WHAT WE DO
School Facility Consultants (SFC) has assisted its clients in all aspects of school facility funding and planning since 1986. We have worked with clients to realize over two billion dollars in school facility funding including new construction, modernization, and renovation projects. Our knowledgeable staff understands the intricacies of the planning and funding process in California, including the procedures and requirements of the California Department of Education (CDE), Office of Public School Construction (OPSC), Department of the State Architect (DSA) and Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).
HOW WE WORK
At SFC, we offer a full-range of comprehensive services and work closely with clients to become a seamless extension of facility teams. Based in Sacramento, our consulting teams are active in the implementation, analysis, and monitoring of State programs and regulations. We have developed strong working relationships with state agency staff members and bring a deep understanding of facility planning to each of our clients projects.
SFC's team structure provides its clients with reliability, accessibility and a broad knowledge base. The SFC partners maintain direct involvement with clients through regular communications with the consulting teams which maintains strong connections between consultants and clients. A Senior Consultant serves as the primary client liaison and manager of each client's project issues. Additional consulting staff is available on the team to provide additional support, research, and production of work product. Team Leaders manage workload and troubleshoot potential issues for the team. The team approach ensures that a consultant is always available to provide immediate assistance to clients. By working collaboratively, our consulting team members contribute their individual expertise toward an extensive and comprehensive knowledge base that addresses the unique needs of individual clients.
SFC was built upon its strong values, culture, and work ethic. These qualities make for a highly effective and successful work environment for its staff, promoting teamwork and providing valuable opportunities for individual employee growth potential. This positive environment encourages productivity, and allows for the highest level of service for its clients.
WHO WE ARE
Our competent, professional staff includes former school district, State agency and private sector business employees dedicated to helping school districts acquire maximum facilities funding. With decades of combined experience in a wide range of school facility issues, we at School Facility Consultants are committed to integrity, professionalism and excellence in all that we do. We comprise a diverse group of motivated individuals guided by the shared endeavor of applying analysis and strategy to achieve concrete results for our clients.
MEET THE PARTNERS
ALEXANDER R. MURDOCH
PRESIDENT/PARTNER
Alex Murdoch has worked in the school facility industry for over twenty years providing consulting services for clients in all areas of school facility planning and funding. As President and Partner of School Facility Consultants, Alex applies sophisticated methodologies to the facility funding and planning process resulting in the successful, timely delivery of innovative and complex projects.
As an industry leader, Alex is credited with a number of significant accomplishments including innovative planning that resulted in funding for a school district's reuse of commercial property for educational and economic revitalization purposes, being first to secure a lease/lease-back funding guarantee from the Office of Public School Construction for a school district and being first to receive special, legislated funding for a school districts multi-story replacement project.
In his work representing our client's interests, Alex has crafted dozens of successful appeals to the State Allocation Board, brought numerous special items before the State Allocation Board and has crafted successful statewide bond provisions. Alex's expert understanding of California Ed code and School Facility Program regulations has resulted in millions of dollars of funding for California school districts.
In these capacities, Alex applies a nuanced approach to the political intricacies of the allocation of school facilities funding. As School Facility Consultants' representative to Californians for School Facilities, Alex works to increase the Federal commitment to California school facilities. He specializes in identifying statewide policy trends which are beneficial to the firm's clients. As an appointed member of statewide committees, Office of Public School Construction's Ad Hoc Committee in 2007 and the Coalition for Adequate School Housing's Grant Adequacy Committee in 1999, Alex has been instrumental in contributing to changes in regulations and legislation that benefit schools in California today.
Additionally, Alex expanded SFC's services beyond K-12 to community colleges, eventually establishing Community College Services Group (CCS Group) in 1998 as the preeminent community college consulting firm in the state of California. Most recently, Alex partnered in the creation of ALMA strategies, an affiliate of School Facility Consultants, in order to better meet client needs. ALMA Strategies provides construction planning, financial planning, real estate asset management, energy/solar consulting, and educational specifications that expand on the services provided by School Facility Consultants. Alex Murdoch is also a managing partner of the advocacy and association management firm of Murdoch, Walrath and Holmes.
MATTHEW A. PETTLER
VICE PRESIDENT/PARTNER
Matt Pettler has been with School Facility Consultants (SFC) for over twenty years. He became a Principal and Partner in the Firm in January of 2007, and today serves as Vice President. Matt has assisted hundreds of Districts receive billions of dollars in capital outlay funding for public school facilities in California. Matt specializes in managing client projects in all areas of the State School Facility Program as well as leading developer fee mitigation and District Facility Master Planning efforts.
During his time with SFC, Matt has prepared developer fee justification documents and successfully worked with the Building Industry Association (BIA) to secure millions of dollars needed to offset the impact of new residential development. He has led master planning teams in a number of school districts, allowing those districts to plan and execute successful bond elections and construct needed facilities for students.
Additionally, Matt has played a key role in multiple successful school district appeals before the State Allocation Board gaining over $600 million dollars in Financial Hardship, Overcrowding Relief Grant and Facility Hardship funding. Matt has also assisted many school districts with complex audit/closeout issues reaching successful outcomes, avoiding Material Inaccuracy penalties.
Through these successes Matt has established relationships with State Allocation Board members, their staff and State Agency leadership.
Prior to joining SFC, Matt was employed in the office of Los Angeles Mayor Richard J. Riordan gaining valuable knowledge of State Education Policy issues.
Matt is a graduate of UCLA with degrees in Political Science and Public Policy.
