Russell Fason Named WER Architects CEO

As we close celebrating our 45th year, WER Architects is pleased to announce Russell Fason, AIA, LEED AP, has been named CEO of WER Architects. Russell has been an integral part of WER Architects since 2004. A partner since 2015, leading design, sustainability, and client service, building on WER’s core values. 

Russell succeeds David Sargent, AIA, LEED AP, as part of the ongoing strategic succession plan that has kept WER Architects at the forefront of Arkansas design firms for the last 45 years. David has helped to thoughtfully grow WER Architects to what it is today during his 38 years. We are excited that David will remain in the role of Principal and President.

“I feel honored to continue the legacy that the principals before me have shaped. I’ve been lucky enough to overlap with all of the original partners that founded WER and brought it to where it is today,” said Russell Fason, WER Architects CEO. “WER is committed to designing beautiful, functional buildings, enriching the communities we live and work in across the state. I’m excited to lead us into our 46th year. I hope that when my tenure is up, the principals who follow find a more inclusive, diverse and more accessible profession, still focusing on how thoughtful design improves our lives.”

In his 20-plus years of experience, Russell has been a steady guiding hand on some of our most significant projects including Windgate Center of Art and Design at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, The Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences at the University of Arkansas, the design and construction of six new K-12 schools for the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, Sylvan Hills High School, Midtown Medical Plaza, and Premier Medical Plaza. We are thrilled to have Russ’ leadership as we look forward to the next 45 years.

“I’m excited about the future of WER Architects. Our team of architects and designers, with the six new principals we have promoted over the last two years, bring innovative ideas and ways to think about design, the workplace, and the profession. I am looking forward to working alongside this group in the years ahead,” said Fason. “I believe that beautiful, efficient, purposeful buildings elevate the human spirit, it’s what we strive for in every project.”