New University Architect Contributes to 1,000 Projects and Counting

"My grandfather owned a construction company and designed his own buildings," Hunter said. "So, I would sit next to him – on the table, actually – and draw with him. That ended up morphing into me helping my dad design some of his restaurants that he ran."

Those interactions put Hunter on a path to become the director of facilities planning and chief university architect at the University of Mississippi.

"With nearly two decades of experience, Chad brings a broad range of expertise in planning, design, engineering and construction," said Chancellor Glenn Boyce. "With his vision and steadfast leadership, I look forward to how he will direct the physical planning of our university and guide our development and growth.

"Chad will serve as a steward for the campus ensuring that we continue to thoughtfully meet the needs of students, faculty, staff and visitors."

Hunter, who joined the UM staff in 2006, said he's been fortunate to play an integral role in the development and growth of the university campus, but also in the Department of Facilities Planning.

"I've had the opportunity to work on and lead design and planning projects that range from small classroom renovations to bell towers to $175 million science buildings," he said. "There aren't many design positions in our professional world that get to work on such a wide variety of projects.

"It's one of the things I find most exciting on a day-to-day basis here at the university. It truly keeps everything interesting."

As he approaches two decades at Ole Miss, Hunter has contributed to some 1,000 projects – and counting.

"We currently have approximately 150 active projects right now," he said. "The science building is a large one, but coming down the line, we're looking at a new student housing building with 981 beds, parking solutions, and we're about to begin a deep dive into our research and laboratory facilities master plan.

"Another big one that's under construction right now is our data center, which shows the university's commitment to not only university growth, but also university innovation."

Hunter said one of his most meaningful projects to date is the Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation.

"I did the very first project budget for a science building in 2012," he said. "I did a tremendous amount of research on it and was a co-chair of the planning and programming committee when we started planning this project.

"We've gone through a lot of variations of designs, and to see it being constructed and to soon be finished here in the fall is very gratifying. It's exciting to see it come to fruition and be able to serve not only the university, but also the state of Mississippi."

Since his early years designing with his father and grandfather, Hunter continued to work in the construction and hospitality fields. Originally from New Orleans, he moved to Hattiesburg during high school. He received a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1997 from Mississippi State University's five-year program.

"After graduation, I worked back in Hattiesburg in private practice and then moved to north Mississippi and worked in Tupelo," he said. "I had about 10 and a half years in the private sector before coming to Ole Miss."

That work has contributed to Hunter's success at the university while working with staff who also have private sector experience.

"I'm extremely fortunate to work with this team," he said. "They have a tremendous amount of expertise and experience from work on campus, but also, they've all served in the private world. We run our office and treat our office as a professional design office. Each one of us has specialties in various groups, whether it be architecture, civil engineering, interior design.

"We all touch most of the projects in some way, shape or form, because we all draw from each other's experiences. It's just a testament to the professionalism and the knowledge of this team."

Brad Potts, UM architectural draftsman II, worked with Hunter at McCarty Architects in Tupelo before joining the facilities planning department in 2007. They've worked on several large projects together, such as the first phase of the Jackson Avenue Center construction.

"Chad knows construction inside and out," Potts said. "He is incredibly intelligent about the makeup of a building. I know that he has big plans that will give our department opportunities to step up."

Virginia Pence, assistant university architect, said she is "delighted with the outcome" of the director search.

"Chad is a wonderful leader," Pence said. "In addition to his expertise, it's his supportive and encouraging team approach that makes him so effective. His exceptional institutional knowledge is the bedrock of our department."

Looking forward, Hunter hopes to grow the department in order to continue to support critical construction projects on campus.

"It's always exciting to see as the university grows, where the various areas on campus grow, whether that's student recreation, student housing, athletics or research," he said. "By growing our team to support these needs, there's really no limit to what we can accomplish."