Vendor vs. Partner: What Superintendents Should Look For in a Design Firm

For most superintendents, a major facilities project is not an everyday occurrence. Indeed, they might spend years leading a district without ever overseeing a new school, a major renovation or a district-wide building program. 

Then, suddenly: They are expected to navigate design decisions, budgets, construction schedules, board politics, community engagement and countless other details….often while still doing everything else that comes with leading a school district.

That is why choosing a design firm for a building project should be about more than credentials, project lists, or even forward-thinking design acumen. Superintendents should instead look for a partner–someone who will work alongside of them every step of the way. Hear what SHP’s client relationship managers (and former superintendents!) have to say.

Showing up is the most important part. 

Partnership often reveals itself in small ways. It might be answering the phone at odd hours when an unexpected issue pops up, or checking in before an important board meeting. It could be waking up early or staying late to take part in meetings. That kind of responsiveness matters because facilities projects move quickly, and questions rarely arrive on a convenient schedule.

“When I was a superintendent at Circleville City Schools, I remember Charles Wiedemann (SHP’s client relationship manager at the time) would drive from the west side of Cincinnati to be at a meeting prior to 7:00 AM,” says Kirk McMahon, who recently retired from SHP as a client relationship manager. “That sort of dedication matters. We didn’t look at him as a vendor; we looked at him as a partner, just because he put in the effort to show up.” 

The takeaway? A strong partner does not disappear between formal meetings. They remain accessible and invested throughout the process.

They understand what’s going on behind the scenes.

Superintendents are rarely making facilities decisions in a vacuum. They’re working with board members with different priorities and communication styles. They are listening to teachers, parents and community members with pressing questions or concerns. Meanwhile, they’re grappling with the financial stressors, political considerations, and operational challenges that are happening behind the scenes.

A good design team understands those dynamics. That might mean helping prepare information differently for different board members, anticipating questions before a public presentation or simply recognizing when a superintendent needs another perspective before making a decision.

The strongest partners understand that designing the building is only part of the job. Helping leaders successfully navigate the process matters, too.

They create space for the “stupid questions.”

There really are no stupid questions during a facilities project—especially if it’s your first one. Architects, engineers and construction professionals work in this world every day, but most superintendents haven’t. A good partner understands that and works to bridge that gap. 

“SHP was our design firm when I was the superintendent at Sycamore, and we had a lot going on,” recalls Frank Forsthoefel, another client relationship manager at SHP. “We had four different buildings going up, a newly renovated stadium…it was just a lot to manage, especially because I had never been through this process before. Sometimes you just need a listening ear or someone to answer your most mundane, stupid questions. And for me, that was Charlie Jahnigen. He was our principal-in-charge, but he was also just an understanding, responsive partner. He was always there for me.”

The right design partner should do more than just create new facilities. They should be willing to explain acronyms, walk through unfamiliar processes and answer the question you are slightly embarrassed to ask. Most importantly, they should help you become more confident as the project progresses.

They can handle the curveballs.

Every project will encounter something unexpected: Budget shifts, board member concerns, unfavorable site conditions or scheduling issues. When these types of challenges arise, you want someone on your team who can roll with the punches and pivot with ease. 

“I like to tell potential clients, ‘When I was a client, SHP never met a curveball they couldn’t hit,’” says Kirk. “Whatever problem cropped up, they were able to solve it. Jeffrey Sackenheim (SHP’s president) was the principal-in-charge and sat on my side of the table as my architect, and never let any challenge or roadblock impact our project. That’s when I knew that he was a true partner.” 

The question is not whether challenges will happen; instead, it’s whether your team responds with flexibility, creativity and calm when they do. That may be one of the best measures of a true partnership. 

Who do you want sitting beside you?

Ultimately, the distinction between a vendor and a partner is pretty simple: A vendor provides a service, but a partner makes the effort to understand what you are trying to accomplish, helps you navigate the complexities of the process, and stays engaged and invested in the outcome. 

“Our partnership with superintendents and districts can be a number of things. It can be helping you in master planning, all the way to bond passage and campaign assistance, and getting the facilities up and running,” says Dan Leffingwell, who joined the SHP team as a client relationship manager in 2024. “But I think what people also want is an advocate in their corner. I recently spoke with one of our superintendents for about 45 minutes–five minutes of that conversation was about the facilities work, and the other 40 was answering questions, bouncing ideas off each other, and connecting him with other resources. At the end of the day, you don’t just want an architect, but a thought partner.” 

Selecting the right design firm for your upcoming facilities projects is an important decision, and factors like credentials, relevant experience and design skills are essential considerations. But superintendents should also ask themselves: When something unexpected happens, are these the people I want sitting beside me? At the end of the day, that answer may matter just as much as anything in the proposal.