Meet Orlando’s new managing principal, who is ready to expand Hoefer Welker’s footprint to better serve central Florida clients
Hoefer Welker is proud to reintroduce Beth Hiltonen as the managing principal of our new Orlando office. Previously a healthcare practice leader in our Jacksonville office, Beth brings a wealth of knowledge and tenured experience to her new role.
We sat down with Beth to learn more about her career and the perspective she plans to bring to Hoefer Welker’s upcoming projects. Learn more about her story and the legacy she hopes to leave in central Florida.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I grew up in an Air Force family, so I’ve lived all over the U.S. and England. After attending Cornell University, I started my professional career in Dallas and later relocated to north Florida with my family in 2002.
I’ve had the opportunity to work on projects in Orlando for more than 23 years and now I’m pleased to call this community my home. I’m looking forward to becoming engaged in local organizations such as the Association of Medical Facility Professionals, International Interior Design Association and Women in Healthcare.
What excites you most about your new role as managing principal?
Opening an office in Orlando has allowed me to expand my network of design professionals in Orlando’s architectural and interior design community. I look forward to continuing to attract new talent to Hoefer Welker and expanding the firm’s footprint and overall impact throughout the region.
As managing principal, I am confident that we can replicate the success our Jacksonville office has achieved within the healthcare and commercial sectors and see great opportunities to design infrastructure in a variety of markets, including commercial, civic, higher education and more.
Ultimately, this role is about delivering solutions to our clients so that they’re adequately positioned to further service their communities. The most rewarding aspect of this process is becoming an extension of our clients and the work they do.
How do you envision applying your leadership expertise to the expanded responsibilities of this position?
My experience as the healthcare practice leader in Jacksonville involved a variety of leadership responsibilities, and my new position is a seamless next step in that leadership journey.
When I started with Trevor Lee, managing partner of our Jacksonville office, three years ago, the Jacksonville office only had eight team members. Since then, Trevor and I have tripled the size of our team. We’re proud of the extremely rewarding growth trajectory we’ve fostered and I’m eager to see continued growth across Florida.
How do you see Hoefer Welker’s impact within the central Florida community evolving over the next few years?
Similar to the successful model in our other offices across the nation, we aim to leverage our multidisciplinary team's expertise. When utilizing our integrated approach that includes our architecture, interior design and engineering disciplines, we avoid being siloed into our individual disciplines and markets. Our most successful projects are a result of close internal collaboration, an alignment that improves our client service.
What attracted Hoefer Welker to the Orlando market?
It’s no secret how quickly the Florida population is growing. Some of central Florida’s counties are among the fastest-growing in the nation and that means it needs infrastructure to support this rapid growth. We are excited to be part of the solution.
What are your primary goals for expanding the Orlando office’s portfolio and team?
Our firm is already having success in Orlando and my goal is to build on that momentum. There’s exciting potential with new commercial, higher education and civic projects in the near future.
There’s a sense of pride that comes with helping these projects become a reality. It’s also rewarding to take care of people in the community, whether that be in a hospital or an office building. This is what I love about the work. It’s something fundamentally satisfying about our profession.
What do you hope your legacy will be?
My hope is to create a legacy of trust in Hoefer Welker. We want the Central Florida community to feel confident that we’ll build an environment that suits their needs.
I also want to attract people to work, live and play in central Florida. It’s a dynamic, exciting place where everyone can find something they love.
If you could send one message to Hoefer Welker’s existing and potential clients about the impact you hope to have in the community, what would that be?
Hoefer Welker is undertaking this expansion to better serve our clients. It’s about their needs and it’s as simple as that.
