Professional Society Gives Leonardo Award to Ryan

Thomas J. Ryan, director of business development for McLarand, Vasquez & Partners Inc., was voted 1986 Professional of the Year by the Society for Marketing Professional Services at the society’s fifth annual banquet.

Ryan, 33, won the honor, known as the Leonardo Award, for his marketing strategies that helped the architectural firm increase fivefold in size. His efforts were also instrumental in repositioning McLarand, Vasquez from a firm mainly engaged in residential work to one of the area’s leading commercial architectural firms.

One of the co-founders of the Business Development Assn. of Orange County and former president and member of the board of directors, Ryan is an active member of the Home Builders Council and Commercial Industrial Council of the Building Industry Assn., National Assn. of Home Builders, Society for Marketing Professional Services and American Institute of Architects, Orange County.

Other finalists for the Leonardo Award were Carol Huntington, assistant vice president and marketing manager, Parsons, Brinkerhoff, Quade & Douglas, Santa Ana, and Robert Bruckman, director of marketing, Kitchell Contractors, Newport Beach.

Wayne Ratkovich, president of Ratkovich, Bowers & Perez Inc., was keynote speaker. His firm redeveloped the landmark Oviatt Building, Fine Arts Building and Wiltern Theatre. He said that Los Angeles is becoming one of the world’s great centers of urban planning and architectural talent.

New officers include J. Patrick Drohan, Jones, Cooper & Associates, president, succeeding architect Raymond L. Gaio; Richard E. Balthaser, Converse Consultants, vice president; Sally Jameson, R. P. Segerstrom, secretary, and Lynn Parson, Gensler & Associates, treasurer.