President Trump has nominated J. Brett Blanton to take over the position of Architect of the Capitol, and he’s expected to be confirmed after his one-on-one confirmation hearing last week, according to Roll Call. Blanton, whose current position is deputy vice president for engineering for the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority, has 25 years of facilities management and construction experience. He would replace a series of acting directors, after Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers, who held the position since 2007, retired in 2018.
The Architect of the Capitol is in charge of design, construction, maintenance and operations, and renovations for the 18.4 million square feet of buildings, including the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court, on Capitol Hill. Many consider the position to be the pinnacle of the facility management industry.
Blanton will face a series of challenges upon his confirmation, including a renovation to the Cannon House Office Building which is currently $100 million over budget. He’ll also have to confront a number of employee discrimination cases currently set to go to court.
This post was submitted by Greg Zimmerman, executive editor, Building Operating Management and FacilitiesNet.com. Read his cover story about Chris Walinski and his mission to make open offices flexible and productive.
