CSI Blog

Here's the elephant in the room: You’ve built a solid career in design and construction, you’re skilled, experienced, and genuinely love what you do. So why don't you have a CSI Certification? At every AECO event, I meet experienced architects, product reps, construction administrators, and spec writers. All talented professionals who still haven’t taken advantage of CSI’s certification programs. Here's what I keep hearing: "I've been doing this for 20 years without it" "My company won't pay for it" "Nobody's ever asked me about certifications" "I'm too busy with actual work" I get it, those are valid reasons. But ...

CSI is built on people who are curious, collaborative, and committed to doing great work. In this new member Q&A, we’re introducing one of the newest faces in the CSI community and sharing why he joined and how CSI membership is helping him grow. Meet Andrew Ittes of Exterior Product Solutions. How did you become a professional in the AECO industry, and do you have any specific projects you have worked on or are working on that you would like to share? My career in the construction industry began at an early age through my family’s business, which specialized in distributing sealants, coatings, and waterproofing materials. ...

This year, CSI welcomed Randall Lewis, FCSI, to the 2025 College of Fellows. Lewis is a principal at JH&H Architects in Jackson, Mississippi. He is one of only four distinguished professionals in the architecture, engineering, construction, and owner (AECO) industry named to the 2025 class. Lewis was nominated through a rigorous application process and then selected by the Jury of Fellows for membership, one of the top honors awarded by the CSI. What does being a member of the 2025 College of Fellows honorees mean to you? My work professionally and in CSI has often been in the background. It is the way I am wired, and I ...

This year, CSI welcomed Tom Lanzelotti to the CSI College of Fellows. Lanzelotti—FCSI, CDT®, and Director from Northeast Region—is one of only four distinguished professionals in the architecture, engineering, construction, and owner (AECO) industry named to the 2025 class. He was nominated through a rigorous application process, then elected by the Jury of Fellows for membership, one of the top honors given by CSI. Lanzelotti was born and raised on Long Island, NY, and attended The Ohio State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Master of Architecture. He is a Principal at Gensler. What does ...

This year, CSI welcomed Charles Hendricks, FCSI, CDT ® , to the 2025 College of Fellows. Hendricks is a partner at The Gaines Group Architects in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He is one of only four distinguished professionals in the architecture, engineering, construction, and owner (AECO) industry named to the 2025 class. Hendricks was nominated through a rigorous application process, then elected by the Jury of Fellows for membership, one of the top honors given by CSI. Hendricks is a CDT ® advocate and has held positions at the chapter, region, and national levels of CSI. He served two years on the CSI Middle Atlantic Region Board of ...

This year, CSI welcomed Cam Featherstonhaugh IV to the College of Fellows. Featherstonhaugh—FCSI, Lifetime Member, and former National Board Chair—is one of only four distinguished professionals in the architecture, engineering, construction, and owner (AECO) industry named to the 2025 class. Featherstone was nominated through a rigorous application process, then elected by the Jury of Fellows for membership, one of the top honors given by CSI. Featherstonhaugh is a licensed architect in Vermont and holds a Master of Architecture from Norwich University. As a senior associate and leader of the K-12 Education Studio at TruexCullins, ...

This year, during the 2025 CSI National Conference, CSI gave special recognition to Nick Franjic, Executive Director of Construction Specifications Canada (CSC), who was named an Honorary Member of CSI. Honorary Membership is considered to be the most prestigious honor of the Construction Specifications Institute. It is conferred on individuals who have performed distinguished services to the construction industry in fields of activity related to the purposes of CSI. CSI Board Chair William Sundquist, FCSI, said, “Nick’s three decades of leadership have shaped collaborations across North America and elevated both CSC and CSI. Nick's vision ...

If you've ever spent more than five minutes on LinkedIn , or gotten an email from someone's work account, you've probably noticed the prevalence of people adding credentials (all those capital letters) after their names. It's easy to feel like everyone else has their professional development figured out while you're still trying to understand what all those letters even mean. You start wondering if you should be collecting capital letters after your name, just to keep up with your peers. But before you start throwing money around, let's talk about whether getting more credentials is even for you. Investing in Yourself First ...

For James Lawless, working in construction has meant seeing projects from both sides—first as a general contractor intern, then as a mechanical engineer on the design team. Along the way, he discovered a key truth: high-quality construction documents can make or break a project. That insight led James to pursue CSI’s Construction Documents Technologist (CDT ® ) certification in spring 2025. In this Q&A, he shares why understanding the full process of writing, interpreting, and managing construction documents matters so much, how he prepared for the exam, and the biggest lesson he learned: that preventing problems is always better than fixing ...