As SLAM Collaborative marks its 50th year, newly appointed President Kevin Herrick is stepping into an expanded leadership role as the Glastonbury-based architecture, engineering and construction firm continues to grow — driven in part by rapidly changing economics in college athletics.
Herrick officially became president March 1 as part of a broader leadership transition that began in 2024, when Terri Finucane stepped down as board chair.
In 2025, Greg Coles, then SLAM’s president, took on the additional role of board chair, holding both positions until Herrick — a longtime senior leader — was elevated to president.
Herrick said the firm does not plan a major strategic overhaul, but he is taking the helm as one of its fastest-growing segments — collegiate athletics — undergoes rapid change as universities take on new costs tied to directly compensating athletes.
Herrick said schools are increasingly operating like “miniature professional sports groups,” with expanded roles focused on compensation, recruiting and revenue generation. Rising costs are pushing athletic programs to develop new revenue streams, particularly through premium fan experiences.
At the University of Connecticut, for example, Athletic Director David Benedict said last June that the school plans to share about $18 million with athletes under new revenue-sharing models.
That financial pressure is helping drive projects like the $99.4 million renovation of Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, where SLAM is the lead designer, Herrick said.
A rendering shows fan-area upgrades at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs; SLAM is the lead designer for the $99.4 million renovation project.
The firm is designing three tiers of premium club spaces featuring upgraded food, beverage and lounge amenities aimed at corporate clients, donors and other high-end buyers — part of a broader strategy to expand revenue beyond ticket sales and improve the overall fan experience.
Herrick said investment in athletic facilities is accelerating faster than at any other point in his career.
“Even smaller schools are investing in their athletic facilities more than I have ever seen,” Herrick said. “They are all contributing at the levels they can afford.”
Sports facility design now accounts for about 10% of SLAM’s revenue, or roughly $11 million in 2025, up from about $3 million in 2021, Herrick said.
The work ranges from smaller upgrades to large-scale redevelopments. SLAM is also lead designer on the $337 million renovation of Neyland Stadium at the University of Tennessee, where high-end Founders Suites along the 50-yard line are being marketed for about $10 million each.
“This is moving the market right now,” Herrick said. “Our revenue in sports has increased fourfold in the last six years, and we continue to see that trajectory going forward.”
Overall, SLAM’s revenue reached $110 million last year, more than doubling from $45 million in 2015, driven by a mix of organic growth and mergers and acquisitions, he said.
Steady strategy
Herrick said his main focus will be to implement the firm’s existing five-year plan, which includes expanding practice areas across its nine offices, investing in artificial intelligence and strengthening career pathways for employees.
He has spent the past decade leading the firm’s marketing and outreach efforts as part of its leadership team, which also oversees finance, operations and talent.
As president, he will continue to lead SLAM’s “markets” function — overseeing the sales pipeline, client relationships and communications — while remaining active in project work, including the Gampel Pavilion renovation, an expansion of Rutgers University’s football stadium and other university projects.
“I still have active clients that I work with on a daily basis,” Herrick said. “And quite honestly, if I had to walk away from that, I’d be pretty sad because I get so much enjoyment out of working with clients.”
Steven Doherty, SLAM’s managing principal of operations, said he supported Herrick for the top post because of his long commitment to the firm, experience in diverse roles and ability to build strong client relationships.
“He is a great representative of the firm and what we look to bring to our clients,” Doherty said.
Coles, who remains SLAM’s board chair, also pointed to Herrick’s experience across the firm’s design practices. He said stepping aside as president allows him to focus on firmwide strategy as he considers a potential retirement in the coming years, while Herrick takes the lead on market growth and client-facing operations.
During his four-year term, Coles said he prioritized strengthening company culture and expanding employee development initiatives, including increased outreach, as well as internship, mentorship and professional development programs.
Looking ahead, Coles said he and Herrick are working together on integrating artificial intelligence into the business, describing it as a “paradigm shift” for the architecture industry. The firm is developing its AI strategy and testing tools across design, marketing and administrative functions.
Rather than reducing headcount, Coles said he expects AI to help address labor shortages and improve productivity, allowing staff to focus on more advanced, higher-value work.
Continued growth
Founded in 1976, SLAM has grown from a single Hartford outpost into a 275-person national practice with nine offices and work spanning health care, higher education, K-12 schools, sports, justice and corporate design.
Herrick, now 60, joined the firm in 1989 when it had roughly 30 to 35 employees. Since then, the company has expanded steadily through a mix of organic growth and acquisitions.
In 2020, the firm acquired five CBRE | Heery Architectural Design practices, adding offices in Denver, Iowa City and Orlando, and growing its presence in Atlanta and Philadelphia. The deal also broadened its work in the health care, sports facilities and justice markets.
SLAM’s other offices are in Los Angeles, Boston and Providence, in addition to its Glastonbury headquarters.
The firm aims to have each office work across multiple market sectors to guard against downturns in any one area. Six of its nine offices currently meet that goal, Herrick said.
SLAM’s offices are set up to collaborate rather than compete, allowing teams to share staff and expertise across regions and maintain long-term client relationships, he said.
Despite its national reach, SLAM remains anchored in Connecticut.
“There’s no way we would be looking to relocate or move out of the state,” Herrick said.
Strong pipeline
Herrick said SLAM’s project pipeline remains healthy, even as activity has cooled from the surge that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. The firm is carrying about nine to 12 months of backlog, in line with pre-pandemic levels.
Higher interest rates, rising construction costs and economic uncertainty are pushing clients to focus more closely on value, he said.
“The cost to build is expensive,” Herrick said. “We want to make sure every dollar matters.”
That is driving increased demand for renovations and adaptive reuse projects.
One example is SLAM’s partnership with Philadelphia-based PZS Architects on the transformation of Paley Library at Temple University into a new home for its College of Public Health. Completed last year, the project converted a 1960s-era, three-story structure with thick block and brick walls into a five-story building with modern design and expanded natural light.
SLAM also designed the transformation of General Electric’s former Fairfield headquarters — an 819,000-square-foot campus across three buildings — into a new “West Campus” for Sacred Heart University. That project was completed in 2018.
“They basically are getting contemporary learning environments for 50 cents on the dollar with no compromise whatsoever,” Herrick said.
Looking ahead, Herrick identified talent and technology as top priorities.
The firm recently hired Amy Samuelson as chief talent officer to oversee workforce development and culture.
“Your biggest goal as a leader should be to leave the firm better than you found it,” Herrick said. “I’m proud of the last 50 years in business, but I think I’m even more excited” about the future.
