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A COMFORT THAT LED TO SUCCESS

By Pete Rosenbery

For Mark Dillon, president and CEO of Eggemeyer Associates Architecture in Carbondale, working on projects that involve Southern Illinois University Carbondale carries a special meaning.

Dillon, who graduated from SIU in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in advanced technical studies with a minor in architectural studies, has remained close to the university since his first campus visit. Growing up in northern Illinois, Dillon said it was after his first trip to Carbondale that he knew he wanted to come to SIU Carbondale; an older brother played basketball for SIU Edwardsville.

“SIUC’s campus was different than most,” he said. “It reminded me of home with open areas and lots of trees. It was very inviting to me and just felt right.”

There also was encouragement from faculty, with the university providing “the opportunities I needed to work hard at my education,” Dillon said.

“I never felt lost in the program or on campus. I truly believe that you need to be comfortable with your environment to be successful and SIUC provided me that comfort,” Dillon said.

He started with Eggemeyer Associates Architecture in 1994, became licensed in 2001 and a principal in the firm in 2004. He has been president and CEO since 2009.

The firm has been involved in numerous projects both on- and off-campus, including the recently completed demolition of the university’s Vocational Technical Institute, or VTI. The facility near Carterville, long identified with the College of Applied Sciences and Arts’ automotive technology program and other classes, gave way to the Transportation Education Center near the Southern Illinois Airport in October 2012. Demolition of four large buildings and several smaller buildings began late last year and the work, which included debris removal, was completed in June.

The firm’s recent university-related projects include providing design services for demolition of the Triads – Allen, Boomer and Wright residence halls; analysis studies on several buildings on campus; renovation of French Auditorium in Lindegren Hall; upgrading Trueblood Hall dining lines, and renovating the Lentz Hall dining area.

The company has also been involved with several roofing projects on campus and is working at the McLafferty Annex to convert it to a collaborative research laboratory.

“It brings another level of enjoyment when you get a chance to work at a facility that has special meaning to you personally,” Dillon said.

The company awards two Andrew Eggemeyer Memorial Architecture Endowed Scholarships annually. Originally established as the Eggemeyer Associates Architecture-Interior Design Scholarship, the name changed in 2009 as a memorial to Andrew Eggemeyer after he lost his battle with cancer. Eggemeyer was a 1964 SIU graduate and “was very passionate about SIU and helping youth,” Dillon said.

The scholarships are for students in good academic standing enrolled in architectural or interior design studies and are Illinois residents south of Interstate 64. The students also provided volunteer services to community organizations, non-profits, or professional associations.

Community service is important, Dillon said, noting his firm is involved in several efforts throughout the region. He tells students to go into architecture “because you want to do some nice and cool things and want to make a difference in your community,” not with a goal of becoming rich. Dillon said he learned from mentors, including his father, of the need for community involvement and using talents and gifts to help others.

“Any assistance that I can provide to CASA is another way I can give back to something that has provided me the ability to reach my goals personally and professionally,” Dillon said. “Community service, or pro bono work, is important as it strengthens our communities and ourselves as professionals.”

Dillon and his wife, Laurel, a 1995 SIU Carbondale graduate in mechanical engineering, live in Marion with their three daughters, Payton, Maegan and Kinley.