We’re thrilled to welcome project manager Jason Blanks to the TowerPinkster team. Jason has consistently delivered transformative projects in the education sector through his experiences at national firms. His leadership skills and strategic vision have not only propelled his teams to success but also revolutionized the way K-12 students learn.

Jason’s ability to connect with stakeholders at all levels has fostered strong collaborations, resulting in innovative solutions that have positively impacted countless schools and students nationwide. Known for his meticulous attention to detail and tenacity in achieving goals, Jason is driven by his passion for transforming education.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your professional journey.

I was born and raised in and around Meridian, MS. My architecture degree is from Mississippi State University. I have spent most of my career in the educational architecture and design sector in the DFW metroplex. I have spent years as not only a project manager and director, but I have experience as a design architect, a project architect, and a construction administrator. I have a passion for public education and find it to be highly rewarding work, particularly after having the opportunity to design facilities where my children have both spent part of their academic careers and having the opportunity to design a facility that my wife taught in.

Q: Tell us about your experience working within K-12 schools and with K-12 education clients.

I have been involved in more than 100 public education facilities including elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, administrative facilities, transportation facilities, an array of athletic facilities including football and track stadiums (up to 7500 seats), weight rooms, multipurpose indoor activity centers, softball stadiums, baseball stadiums, and tennis facilities. I have a plethora of experience having served as a fine arts specialist for a period of my career. During this time, I had the opportunity to design fine arts centers for many school districts including music and theatrical performing arts centers seating thousands of attendees. As far as K-12 experience is concerned, I have been involved with projects of nearly every type as well as served in a variety of roles.

Q: We know one of the things you’re passionate about is mentorship. Why do you believe it is so important?

Design school has its role in the development of capable, free-thinking young architectural professionals. One of the things that it does not do is develop real-world-ready young architects. Those skills should and can only be learned by doing. Without mentors, the entire practice lacks a key component that is required to become a well-rounded, capable, and productive member of any design team. I believe it to be my role to serve as a mentor both on the project side and as a market sector leader. I have benefitted greatly from mentor-mentee relationships in the past and feel that it is important for my further development to continue to play a part in these relationships.

Q: Tell us about a favorite project you’ve worked on recently. What made it interesting?

My favorite project from the last decade is Denton Independent School District’s Ryan High School Fine Arts Center. I began as the design architect for this project, at completion of the design phase I took over the responsibility of the project architect, and after the construction documents phase, I became the senior project manager. I know this was/is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be the nearly singular vision for a project. The opportunity to play this role with the wonderful district administration, teachers, and stakeholders was the greatest learning experience of my life and one that I will always hold close to my heart. Also… it never hurts that the project ended up incredible.

Q: Why are you excited about joining the TowerPinkster team?

I am excited about the learning opportunity that TowerPinkster has afforded me and the opportunity to help lead the K-12 market. I also am excited about being able to bring my experience to a new part of the United States. I hope that my varied experience will bring a new dimension to the team and provide an advantage over our competitors.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I most enjoy spending time with my family. I enjoy playing golf and attending collegiate sporting events. I am a huge basketball and baseball fan, being a supporter of my Mississippi State Bulldogs in both sports. I also enjoy reading and my favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Haruki Murakami, and Cormac McCarthy.