The Board of Directors and the entire WBRC team mourn the unexpected passing of Douglas W. Whitney, AIA. Doug was our former President & CEO and a leader whose contributions to our firm are immeasurable. He passed away on Monday, August 11, 2025.
Doug’s WBRC career spanned more than 43 years, from his start in 1980 as a young Syracuse University graduate to his retirement at the close of 2023. He became a principal in 1989, led the firm as President/CEO from 2013 to 2022, and most recently served as Chair Emeritus of the Board of Directors.
Over the decades, Doug’s design leadership shaped schools, healthcare facilities, university buildings, senior living communities, retail stores, and civic landmarks. In 2002, he founded WBRC’s Florida branch in Lakewood Ranch, helping guide its growth into a respected practice that now works on projects in more than 20 states.
WBRC CEO Ray Bolduc reflects on Doug’s legacy, saying, “Doug Whitney’s leadership was foundational to WBRC’s modern era. His contributions, from iconic designs to establishing our practice in Florida, were a huge part of our ongoing success. He was also a wonderful human being; to know Doug was to love him. He was generous, positive, loyal, and full of creative energy. Doug has left an indelible mark on our company and the people who knew him.”
WBRC Board Chair Rob Frank, who worked with Doug for 37 years, remembers him as “a trusted business partner and an amazingly versatile architect. He had a great sense of humor and was a master at solving design problems. Doug’s high standards, quiet confidence, and generous spirit helped make WBRC what it is today.”
Florida Region Manager Laura Adcock, who has led our Lakewood Ranch office since Doug’s retirement, was mentored by him. “Doug saw potential in me before I saw it in myself. He taught our team how to see design decisions from all angles and modeled how to earn a client’s trust. The WBRC Florida office exists because of his adventurous spirit, and we are proud to honor his memory by continuing the work he loved so much.”
Doug’s design career was nearly evenly divided between Maine and Florida. Some of the signature buildings he designed during his years in Maine (1980-2001) include the Campus Center at the University of Maine at Presque Isle; the Irving Kagan Building at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center; Suzanne M. Smith Elementary School in Levant; and the Harold Alfond Student Center Addition at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine. Design projects during his time in Florida (2002-2023) include R.E. Crawford Headquarters in Sarasota, Tidewell Hospice House in Lakewood Ranch, and nine Inspired Living assisted living and memory care facilities in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.
A Syracuse University graduate, Doug also held a special connection to the University of Maine, where he was the first architect to be inducted into the Francis Crowe Society and later named an Honorary Alumnus.
Doug Whitney’s professional legacy will continue in the buildings he designed, the firm he strengthened, and the many people whose careers he influenced. He will be greatly missed.
