Austin office received a new home in
February, and we moved into a great,
more spacious abode. This was fortunate
as we had outgrown the previous office
during our covid-time out of the office.
We finally held our often-rescheduled Bi-Annual Holiday Party in May; at which time we were able to
celebrate the retirement of John Jackson and John Ochoa. Both of whom were instrumental in guiding
FGM Architects to become who we are today, and to whom we owe many thanks for steering the ship
so skillfully.

Page | 6 Chairman’s/CEO’s Report