People

Wes Bridges is the founder and principal owner of CB Design Group, Inc., and serves as the firm’s president and chief executive officer. He is a talented, versatile architect with 23 years of experience in all phases of design and construction of complex public projects.

Commander Bridges is a dual warfare qualified CEC officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and a Service Disabled Veteran. He has been mobilized to active duty three times, having served in Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom (2005), Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom (2010), and Haiti for Joint Task Force Matthew (2016). He is currently serving as the Engineering Planning Officer for USEUCOM. He is committed to creating functional and inspiring spaces for his fellow veterans and their families and to providing excellent service to his clients, community, and country.

Ken Jones is a co-founder and original principal of CB Design Group.  Drawing on more than 30 years of experience designing complex health care, institutional and government projects, Ken manages the ongoing operations of the firm’s architectural studio.   He is committed to achieving the highest levels of design and production quality at CB Design Group.  Ken is a service-focused leader who strives to understand each client’s unique needs and requirements.  Through this understanding, Ken directs the firm’s efforts toward developing solutions that support each customer’s mission.

Warren Tennant oversees both the financial and marketing efforts of CB Design Group. He brings a strong foundation of 25 years in the investment and corporate world to the firm. He holds both a BBA and MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Prior to joining CB Design Group, Mr. Tennant spent 20 years in the investment management profession. He spent the majority of that time with Invesco Mutual Funds where he rose from analyst to portfolio manager during his 16-year tenure. His last position in investments was as a senior portfolio manager for the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the second-largest sovereign wealth fund in the world. Prior to his investment career, Mr. Tennant spent five years in finance at Exxon Corporation.

Russell Southard is responsible for overseeing and advising the design and technology efforts of CB Design Group. A graduate of the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell University, he has more than 10 years of design experience and has provided all phases of architecture for projects ranging from healthcare to public schools. 

As a former non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army National Guard, Sergeant Southard brings a great deal of knowledge and leadership to his work. In his eight years of military service, he deployed twice to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom (2005 and 2007). He is dedicated to the mission of creating inspiring projects for fellow veterans.

Matt Gachi is responsible for overseeing and advising the CB Design Group leadership team on various operations of the firm not technical in nature. A graduate of the Smeal College of Business at the Pennsylvania State University, he served as an enlisted sailor and an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

Lieutenant Gachi served in 2005 and 2010 in Operation Enduring Freedom. In Afghanistan, he served as the supply officer for a Naval Mobile Construction Battalion. Mr. Gachi completed the Navy’s supply and logistics school as its honor graduate in 2008. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® designation, and is a member of the advisory committee and former chairman of the board for Homes for the Brave, a community-based organization dedicated to providing housing, vocational training, life skills coaching, and more to veterans.

As a highly respected senior architect for the past 16 years, Avneesh Bajaj has successfully led and delivered complex projects to healthcare clients across the nation. As a LEED and EDAC certified professional, he has a keen insight for sustainable and evidence based innovative healthcare design. His passions lie in strengthening client relationships and delivering successful projects that inspire respect, pride, and commitment to the ­health and well-being of our veterans.

Claire O’Connor is an architect with nine years of diverse professional experience, including work on multiple award-winning civic projects in Houston, Texas; mixed-use multi-family and hospitality developments in the Bay Area; and a family home in Virginia. Passionate about reinvigorating existing buildings and delivering accessible design to people of all ages and abilities, she is grateful for this opportunity to serve veterans through architecture. Ms. O’Connor is a native of New Jersey and earned her BA and BArch from Rice University in Houston, Texas.

Demiko Richardson brings more than 20 years of architecture experience to CB Design Group, managing both public and private projects for healthcare facilities, K-12 schools, higher education facilities, and other public buildings from design through construction. Mr. Richardson earned his BArch from Florida A&M University.

Odette Leal is an Architectural Designer at CB Design Group, Inc. Her work experience includes multiple K-12, higher education, commercial and healthcare projects. She is proficient in Building Information Modeling (BIM) software. Odette is a talented designer dedicated to creating inspiring projects and improving the lives of veterans.

Jasmine Brown is a licensed architect with more than 5 years of experience on corporate commercial projects. She delights in making space for people and finds pleasure in others thriving in the spaces she helps creates.

Arnaud Longeau has over 25 years of professional healthcare experience. His responsibilities include facilitation of team member operations including management of planning, engineering, and estimating/scheduling. A recognized planner in his own right, and with a national background in both non-profit and for-profit health systems, he is proficient in all aspects of facility development. Arnaud is a creative, goal-oriented professional with a proven background in project coordination and construction documents.