Thomas Wighard
By Joshua Burd
LAN Associates has tapped a longtime team member as its new president, marking the third person to hold the post since the architecture and engineering firm was founded in 1965.
The Midland Park-based practice said Thomas Wighard, an engineer by trade, joined the company in 2001 and has served as a vice president since 2018. He will now succeed Ken Karle, LAN’s longtime president, who has served in the role since 1996 and will transition into a new role managing special projects and contributing to strategic planning as a senior vice president and chairman of the board of directors.
The move is part of a larger strategy by LAN to shift leadership responsibilities for key members of its corporate officer team, who manage the company collectively, the firm said. In his new capacity as president, Wighard will oversee the vision and strategic direction of the firm, as well as corporate obligations.
“I am filled with confidence and optimism for the future, thanks to the appointment of our new president, Tom Wighard,” Karle said. “With his extensive experience, leadership skills and commitment to our company’s values, I have no doubt that Tom will guide LAN to even greater heights in the years to come. I look forward to working alongside him to ensure LAN continues to thrive.”
In a news release, LAN Associates said Wighard started at the firm as an intern in 2001 before rising through the engineering department. In his capacity as vice president and head of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing department, he worked closely with all LAN branch offices to coordinate projects, with a role that encompassed a range of responsibilities such as client collaboration, business development and management of design teams.
The company added that, during his tenure as vice president, Wighard oversaw several multimillion-dollar projects, including two senior living complexes, The Vista at Christian Health and Broadview Senior Living at Purchase College. His portfolio also includes substantial work for aerospace manufacturing firm Pratt & Whitney, as well as hundreds of K-12 education and commercial client projects.
Wighard holds a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and a minor in physics from Wilkes University, the news release said. He is a licensed engineer in eight states and is in the final stages of obtaining his architecture license, while he holds multiple accreditations and certifications related to sustainable design practices.
“I want to take a moment to thank Ken Karle for his 40-plus years of dedicated service to LAN,” Wighard said. “His leadership and vision have been instrumental in driving LAN’s success and growth. I am honored and excited to take on the role of president and lead our company into its next chapter.
“Building on the strong foundation that Ken and the other senior officers Ronald M. Panicucci, Stephen J. Secora, Michael J. McGovern, Steven Ramiza and Matthew Milnamow have laid, I am committed to continuing our tradition of excellence and innovation, while also pushing the boundaries of what is possible in our industry.”
The move comes as LAN, which was founded in 1965 by John Lacz, continues a period of expansion. The firm noted that 2022 was the biggest year in its history and that, since the start of 2021, it has hired more than 40 new architects, engineers and support staff to collectively bring its team to 120 professionals across five offices in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
It also recently expanded its space in Voorhees and Goshen, New York, due to its growing pipeline, while the firm’s Midland Park headquarters is expanding nearly all of its divisions of service. The practice said it remains focused on supporting and advancing public school environments, as well as their health and safety, with several multimillion-dollar Energy Savings Improvement Program projects, while it is experiencing an influx of industrial and manufacturing work, as well as a call for adaptive reuse and master planning for entertainment, commercial and hospitality projects.
