February 5, 2024
To Whom It May Concern:
In 2020 and 2021, I had the pleasure of working with the Bayer Becker Landscape Architecture & Planning team, as well as company engineers, on the design and creation of the new DAV (Disabled American Veterans) National Headquarters in Erlanger, Kentucky.
The project started from scratch on a nearly fourteen-acre parcel of land, comprised mainly of open field, trees and brush. The site contained no utility structures and is bordered by a busy interstate highway. Thanks in no small part to the Bayer Becker team, this rough property became home to our 67,000 square-foot, two-story National Headquarters building, complete with a maintenance garage and paved parking lot for approximately 300 cars.
What’s more, the site includes an Honor and Remembrance Garden in the rear of the building, as well as three different flag sets/locations. One of these flags is a magnificent 120-foot flagpole supporting a 30’X50’ American flag that is viewable from the busy highway. The Honor and Remembrance Garden is comprised of six flag standards, multi-directional paver pathways, seating areas and sidewalks, and a reflection and contemplation area composed of pavers, benches, and six concrete plinths supporting bronze military service medallions.
To represent and honor the beauty and majesty of the nation for which disabled veterans sacrificed so much, we made greenspace a priority throughout the property. A mulched nature trail located near the Honor and Remembrance Garden meanders through the shade of mature trees. Between the garden paths, younger trees continue to grow, providing privacy and a sense of solemnity envisioned by DAV and the designers. Throughout the rest of the property, more than 200 new trees were planted to provide beauty, shade and a restored home for native wildlife.
We’re quite proud of our National Headquarters, and even more so the work we do here. And I want to be clear that this was no ordinary office building project. Bayer Becker’s tasks and responsibilities were unquestionably complicated. The project allowed for a more functional and efficient working space for our on-site employees whose daily efforts make possible our sacred mission. But it was also a project requiring that our 100-year history be embedded in all design decisions. Every aspect was informed by our obligation to our more than one million members. All design elements needed to serve as a reflection of our mission and underscore our positon as a respected non-profit organization, with an eye on costs to guard against charges of misspent funds.
DAV required beauty, significance, branding, functionality and cost-effectiveness: Obviously, ordinary landscape architects and engineers needed not apply. Fortunately, the Bayer Becker professionals we engaged for the project were an extraordinary team.
As a Marine Corps veteran and organizational leader, I know a good team when I see one. My assessment of Bayer Becker comes not only from my own team members, who also worked diligently on the project, but my own direct, day-to-day observations. From start to finish, I remained involved, and my praise is firsthand.
From months of initial planning, through the zoning and commissioning work, into the seemingly countless hours and days of meetings, site reviews, inspections, and ultimate completion, the Bayer Becker team was at our side. The large American flag alone required filings and approvals with the FAA, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and multiple entities within the City of Erlanger. In particular, Jay Bayer and John Cody provided us with superior creativity, ingenuity, and ability to navigate the complex regulatory and zoning process. They also gifted us the peace of mind that can only come when trust has been earned. Such trust was especially valuable given the pandemic-induced uncertainty of the time period during which the majority of this project was executed.
Through their dedicated professionalism and willingness to meet challenges head-on, Bayer Becker has earned my highest praise. I can say with confidence that DAV will hire Bayer Becker again for any of their services we may need in the future, and I can recommend the same for others on my team without hesitation.
Thank you, Bayer Becker, for your lasting contribution to our historic organization and the men and women we serve and those we will continue to serve in the future.
Sincerely,
Barry A. Jesinoski
National Adjutant and CEO