Today we’d like to introduce you to Drew Goodman.
Drew, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Design from Arizona State University, I moved to Chicago and began my career with ISD—an organization widely respected in the industry. I was fortunate to work under Mel Hamilton and alongside talented architects, experiences that helped shape how I think about both design and project management.
Later, I relocated to Los Angeles to support the Team Disney project and help get it back on track. Taking on additional management responsibilities earlier than planned was challenging, but it also helped prepare me for larger and more complex assignments in the years that followed.
Some of my early published work included projects for Leo Burnett and the Team Disney building, among others. I then joined Gensler in Los Angeles, moved with the firm to San Francisco, and was later asked to return to Chicago to help open their office.
Throughout my career, I’ve held roles such as Vice President and Director of Interiors for Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum in both San Francisco and Seattle; Managing Director of CB Richard Ellis’s Project Management Group for the Western Region; and Market Lead for Jones Lang LaSalle, where I supported the establishment of offices in Phoenix and Las Vegas.
In 2001, I co-founded Cole Project Management in San Francisco. In 2004, when we relocated our headquarters to Phoenix, we rebranded the firm as Alliance Project Advisors.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. Early in my career, I was given opportunities that were typically reserved for more senior staff, and that didn’t always land well with everyone. I cared deeply about how people viewed my work, and that resentment—and the feedback that came with it—was difficult to navigate.
As a younger professional, I also found it challenging to be open about my uncertainties. I didn’t feel like I could easily share insecurities or ask for guidance, even when I needed it. Over time, I matured in my career and moved more fully into a collaborative, team-based approach. It wasn’t perfect, and there were moments when things didn’t work out, but I learned to focus on my responsibility as a leader and not let other people’s imperfections determine how I manage.
If I had to name one of the most consistent challenges, it would be staffing. There just isn’t enough time—internally, and in the day-to-day reality of the work—to address every issue. And when staffing challenges take up too much bandwidth, it inevitably pulls attention away from what should always be the priority: serving our clients.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Alliance Project Advisors?
Alliance Project Advisors provides project and construction management for corporate clients. We also offer a range of consulting services across corporate real estate, facilities management, and move management—always with the same goal in mind: helping clients manage their design and construction initiatives as clearly and effectively as possible.
Because we focus on this work as our only mission, we’re able to evaluate options objectively and recommend solutions that are genuinely aligned with our clients’ best interests. Our approach is outcomes-driven, and clients can generally expect:
• Experienced consulting for their project needs
• Projects managed toward the goals and objectives we define together
• Scalable services that flex as requirements change
• Proactive attention to schedule and budget
• The right team—tailored to the specific project—so the work is set up for success
We also believe that even the smallest task is an opportunity to strengthen trust and build a long-term relationship. With that in mind, we offer a flexible, scalable menu of services so clients can choose what they need and skip what they don’t. Depending on the project, our scope may include:
• Strategic Planning
• Value Engineering
• Broker Selection & Interface
• Permit Expediting
• Suitability
• Contractor Selection
• Lease Negotiation
• Construction Management
• Site Selection
• Vendor Coordination
• Consolidation and Restack
• FF&E Management
• Design Coordination
• Tele/Data Coordination
• Contract Administration
• Move Management
What we’re most proud of is our people and the level of care we bring to each engagement. We strive to be tough but fair, and that reputation is something we value—because it’s reflected in the way we continue to be recommended by clients, consultants, and contractors.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I didn’t exactly have a typical childhood, and I’m often surprised it was my favorite memory—but it truly is. When I was about six or seven, my father—who was a medic for the CIA—brought our family to Pakse, Laos during the Vietnam War.
We didn’t have the comforts many kids in the U.S. had—no TV, no playgrounds. But we did have other children from neighboring families, and we played together in our compound, making our own version of normal.
What I remember most, though, is the night we were bombed and evacuated out of the compound to safer ground, and later onward to Bangkok. It was frightening and unforgettable, and it still stands out to me as the most vivid—though clearly most unusual—part of my childhood.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alliance-pa.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=alliance%20project%20advisors
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alliance-project-advisors/
