CRA recently welcomed four new faces to our team: Andrew Perez, Zachary Engle, Nicole Niles and Raina Gandhi. We are proud to continuously keep growing – and are excited for the future with these new members!
Andrew: “My architecture journey has come full circle in a way. I’m from Central PA, I grew up in Lebanon, and I even worked my first architectural job at a small firm in Annville back in 2005 – on a K-12 project no less. However, since 2003 I’ve primarily lived in Georgia. I went to college in Savannah, GA at SCAD, worked in GA since 2007 and in 2013 started working in Atlanta. While in Atlanta, I mainly worked on Hospitality and Mixed-Use projects which included a renovation to the SOM-designed premier luxury Boston Harbor Hotel, a LEED Silver Hotel and Conference Center addition to the Duke Fuqua School of Business in NC, a 550+ room 4-star Casino Hotel and Conference center addition in Bethlehem, PA and many other branded hotel renovations and new-build projects. I also got exposure to a multitude of non-hospitality projects which included a large joint project with HoK at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a joint project with Perkins & Will at UGA in Athens, GA, a research facility at FAMU and student housing in Auburn, AL and Tallahassee, FL. Ever since COVID though, I’ve been wanting to return to this area to get closer to home and family, while also continuing my architecture career. When I’m not at work, soon enough I’ll be studying for the A.R.E. Besides that, I enjoy my free time with friends, family and my dog Logan. I’m an avid guitar player, music fan, concert goer, beer aficionado(snob), and football fan with a slight Jeep Wrangler addiction.”
Zach: “I grew up in Hanover, PA, widely known widely known as the “Snack Food Capital of the World” and moved back a few years after college to be closer to family. I met my wife, Jenn, in 2016 we now have two boys: Colin (3yo) and Arran (1yo). Jenn and I both have Scottish ancestry, and have enjoyed a few trips there to visit with relatives and explore the country. I proposed on our first trip there together, in the little harbor town of Oban, and our honeymoon found us exploring the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland. I graduated from Pennsylvania College of Technology with two A.A.S in Electronics Technology and Microwave Communications Systems, and when I ultimately decided I didn’t want to pursue electronics for the rest of my life I transitioned into the Architectural Technology program where I found my calling. My first job out of college was drafting for a family friend at a precast concrete engineering firm. While it wasn’t exciting and flashy, it was as a job laid the groundwork for my career and left me with an experience and networking connections that I cherish to this day. From there, my professional journey has found me at both architectural and structural engineering firms, working on projects that range from small retail fit-outs for design-build contractors, to large scale industrial, warehouse, and food processing projects, and almost everything in between. I strive to keep up with the latest software technologies and always enjoy a challenge. I also hold my FAA sUAS remote pilot certificate, which I’ve utilized for site surveys and inspections, as well as marketing materials for business development. In my free time, I enjoy going camping with the family in small teardrop and vintage campers that I’ve either designed and built, or re-designed and re-built from the ground up – in AutoCAD and Revit first, of course. I’m very excited to be joining the CRA team, and look forward to seeing where this next adventure leads.”
Nicole: Nicole is joining us with over 10 years of commercial and multifamily experience with projects completed throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. She earned her Masters in Architecture with a minor in urban planning at Northeastern University, is a registered architect in the state of Massachusetts, and is LEED BD+C certified. She has spent the last 7 years working for BCT Design Group in Baltimore where her notable projects included the design and construction of a new facility for Lexington Market – Baltimore City’s largest public market, and the design and construction of a 167 unit, high rise apartment complex in Bethesda MD. Nicole relocated to Mechanicsburg 3 years ago for her husband’s job and has been working remotely since. She is incredibly excited to join the office in person and to work on projects that will impact her local communities.
Outside of the office Nicole is kept very busy by her 2-year old toddler Caleb who she describes as a “cannonball” and their 7 year old lab mix Odin who enjoys napping on the softest place he can find in any given room. Her family is often found taking advantage of the outdoor space at Evergain Brewery for dinner on a Friday evening or at a playground on a weekend morning, large iced coffee in hand no matter the season. Nicole is a “Jersey girl” and will find any excuse to make the trip back out to the Jersey shore just for the weekend.
Raina: Raina has over four years of experience in both commercial and residential architecture and has contributed to a variety of projects in the U.S. and New Zealand. Raina earned her degree in Architectural Technology in New Zealand and continued her studies in Architecture at Harrisburg Area Community College. Most recently, she spent 2.5 years working with a local firm here in Harrisburg. Originally from India, Raina has lived on three continents, moving to New Zealand in 2010 and then to the U.S. in 2022. Her love of travel and diverse experiences inspire a thoughtful, global perspective in her work. Raina is very excited to grow with the team and contribute to projects that support and uplift the local community.
