When Hoffman Planning, Design and Construction announced it hired a nun earlier this year it might have struck outsiders as unusual.
But hiring someone with expertise beyond construction or design is nothing new for Hoffman, according to President Sam Statz.
“It’s something we have been doing for a long time,” Statz says.
Statz says it reflects the company’s commitment to its clients and stems at least in part from Hoffman’s Total Project Management approach.
TPM, more widely known in the industry as integrated project management, was pioneered by founder Paul Hoffman more than 30 years ago when he coined the phrase, trademarked it and implemented it as a way of doing business for Hoffman.
As the approach has become widespread in construction, it has opened the door to adding people who might not traditionally be part of the industry as staff or consultants.
Statz says for some projects there can be sentimental, historical or religious concerns that need to be taken into consideration and having someone with experience such as a person with a religious vocation enables them to more clearly communicate with the client.
He says, for example, that a convent may realize it no longer needs the space it once did, but downsizing comes with costs. There also may be attachments to the existing spaces. Having someone such as Sr. Jane Herb or Sr. Nancy Conway can smooth difficult conversations and decisions, and bridge communication between the client and design staff.
Statz says they can find solutions that sometimes don’t require new construction.
That is why Nichole Schweitzer was brought on board to work with school districts.
Schweitzer, who was a school administrator in Shiocton and elsewhere during her 30-year career in education, can bring that experience to bear in ways that might allow a district to repurpose space or plan more efficiently, Statz says. That can help a public school district avoid a referendum or allow it to seek less funds from taxpayers.
Finding the right people for any position is difficult these days, according to Statz, but he adds, “We are in a business ripe with relationships.”
Hoffman has had more than 80 school projects and 60 religious institution projects in the last 30 years, so it has a well of contacts. Statz says Hoffman and its clients benefit from that deep contact list because it allows them to connect with additional expertise in a field or geographic market when needed.
In turn, Hoffman has been willing to share its expertise with representatives attending and presenting at the Resource Center for Religious Institutes National Conference, the company offering guides to school projects and contributing articles to industry publications.
At the LeadingAge Wisconsin 2025 Annual Conference & Exhibitors Forum, Hoffman led two sessions focused on the importance of planning and sustainability with both senior living campus and facility projects. At the Resource Center for Religious Institutes National Conference in Dallas, Henry Hundt (Hoffman sustainability leader) presented on cultivating faith in climate action through regenerative practices. Julie Heiberger (Hoffman senior project architect and owner), Mike Edwin (Hoffman senior consultant), and Sister Jane Herb, IHM (Hoffman facilitation & engagementspecialist) discussed the importance of leadership advising and operational assessments in strengthening communities through strategic guidance.
In addition, Heiberger, who also serves as Hoffman’s religious and senior living markets leader, was recently elected to the board of directors for Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments), a leading association in the senior living industry.
“I’m truly honored to join the Board of Directors of SAGE, a nationally recognized leader in senior care,” said Heiberger. “SAGE’s commitment to dignity, innovation, and compassionate support for older adults and their living environments reflects values I care about deeply. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to their important work and to collaborate with such dedicated leaders who are shaping the future of aging and aging environments in our communities.”
