The Ankrom Moisan jAM took place on Friday, November 7th this year, continuing the firm’s tradition of rocking out for a good cause.
Promotional poster for the 2025 jAM event
Combining Ankrom Moisan’s annual charity fundraiser with the “pickathon” event – a much-anticipated and celebrated showcase of AM’s staff musicians – for a second year in a row, the night was full of delicious food, cold drinks, loud music, and good people, all brought together for a righteous cause: to raise money to support Central City Concern’s (CCC) mission of providing affordable, supportive housing to those who need it.
Held at White Owl Social Club in Portland, Oregon, the fundraiser helped raise close to $18,000 for Central City Concern, a long-standing partner that shares Ankrom Moisan’s desire to create connected communities where all our neighbors have access to housing, health, and economic opportunities.
Mark Miller and CCC’s Dana Kleinhessel served as the evening’s hosts, announcing the procession of events as the night progressed.
Organized by Melissa Abdoul, Portland Office Manager, and Senior Principal Ryan Miyahira, Senior Communities Studio Co-Leader and member of Ankrom Moisan bands The Old Town Specials, The Hip Replacements, and The Ankrom Moisan FAMily Band, the night featured performances from each group, as well as a lip-sync battle that pit Ankrom Moisan against CCC. Thankfully, Amanda Lunger, Angela Tocchi, and Mariah Kiersey were able to channel their inner pop divas and secure a win for the firm.
Mark Miller with Amanda, Angela, and Mariah after their Lady Gaga lip-sync performance
The Hip Replacements kicked the festivities off, playing classic funk and soul tunes. Featuring the talents of Ryan and Lara Miyahira, Justin Johnson, Pete Abrams, Grant Gascon, and Bekah Broe, The Hip Replacements have been performing at Ankrom Moisan events like ‘pickathon’ and the jAM fundraisers for the last 20 years.
Embracing the spirit of Woodstock and the theme of the night – a classic rock festival – The Old Town Specials selected songs from artists who played the era-defining festival, such as Jefferson Airplane, Santana, and The Grateful Dead. Members included Stephanie Baker, George Signori, Ryan Miyahira, Adam York, Don Sowieja, and Justin Johnson.
Audience members groove along to the live music; Murray, Dave, DeAne, and Alissa in the crowd
For the final set of the night, members of both The Old Town Specials and The Hip Replacements combined forces to become The Ankrom Moisan FAMily Band, with Katie Lyslo and Gary Golla joining in on the fiddle and drums, respectively. Lily Signori and Steve Esnard also joined the ensemble. They played country and classic rock standards, closing out the evening with a cover of Bob Dylan and The Band’s “I Shall Be Released.”
“It’s been so cool to see the ‘pickathon’ event, which started as a glitchy Zoom meeting, evolve into such a big, fun event that raises money for CCC,” said Ryan.
“I can tell this event is going to build momentum,” Dave Heater added. “You could just feel it. The venue is perfect and CCC is an amazing organization to partner with. They’re so worthy of our time and fundraising.”
George Signori playing guitar with the Ankrom Moisan Family Band while Gary Golla backs him on drums
Special thanks to all involved with the organization and operation of this incredible night – Ryan, Melissa, Dave, Filo, Darla, Dani, Angela, Mariah, Paige, Michael, Cindy, Carrie, Sheri, Bethanne, Alissa, Mark, Katie, Gary, Stephanie, Amanda, Don, and George – it wouldn’t be possible without you!
The Ankrom Moisan FAMily Band takes a bow at the end of the night
Employee Spotlight: 2025 Q2 Design Champion Megan Kim
When Megan Kim, Senior Project Designer, found out that she had been nominated as 2025’s Q2 Design Champion, she was surprised. It was not an honor that she had anticipated receiving.
“I’m just doing my job day in and day out,” she said. “It’s nice to know that people are paying attention to what you’re doing. Being recognized for doing your best is always a good feeling.”
Coming to the firm nearly a decade ago, she was contacted by an HR recruiter who’s no longer here. “She messaged me on LinkedIn, and I usually never respond to those messages, but she was from Ankrom Moisan, and I recognized the name, so I responded,” Megan said.
Now, after spending nine years with the firm, Megan has found a lot to love about where she works, what she does, and who she works with.
“For the majority of my career, I’ve been doing market-rate housing projects,” she shared. “But if I had to pick a favorite, it would be senior housing because of how complex it is. It’s a good mix of housing, which I am very familiar with, but it also has a big amenity and entertainment angle. You also have to be familiar with some elements of healthcare design to address accessibility needs. It’s a lot going on under one roof, and a very unique challenge.”
Early rendering for a senior housing project in Sausalito, California
When she first started, Megan was told to consider senior community projects as ‘cruise ships,’ since for residents, life happens within that structure. “It gave me a new perspective about what senior housing can mean,” she said.
The unique challenges that come along with senior community projects are actually one of Megan’s favorite aspects of working in design. “I enjoy the problem solving,” she admitted. In her eyes, a building is kind of like a problem that architects have created and need to solve. “There’s nothing there, and somehow, we have to come up with something that fits the site and meets our client’s needs. It’s just like a series of problems that have to be untangled into a three-dimensional, habitable form. It’s a really cool process.”
Early rendering for a senior housing project in Sausalito, California
Navigating these challenges with a close-knit team, Megan stated that witnessing the creativity and dedication of the people she works with was one of the primary reasons she’s stayed with Ankrom Moisan for nearly a decade. “Having good coworkers really matters. I lean a lot on my teammates for knowledge of code or mechanical systems or whatever their respective sets of expertise are,” she said. “Knowing that I don’t have to be the one to know everything and can depend on the rest of the team to work together and solve any issues that we encounter is helpful. Knowing that support is available is very important. For a firm like Ankrom Moisan, collaboration is our best asset.”
Taking on a new project, Megan finds inspiration on-site. “It’s different from one project to another, but I always try to relate my designs to the site itself” she shared. “Knowing the site and what’s around it, as well as the demographics of the people who will live there, is very important at the outset of a new project.”
Rendering for a project in Redmond, Washington
However, Megan doesn’t view her job as just being focused on developing a design direction for a given location. “As I work on more projects, I’ve begun to think that my work is to create an initial framework for future decision making. I’m coming up with guidelines that give us reasons to make one decision over another,” she explained. “I’m trying to create a certain logic for the project.”
This is just one of the ways that her perspective has changed since she first joined Ankrom Moisan. She has also come to terms with the responsibility she has as a Senior Project Designer, and how the decisions she makes impact projects that people call home. It’s part of her advice for young professionals just entering the world of design – “There are so many people involved in making these projects a reality, so many people who invest their time and money. What you do and all the decisions you make really matter,” Megan said. “They don’t only matter for the final outcome, but throughout the process, too.”
Megan also advises new designers to go the extra mile to make connections with coworkers, and to not be afraid of speaking up and asking questions. “You have to voice your opinion and think out loud,” she said. “Know that it’s OK to be wrong, and that nobody has all the answers. Additionally, remember that crazy ideas can be good to get creative juices flowing. The biggest thing is just having open communication with your team.”
Megan’s Reward & Recognition nomination video
Looking ahead, Megan sees the Rewards & Recognition Award Program as a great motivator and a way to acknowledge hard work within the firm. “Like I said, I’ve just been doing my normal, everyday work, not really thinking about being recognized for it. I’m sure that people knowing they can be selected as a recipient of a Reward & Recognition title just for doing their regular work is a big motivator.”