Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Grunninger Bonney.
Hi Courtney, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My career has not followed a straight path, but my love for architecture and cities has been a constant. It’s the thing that has been at the center of my work and the heart of everthing I’ve done.
I majored in architecture in college, but my third year of the program it because clear to me that while I loved the design aspect of architecture, what I was really interested in was the collective power of architecture – how cities shaped the way that people interact and engage with one another to build community. That led me to pursue a Master in Community Planning, studying at Auburn’s Urban Studio in Birmingham, AL focusing on revitalization plans for small towns in Alabama. The time I spent there really helped build the foundation for a lot of my professional work for the next decade.
After graduation, I joined a regional planning commission in Columbus, Georgia, serving a 16 county region in western Georgia. There I was able to work on a ton of different projects including grants, revitalization plans, comprehensive plans, and charrette trainings. Through this work, I was more and more involved with historic buildings and downtowns, and the role they play. I decided to go back to school, and earned a PhD from Clemson University that focused on the intersection of preservation, real estate development, and place attachment. I did all of my dissertation research here in Savannah, since it’s a perfect case study to be able to see those elements all come together, so I was absolutley thrilled when the opportunity to move here came along. My husband and I made Savannah our permanent home in 2017, and plan to be here forever!
I spent almost a decade in academics, and taught at Clemson (while finishing my degree), then at FSU as a visiting assistant professor in the planning department, and finally with SCAD in historic preservation. While I really enjoyed teaching and the research portions of academics, after the pandemic, we decided that the timing was right for us to venture out on our own. We had been musing about the idea of starting a business together since we were undergrads, and we finally felt like we had the experience and the right opportunities to make it happen. That was in 2021, and we have been dedicated to our business ever since!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Yes and no. Some things I have worked on and been a part of just seemed to come together naturally and really click, and that is always so amazing. But naturally, for those moments to happen there are usually pretty challenging moments in between, or hurdles that stand in the way of executing things. For me, the biggest challenge was to not be afraid to make a change or try something new when I was feeling stuck. In a lot of ways, the evolution of my career has been a shift in perspective – my goals and focus have stayed consistent, but the way that I am working to achieve those goals and engage with the community is different.
I’ve also been really fortunate that in both my early planning career and my time in academics, I had really amazing mentors that helped shape my career. They helped me in all the ways that a great mentor does – providing insight into issues and guidance as I learned more about the field, but more importantly for me, they really modeled the type of professional and mentor that I wanted to be as I advanced more in my own career.
As you know, we’re big fans of Rhowe Design + Build, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My husband, James, and I launched our business in 2021. We named it after our sons Rhodes and Westley, although we’ve added another boy to the mix since then! As we were setting off on our own, we saw a need in the market for a construction firm that focused on commercial construction and tenant improvements. Between James and myself, we have an extensive background in the design/construction process, so that makes us unique in that we can help our clients navigate all the stages of construction – from an initial concept/idea for a project to realizing a fully finished space.
When James and I were talking about going into business together, one of the biggest decisions was deciding what each of our roles would be. Since I am more of a long-term and strategic planner, it made more sense for me to lead the company as a whole, while James focused specifically on the operations side. Based on that, we are a woman-owned business, and designated with both the City of Savannah (M/WBE) and at the national level (WBE).
Another thing that has been great about starting our own business is the ability to shape our company’s values and ethos. We want to build our business through strong relationships with our clients, partners, and subcontractors. A big part of this industry is built on trust and mutual respect for the various roles that architects, contractors, subcontractors, and municipalities play in getting projects completed. We currently work with a great team, and it’s that collaborative environment results in amazing projects at the end of the day.
What are your plans for the future?
Right now we are focused on continuing to grow our business. We started on exclusively doing tenant improvements, but we’ve since added a division to our business focused on historic preservation and rehabilitation projects in the downtown area. We are also actively seeking to bid on more projects with local governements. A big part of our growth is getting to know new partners and clients and build those relationships, so it’s been busy but also a really exciting time. We are so grateful for the opportunity to tell y’all about ourselves, and are really excited to see what the future brings!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rhowedb.com
- Instagram: rhowe_designbuild
