Crafting Excellence: Gary Holler and Robert Love

One of the key elements of a successful design firm is embracing new opportunities
while possessing the expertise to tackle accompanying challenges head-on and
being consummate stewards of our clients’ resources. At Schaefer, we emphasize
a leadership team with diverse skills, innovative thinking, and comprehensive
experience.

Gary Holler, AIA

VICE PRESIDENT

Gary Holler, Vice President and architect at Schaefer for 33 years, demonstrates commendable dedication to the clients he serves. Known for his exemplary problem-solving skills and extensive experience across recreational, healthcare, corporate, and educational sectors, his architectural finesse is crucial to the success of many of our repeat clients’ projects. In addition to his work in various sectors, Gary has achieved success in designing outdoor sports facilities, such as Gowans Stadium, where thousands of attendees enjoy the state-of-the-art facility as they watch their teams compete. When asked about Schaefer’s biggest strength, he said, “We have a very knowledgeable staff with decades of experience to draw from, and the desire to stay up with current architectural trends.”

Reflecting on his many decades at Schaefer, Gary fondly recalls asking Robert Schaefer during his third round of interviews in 1991, “Why don’t you just take a chance and hire me?” The firm did just that, and what started as a chance developed into a fruitful career. His design endeavors began with a small six-lane track in the middle of rural Kansas and quickly grew to include various projects, such as eight tennis complexes, nine football stadiums, sixteen track projects, and various aquatic venues. “Being able to walk through something that was once only sketches on paper is pretty cool,” Gary remarked.

“We have a very knowledgeable staff with decades of experience to draw from, and the desire to stay up with current architectural trends.”

Robert Love

VICE PRESIDENT

As Gary’s diverse experience underscores the breadth of Schaefer’s expertise, Robert Love’s journey highlights the depth of our firm’s commitment to specialized project areas. Robert, Vice President, project manager, and designer at Schaefer for 24 years, specializes in project design, management, and client relations. He excels in fitness facility design and community projects, often serving as the main contact and go-to designer for many of our YMCA and recreational projects. Robert is always willing to go above and beyond for our clients, and prioritizes their needs, which ultimately leads to successful projects.

Robert has spent his entire career growing and learning at Schaefer, starting his journey here immediately after graduating from Kansas State University’s architecture school. When asked what he perceives to be Schaefer’s most appealing quality, he said, “We have always prided ourselves as a firm on pursuing a multitude of project types. This has afforded our long-tenured staff with a wealth of knowledge that has served many clients well over the years.” Robert finds fulfillment in his involvement with meaningful projects that leave an indelible mark on the communities and organizations they belong to, and he attributes his impressive design success to his dedication, commitment, and balanced approach to every project he works on.

“We have always prided ourselves as a firm on pursuing a multitude of project types. This has afforded our long-tenured staff with a wealth of knowledge that has served many clients well over the years.”

The guidance and expertise of our firm’s partners are integral to Schaefer’s achievements, nurturing our production staff, imparting their design wisdom, and driving our continued success. Over the last six decades, numerous successful architects in Wichita started their careers with and honed their skills at our firm. As we celebrate the leadership that drives Schaefer forward, it is essential to recognize the vital role played by our support staff, whose behind-the-scenes efforts are crucial to our firm’s accomplishments and among whom the future leaders of the firm will emerge.