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 billions of 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).

Helping Schools Secure Funding & Build for the Future

SFC team at a conference talking with each other. Team: Matt, Kevin and Jared

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 is 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.

SFC team at a conference chatting and smiling. Team: Marnie and Sohni

Meet Our Staff

Alexander R. Murdoch

President/Partner

alex@s-f-c.org | 916-934-2919

Alexander's Bio

Alex Murdoch has worked in the school facility industry for over 30 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 that 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@s-f-c.org | 916-934-2948

Matthew's Bio

Matt Pettler has been with School Facility Consultants (SFC) for over 25 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 $750600 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.

Marnie Rosenstein

Director

marnie@s-f-c.org | 916-934-2965

Marnie's Bio

Ms. Rosenstein assists school districts in operating successful school building programs by implementing and streamlining processes, maximizing funding opportunities and addressing unique school facilities challenges utilizing her school district experience. Her attention to detail and exceptional analytical skills allow her to work creatively with her team to develop customized planning and funding strategies for school districts.

Prior to joining School Facility Consultants, Ms. Rosenstein was employed by the Elk Grove Unified School District for over 17 years, where she was responsible for a wide variety of activities including: coordination with state agencies and preparation of documentation for funding approval; school site selection, approval, and acquisition; student enrollment projections; school attendance boundary studies; and administration of developer fee and local Mello-Roos tax programs. Ms. Rosenstein is also well experienced in the areas of educational specifications, master plan development, and California Environmental Quality Act documentation.

Ms. Rosenstein is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science Degree in City and Regional Planning.

Kevin Sullivan

Planning Services Director

kevin@s-f-c.org | 916-934-2953

Kevin's Bio

For more than 20 years Mr. Sullivan has worked to ensure that clients receive the maximum possible funding for their new construction and modernization projects by applying thorough analysis of each client’s individual facility planning needs. Mr. Sullivan ensures that all necessary eligibility studies are conducted and applications submitted on time. Mr. Sullivan excels at researching all aspects of facilities funding at state and federal levels. His areas of expertise include Facility Hardship / Special Appeals, Joint-Use, Overcrowding Relief Grant (ORG), AB 801, Career Technical Education (CTE), Financial Hardship, Deferred Maintenance and State Funding Master Planning.

As Director of School Facility Consultants’ Planning Division, Mr. Sullivan works with clients on Master Planning and strategies for the mitigation of new residential and commercial/industrial development. Mr. Sullivan has assisted numerous school districts with Master Planning services, including capacity, demographic and student generation analyses. Regarding future development, Mr. Sullivan prepares and coordinates the preparation of School Facility Needs Analyses (Level II/III Fees), School Facility Fee Justification Reports (Level I Fees), as well as assisting clients in negotiations with developers regarding impact mitigation measures. Over the past 21 years Mr. Sullivan has been involved in the preparation of hundreds of fee justification reports resulting in the collection of millions of dollars in mitigation payments by client school districts.

Prior to joining SFC, Mr. Sullivan managed special events and security services for the UC Davis Police Department.

Mr. Sullivan is a graduate of the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Managerial Economics.

Laura Moffett

Senior Consultant

laura@s-f-c.org | 916-934-2963

Laura's Bio

Ms. Moffett assists clients in obtaining the maximum funding available for projects by reviewing all potential funding mechanisms administered by the State Allocation Board including the Career Technical Education Facilities program, Overcrowding Relief Grant program, Emergency Repair program and Facility Hardship program. Ms. Moffett thoroughly reviews each district’s eligibility in these programs and assists districts in all aspects of the application process. Ms. Moffett’s 20+ years of experience with the firm affords her extensive insight into the School Facility Program.

Ms. Moffett is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology.

Kateryna Csengeri

Senior Consultant

kateryna@s-f-c.org | 916-934-2982

Kateryna's Bio

Ms. Csengeri provides assistance in conducting complex data analysis in all aspects of large-scale education infrastructure projects. Her thorough knowledge of the State School Facility Program and the Proposition 39: California Clean Energy Jobs Act allows for all funding opportunities to be fully realized.

Ms. Csengeri is responsible for data creation, manipulation, and management for numerous Geographic Information Systems (GIS) projects. Her background in urban planning and thorough knowledge of the ESRI ArcGIS technology allows her to complete tasks with accuracy and precision in a timely manner.

Ms. Csengeri is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in City and Regional Planning. Prior to joining School Facility Consultants, Ms. Fonotova gained extensive experience in performing research of project funding opportunities and writing grant proposals for the Planning and Conservation League.

Sohni Purewal

Senior Consultant

sohni@s-f-c.org | 916-934-2968

Sohni's Bio

Ms. Purewal assists K-12 school districts with all aspects of school facility planning and funding. Ms. Purewal utilizes her knowledge and understanding of State agency planning and funding requirements to maximize State funding opportunities for clients. Ms. Purewal has worked extensively with school districts to secure millions of dollars in funding under the State School Facility Program and Proposition 39: California Clean Energy Jobs Act. In addition to her K-12 experience, Ms. Purewal has worked in the Community College Capital Outlay process.

Ms. Purewal is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Geography and a Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Jared Anderson

Senior Consultant

jared@s-f-c.org | 916-934-2964

Jared's Bio

Mr. Anderson assists school districts in preparing developer fee justification studies including School Facility Fee Justification Reports for Residential and Commercial/Industrial Development and School Facility Needs Analysis. Additionally, he utilizes his extensive experience in data analysis to support the production of comprehensive planning studies for school districts. His attention to detail and analytic skills help him to maximize funding opportunities and clearly communicate planning strategies.

Mr. Anderson is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics.

Prior to joining School Facility Consultants, Mr. Anderson gained valuable experience in data analysis by performing market and investment research for real estate investors throughout Northern California.