Willetta McCulloh | A Positive Impact By Design

Her business card says “Vice President and Director of Design,” but that only begins to tell the story of who Willetta McCulloh is to her co-workers at Environ—and to the community beyond. Ever since coming on board in 1995, “Wil” (as she’s known around the office) has striven to give all the projects and lives she’s touched the chance to be all they can be.

It’s a trait that Environ founder Alan Burks spotted when their paths first crossed in 1995. During the next year they partnered on several successful projects. Realizing that their personalities and skill sets were a natural fit, Alan offered her a stake in the company, which he founded three years earlier with a plan to make community service part of its mission. “Environ would not exist as it is today without Willetta,” he says. “She is an integral component of the Environ brand and ethos.”

Newsletter December 2017

As the year wraps up, we reflect on 2017 at Environ.

Environ turns 25! The firm opened its doors in 1992 by founder and President, Alan Burks. A few years later, he partnered with Willetta McCulloh, Vice President, and the two have been leading Environ ever since. We are grateful for this journey and look forward to Environ's future.

Mental Health America Breaks Ground

Pictured here are Environ's Senior Architect, Leticia Mimila and President Alan Burks, who have been leading the team on the Mental Health America project since its conceptual design in 2014. In September of this year, we attended the groundbreaking of the new facility located on Long Beach Boulevard, which is currently under construction. Above is the latest rendering of MHA.

A Decade for Aimee Mandala

Aimee Mandala celebrates 10 years at Environ! As Director of Operations, Aimee handles all aspects of keeping the office running smoothly. She is a LEED Accredited Professional through the US Green Business Council and a Certified Design Firm Administrator through the Society of Design Administration. To learn more about her career success, check out the "Hats Off to Aimee Mandala!" feature. 

In Process: Bixby Business Center

Plans are underway for the renovation of the exterior and lobby areas of the Bixby Business Center, located at the cross section of Atlantic Avenue and San Antonio Drive. Above are renderings of the proposed upgrades.

Let There Be Light: A Study in Safety

Environ's CityWorks division has partnered with Lighting Designer Oculus and Safety Consultant Guidepost Solutions to improve downtown Hermosa Beach through a process called CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design). The proposed changes will not only provide a safer environment, but also an enhanced aesthetic to the area. Click on the image below for the CityWorks slideshow.

Introducing: Michael Anthony Gentile

Environ is pleased to announce its latest addition, Interior Designer, Michael Anthony Gentile.  Michael is a creative designer with a diverse set of skills including project and design management for multi-component international hospitality projects. With a dynamic design approach and focus on design communication, Michael is recognized for award winning projects.

In addition to a Bachelor of Fine Arts from SLU, Michael is LEED AP, and a member of NEWH, The Hospitality Industry Network. Michael lives in Long Beach with his wife and three children. We are thrilled to have him on our team.

"Flexing" for the Camera

Our latest flex space design is for a security technology company, ECAM Secure. They provide state of the art surveillance products and services for a wide variety of clients. This year, ECAM Secure is combining multiple locations into one. The space will serve to function on many levels with the technical departments operating alongside the administrative teams. Shown in the rendering below are the executive offices and conference room, which will be housed in one of four separate mezzanines planned for the space.

Introducing: The ON Series by EnvirON

an educational and fun periodical - look for more issues in 2018. Click on image to enlarge.

Kebony recognizes Environ's Blog

Kudos to our marketing team! We were listed number 20 of the top 100 architectural blogs to follow: "Environ’s blog stands out by offering more than most with tips on workplace branding, culture preservation and more. The casual mood of the blog conveys information in an entertaining, yet very professional, manner. " Thanks Kebony! To follow us, click HERE.

Holiday Cheer!

In December, Environ's Willetta McCulloh hosted the Long Beach Rotary Club's "5 O'Clock Somewhere" event, complete with live music, a mashed potato bar by TGIS and wine from The Wine Country. We also enjoyed an office Pictionary competition and gift exchange. Click HERE for complete photo album.

Newsletter July 2017

WEBSITE UPGRADE Environ's website got a face-lift. We've added more projects, information on CityWorks, and recent portraits of staff. Check it out here: www.environarch.com. RESTORATION OF SEABORG HOUSE The City of South Gate has engaged Environ Architecture to assist in the restoration of the historical landmark known as Seaborg House. Its notable distinction is due to its famous resident Glenn T. Seaborg. Glenn Seaborg was a Nobel Prize winning Chemist, famous for the discovery of ten transuranium elements, including plutonium. He was a member of the Manhattan Project and is one of a few scientists joining Einstein and Fermi to have a periodic element named after him while still living (Seaborgium). He was a Professor at UC Berkeley, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and advised many of our country's Presidents on nuclear policy. Environ's Alan Burks and Leticia Mimila are working with City of South Gate's Paul Adams to coordinate the restoration of the significant building. The Seaborg House was moved from its original location on San Antonio to behind the South Gate Museum, where it has sat boarded up until now. It will be moved to a permanent site along Glenn T. Seaborg Way at the south side of City Hall, where it can be viewed and appreciated by the public.

Hats Off to Environ's Aimee Mandala!

Aimee Mandala sits below Environ's mission statement in the reception area of its downtown Long Beach office. It's an apt place for this eight-year employee, as she embraces the company's philosophy in everything she does as Environ's Director of Operations.


In college Aimee studied English and creative writing, never imagining she would end up in a position like the one she holds today. But coming from four generations of architects whose work stretches back to the 1800s, it seems unsurprising that Aimee wound up in the same field. 

As a child, she and her siblings tagged along to work with their father to his architectural office above the famed Bake 'n Broil in Bixby Knolls. It's a formative experience that took hold: her sister is an architect, while her brother is a BIM manager for a construction company. During college Aimee waited tables at Bake-N-Broil, and post-grad she worked for a prominent property management firm in Orange County, but found herself yearning for something more. In 2007, it clicked. Aimee's enthusiasm and excitement for the architectural profession was clear, and she decided she needed to be a part of it.  

Life Takes Shape, with Environ's Lety Mimila

July 18, 2015 marked the ten-year anniversary of Environ Senior Architect Leticia Mimila. To celebrate this milestone, we sat down with the tenured employee for a conversation about what makes her tick.

It all started with shapes. As a child, Lety was chosen to attend a special program for a select group of students who were bused across Long Beach to receive an advanced curriculum. In middle school she was inspired by an exercise in 3D. The more complex the shapes became, the more excitedly she welcomed the challenge. The final assignment was the design of a house, and her path to pursuing architecture was born.

Having grown up in an impoverished neighborhood, Lety struggled to fit in with her less ambitious peers. Sometimes she even found herself hiding her scholastic achievements from friends. This, however, did not keep her from staying the course to prove to certain elders that she would overcome the stereotype of a life that often results from a low-income, single-parent home. The low expectations that some adults in her life had only made her more determined to become the successful, independent woman she is today.