Kahler Slater Names Jennifer Eschner, Jude Wessels Associate Principals

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Kahler Slater, an architecture and experience design firm, has named Jennifer Eschner and Jude Wessels associate principals.

In receiving their promotions, Wessels and Eschner are being recognized for having taken on greater leadership roles in the organization, including working with team leaders in such areas as managing team operations, building and maintaining client relationships and developing new business.

Eschner continues to serve as a project architect in the firm’s Health Care and Higher Education practice areas, working in the company’s Milwaukee and Madison, Wis. offices. Wessels is a medical planner and designer with an extensive background in healthcare. He continues to serve as a project leader in the firm’s Singapore office, working with the firm’s healthcare team.

Eschner joined Kahler Slater in 2000 as an intern architect and was promoted to project architect in 2003. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects and holds the Center for Health Design’s Evidence-based Design Accreditation & Certification. She also is a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

Among several projects, Eschner is working on Mary Baldwin College’s new Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences in Fisherville, Va. Her other recent projects include the Holy Redeemer HealthCare at Bensalem outpatient facility in Bensalem, Pa., Meriter Medical Group’s Meriter DeForest-Windsor Clinic in DeForest, Wis. and Meriter Monona Clinic in Monona, Wis.

Eschner has a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Bachelor of Science degree in interior design from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Wessels joined Kahler Slater in 2004 as an associate/project leader. He holds EDAC certification.

He has been instrumental in the firm’s growth in Singapore and Southeast Asia. He began working on projects there in 2006 while based in the firm’s Milwaukee, Wis. office. He relocated to Singapore in 2009 and played a key role in establishing the firm’s permanent office there, which opened in 2012.  

He is leading two major healthcare projects in Singapore – a combined facility for Yishun Community Hospital and the Geriatric Education and Research Institute, and a facility that will house the National University Hospital Medical Centre and the National Cancer Institute of Singapore.

Stateside, Wessels provided key design leadership on projects including Monroe Clinic’s replacement hospital in Monroe, Wis. and the expansion of St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison.

Prior to joining Kahler Slater, he was a senior planner and designer with Vitetta in Philadelphia. He received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.