Douglas W. Whitney, AIA, longtime WBRC principal, prolific architect, and founder of the
company’s Florida branch, has officially retired as of December 31, 2023.
Doug Whitney’s leadership spans more than 43 years at WBRC. This includes leading the firm as its President/CEO from 2013-2022 and now serving as Chair Emeritus of the Board of Directors.
In 1980, Doug joined what was then WBDR – Webster Baldwin Day & Rohman after graduating from Syracuse University. He became a firm principal in 1989. By then he had already designed many iconic buildings across Maine, from schools to condominiums to healthcare facilities.
In 2002, Doug initiated the creation of the company’s Florida branch in Lakewood Ranch, a privately-owned community near Bradenton and Sarasota. Lakewood Ranch has become one of the fastest-growing master planned communities in the United States. Over the past two decades, he and his team have been part of the region’s impressive growth, through projects for commercial, retail, healthcare, and senior living clients. Under Doug’s watch, the company’s reach grew exponentially, with projects now spanning more than 20 states.
Clients that benefited from Doug’s design and project management skills during his Maine years include the U.S. Postal Service, Hannaford Supermarkets, University of Maine System, and Northern Light Health. During his time in Florida, repeat clients include Universal Health Services (UHS), Bealls Inc., Verizon Wireless, Plymouth Harbor by Sarasota Bay, Validus, and Lakewood Ranch Realty. Doug was a longtime leader of CSI Florida’s Sun-Coast Chapter and a member of the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange (GCBX).
While Doug is a loyal Syracuse Orangeman, he also counts the University of Maine as an important part of his legacy. Several Whitney family members are UMaine graduates, including his father, Wilbert. In 2015, Doug and his father were inducted into UMaine’s Francis Crowe Society for engineering excellence. Doug is the first architect to be given this honor. Four years later, Doug was named a University of Maine Honorary Alumnus in recognition of his service to Maine.
“All of us on the ownership team are extremely grateful for Doug’s leadership over his amazing career,” says WBRC CEO Ray Bolduc. “His contributions to our legacy are beyond measure.”
“The best way for us to say thank you is to continue to hold up the high standards that he exhibited throughout his career,” Ray says. “On behalf of our entire team, past and present, here’s wishing Doug Whitney a happy, healthy new chapter full of creativity and adventure.”
To learn more about Doug Whitney, read this informative retrospective of his career by Liz Ramos, published in the East County Observer.