on view
Southeast Polk District Office – Altoona, Iowa
The newly renovated Southeast Polk District Office represents a strategic approach to adapting existing facilities for long‑term use. Formerly home to the Spring Creek Sixth Grade Center, the building was carefully renovated and repurposed into the new Southeast Polk District Office, bringing multiple departments together under one roof. This update improves functionality, efficiency, and accessibility while extending the life of the facility.
When visitors enter the building, they are welcomed at the front desk by three Kora fixtures from Zaneen, creating a strong first impression. Regolo 1 fixtures by Nulite are used throughout the office, providing consistent, well-balanced illumination across workspaces. In the conference room, BionicPro3 fixtures from Prudential Lighting deliver a combination of direct and indirect light, evenly illuminating the space and enhancing the overall meeting environment. Wattstopper DLM lighting controls are fully integrated within each space to ensure streamlined operation, energy efficiency, and user-friendly control. Additional products from Brownlee, Cooper Lighting Solutions, Finelite, Kelvix, Lumenwerx, Luminart, and QTL round out the lighting system, providing further functionality and efficiency.
The Players:
Architect: RDG Planning & Design
Engineer: MODUS Engineering
Electrical Contractor: Van Maanen Electric, Inc.
General Contractor: Hansen Company
Photographs By Brad Hull
insight to light
The People Who Help Your Projects (and You) Shine
A Q&A with Lindsey Osborn, Mercer Zimmerman’s Director of Project Management
From your perspective, what makes project management at Mercer Zimmerman unique?
While our title is ‘Project Management,” the work we do functions as a project’s quality control backbone. We really do take pride in the work we do, and we thrive on getting it right. That’s why we want to sit down with project partners before orders are released and walk through the bill of materials one more time. It’s our chance to make sure we’ve captured every detail and unraveled any potential issues before they show up on site.
We have done a great job filling the PM seats with people who genuinely love to organize, coordinate, dig into the details, and solve problems. It’s a very specific type of person who enjoys this work, and we’ve got a whole team of them.
What are the most common challenges you see on commercial projects, and how does your team help keep things on track?
Projects move fast, and designs naturally shift as teams refine details. That can create timing challenges when we’re preparing to release orders. We help by staying on top of every moving part. Our team steps in to organize the updates, confirm the right information is flowing through the right channels, and make sure nothing gets lost in the shuffle.
What’s something people don’t realize your team does— but absolutely should?
Once we’re assigned to a complex project, we follow it all the way through — generate submittals, coordinate preconstruction meetings, approve order releases, report weekly project status, support the project team, collaborate with controls, and field post-sales issues that might arise, like warranties. We’re there from the moment the project hits our desk until the customer can close their books and walk off the job.
A complex project might look “easy” from the outside, but that’s usually because a project manager spent hours building trust, coordinating details, and solving problems so other people didn’t have to think about them.
“MZ has such a deep well of knowledge across the organization, and we lean on each other a lot. Teamwork helps us navigate the tough moments and keep us grounded.” – Lindsey Osborn
How do you balance the technical side of the job with the relationship— especially when projects get stressful?
Our team just has a heart for doing the right thing and taking care of people. We lead with “People First,” even in the stressful moments. A big part of our job is building trust and helping people feel supported and confident throughout the life of a project. And part of building that trust is having the humility to acknowledge when we make a mistake and address it quickly and transparently. It’s that blend of technical rigor and genuine care for people that defines how we show up on every project.
fact-ology
Solutions By Samira
Take a minute to watch Samira Kiger explain a simple setback and spacing trick that can make a big difference in your lighting outcomes!
Learn More from: The Lighting Quotient Setback & Spacing Guide.
lighten up
LEDucation 2026: Lighting the Way in NYC
The Mercer Zimmerman team headed to New York City for LEDucation April 13-15, 2026, and it was a great experience all around. Spending time with customers and reconnecting with manufacturing partners made the event especially memorable. From insightful booth visits to enjoyable dinners and receptions, LEDucation continues to be a highlight on our calendar.
