Meet the ALEP-Certified Planners Guiding School Districts Through Complex Facility Decisions
Great schools don't happen by accident. They're the result of careful planning, deep expertise, and a clear understanding of how space shapes learning. For those leading a district through facility master planning or evaluating architecture partners for a multi-year campus vision, you need a team that understands what's at stake—and brings the credentials to back it up.
School leaders investing master planning face real pressure: tight budgets, evolving educational models, community expectations, and the knowledge that these decisions will shape student experiences for decades. The right master planning partner helps you navigate those constraints without compromising on what matters most.
Two members of Cuningham’s educational design team—Jackie Squires and Allison Mastel—hold the Accredited Learning Environment Planner (ALEP) designation from A4LE, a credential that recognizes demonstrated expertise in planning, designing, equipping, and maintaining effective learning environments. It's a distinction earned through rigorous examination and real-world application, and it signals the kind of disciplined, evidence-based approach that complex school projects demand.
Learn more about Jackie and Allison below and see how their planning expertise can help your district move from vision to reality.
Jackie Squires, AIA, NCARB, ALEP, LEED AP
Associate Principal, Market Leader - Education | Denver
Jackie has spent more than 18 years working at the intersection of community and design in educational settings. Her experience spans both K–12 and higher education, where she demonstrates a real talent for bringing diverse stakeholders to the table and moving them toward alignment.
That skill matters more than most clients expect. Master planning is as much a facilitation challenge as a design challenge. Jackie's approach — grounded in open communication, clear organization, and active day-to-day leadership — keeps projects moving forward without unnecessary friction. Because she guides decisions with attention to aesthetics, longevity, and cost, the plans she helps create are not just inspiring, but feasible, fundable, and buildable. Jackie is also a member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of A4LE and has served as chapter president.
Allison Mastel, AIA, NCARB, ALEP, LEED Green Associate
Minneapolis
Allison brings over a decade of experience in K–12 and higher education design to every project she manages. As a project manager and an ALEP, she serves as a consistent resource for clients from first conversation to opening day — helping districts navigate educational visioning, community engagement, and facility planning at any scale.
Her approach is collaborative by nature: she works closely with partners to understand how they want their spaces to support teaching and learning, then helps translate that vision into a plan that's realistic and ready to build. That combination of planning expertise and project management discipline means her clients get clarity and input at every stage.
Planning with Purpose
Whether you're a school district thinking through a long-range facilities plan or a university navigating a complex renovation, having the right planning expertise in your corner makes the difference between a plan that sits on a shelf and one that actually gets built.
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