Thoughts from the field

Eric Onick has a lot of fans. There are his VPCS colleagues, who appreciate how he can be counted on to step up and lend a hand, always bringing his wonderful sense of humor to his work. There’s also his brother, who still gets a kick out of being mistaken for him....

The design-build delivery model – in which a single contract covers both the design and construction for a project – is becoming increasingly common in our industry. Design-build does more than just streamline the process. It also enables a collaborative, integrated...

It’s February, which means it’s time for the annual conference of the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH). This year, our industry will come together February 23-26 at the convention center in beautiful Palm Springs, collectively honoring CASH at its 46th...

Nicholas Olsen is one of the newer members of Team VPCS, having joined us in October of 2024. And we’re so happy to have him, as he brings valuable facilities management experience from the district side. But Nick is so much more than a construction and program...

As the end-of-the-year holidays approach and we prepare to wrap up another trip around the sun, we want to pause and reflect on both the past and the future. This year has been a busy one at VPCS, as we’ve continued to expand our reach and bring our signature service...

It’s the gratitude season, which always reminds us to take a moment and reflect on all that we’re thankful for. At VPCS, we never take for granted how lucky we are to work with such wonderful people – that includes the good folks here at our own company as well as...

It's no secret that public schools are generally underfunded. That’s true around the country and it’s true right here in California. PreK-12 and community college districts throughout our state are always on the lookout for new funding sources to improve the...

At VPCS, we continue to enjoy steady, carefully managed growth as we approach our thirtieth year in business. Just a decade ago, we had ten active clients. Today, we’re supporting nearly 25 PreK-12 districts throughout California and boast an employee roster of more...

Our longtime friend and once-again member of Team VPCS Marty Militano has a lot of stories to tell – not just about the schools and hospitals he’s helped deliver in his remarkable career but also about what it was like to work and play with “the Van Pelt boys” back...

Green sensibilities are changing the design and construction industries, with new sustainable technologies and innovations getting introduced to project plans at a quickening pace. California schools are adapting to these shifts, driven in part by updated building...

We are so pleased to be ramping up in Redwood City, where we’re serving as both program and construction managers for work associated with Measure S, a $298 million bond passed in 2022 by voters in the Redwood City School District (RCSD). This sizeable effort will...

Mohammed Abu-Mhanna is so much more than a VPCS senior project manager. This multi-talented professional rounds things out with a valuable architectural perspective, international construction and design experience, and an affinity for a certain mode of two-wheeled...

In our industry, this is the season of CASH – the Coalition for Adequate School Housing – and its annual conference, an important event for anyone connected to the school facilities sector in California. We’re eagerly gearing up for another powerful few days of...

January always delivers an opportunity for fresh starts. At VPCS, we’re kicking off 2024 from our beautiful new headquarters, where we’re gearing up for another year of service to a growing list of California’s K-12 communities. Here are just a few things we’re...

The holiday season is here, bringing with it the simple joys of togetherness, reflection and gratitude. At VPCS, we believe one of the greatest gifts is the opportunity to work with and for a group of talented, dedicated people – and we couldn’t imagine better...

‘Tis the season for gratitude and we’ve got loads of it. Here, some of us share a few thoughts about what we’re thankful for and all that we have to look forward to. Everyone here at VPCS wishes our colleagues, family and friends a happy and healthy Thanksgiving....

The Pleasanton Unified School District (PUSD) serves more than 14,000 K-12 students across 16 campuses. And, since 2019, VPCS has proudly served PUSD. The relationship we’ve built over the years with this client exemplifies the close connection we typically make with...

Assistant Project Manager Felicia Silveira is one of the newest members of our company roster and is already proving herself to be an enormously valuable addition to Team Van Pelt. Beyond her professional skills, Felicia possesses a natural curiosity to learn – both...

Summertime is anything but lazy in the world of K-12 construction management. The weeks spanning the end of one school year and the start of the next tend to be the busiest for us. It’s when we kick things into high gear and tackle projects of every size without...

In 2024, Californians will vote on Assembly Bill (AB) 247, a statewide general obligation bond act that would provide $14 billion for construction and modernization of education facilities. Officially referred to as the Transitional Kindergarten Through Community...

When Senior Program Manager Kevin Little joined VPCS in 2020, he brought years of experience building, managing, operating and maintaining world-class facilities, including a stint with the Los Angeles public school system – the second largest district in the country....

We’re sweeping up the last of the literal and proverbial confetti following our extended 25th anniversary celebrations. (Technically, we opened our doors 27 years ago in 1996, but Covid interruptions got these festivities rolling a bit later than they otherwise would...