Appointment reflects HOK’s commitment to more inclusive leadership across the firm.
HOK has named Misty Yanko as its new chief financial officer. Yanko, who joined HOK in 2008 and served as corporate controller since 2013, is the first CFO in HOK’s history to be promoted from within the firm. Based in St. Louis, she fills the vacancy left by the retirement of Terry Paterni. Her appointment demonstrates HOK’s dedication to developing and rewarding in-house talent. Yanko also has joined the firm’s board of directors. Brooke Richars, previously assistant controller, takes over as controller.
Yanko’s promotion dovetails with HOK’s ongoing initiative to bolster diversity within its leadership team. She is one of three women in HOK’s C-Suite, joining Co-CEO Susan Klumpp Williams and Chief Legal Officer Lisa Green.
Women now comprise half of HOK’s employees and one-third of its board of directors. Earlier this year, the firm made other strides in making its leadership team more inclusive:
- Marti Stubblefield, another promotion from within, became director of HOK’s global human resources group. Since joining HOK in 1991, Stubblefield has been instrumental in enhancing employee benefits, including a flexible PTO program and the “Careers by Design” annual review process.
- Kimberly Dowdell assumed the role of director of strategic relationships. Her responsibilities include collaborating with the firm’s market and regional leaders to cultivate strategic alliances with clients, partners and stakeholders. Dowdell co-chairs HOK’s Diversity Advisory Council and helped found HOK Impact, its social responsibility arm.
- Ami Shah was named firmwide Health Education practice leader. As a veteran architect and lab planner, she has extensive experience assisting universities develop cutting-edge spaces for educating and training doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.
Other women in firmwide leadership roles include:
- Leslie Ashor, Director of Science + Technology
- Kristine Bishop Johnson, Director of Justice
- Julia Cooper, Director of Consulting
- Suzette Goldstein, Director of Planning
- Anica Landreneau, Director of Sustainable Design
- Shiva Mendez, Co-Chair of the Diversity Advisory Council
- Stephanie Miller, Director of Public Relations
- Emily Payne, Director of Experience Design
- Kay Sargent, Director of Workplace
- Elizabeth Van Derbeck, Director of Business Development for Science + Technology
“We want to recognize and promote talent, regardless of gender,” said Klumpp Williams. “These recent appointments signify HOK’s dedication to diversity and inclusion and clearly show that the firm is taking concrete actions to ensure diversity is a reality. As we strive toward our 2025 diversity goals, it’s clear that we’re not just setting benchmarks. We’re surpassing them and continually raising the bar.”