Travis Mayer- Architect, CEO
Travis knew he wanted to be an Architect when he first laid his eyes on set of blue prints at just ten years old. He was motivated as a child; never letting the “grass grow under his feet”. He grew up on a small farm working with horses. At a young age he learned that hard work and dedication can achieve many things such as: winning ribbons in barrel racing and Horsemanship. He was a Boy Scout, involved in his community and his church youth group. He was an Honors Student his senior year of High school while living on his own and working full time.
He went onto Kent State University School of Architecture and Environmental Design and graduated in 1994 with a Bachelors of Architecture. He fulfilled his internship with well known local Architect, the late Richard Sly. While working for others and doing side jobs, Travis put in his time perfecting his skills and honing his craft. In doing this, he began to build valuable relationships with clients that he still has today. He became licensed in 1998. He was the lead Architect for a local Design-Build company just prior to fulfilling his dream of having his own Architecture Firm in 2003. He has the unique experience of Design-Build and Design-Bid-Build in both the private and public sector. He is NCARB Certified, and maintains licensing in nine states.
He has years of diverse experience in designing: bar/restaurant, commercial buildings, residential, remodels, historical remodels, additions, Lakefront homes, and even a home for a giraffe. He has also done many unique projects on the Lake Erie Islands such as: swim up bars, outdoor island themed bars, dorms, condos, and exclusive waterfront island homes, which have been featured in “Lake Erie Living” Magazine.
Apart from his family (his beloved wife and pets) Travis’s greatest pride lies in the team at Mayer Architectural Group and their passion for Architecture and Design.
Fun Fact: Travis plays Frisbee and practices football passes with his Border Collie Theodore “Teddie” Mayer. He also plays the guitar, the ukulele, and loves to golf.
Tim Knepper- Lead Project Manager
Tim knew what hard work was at the young age of 12, milking cows on a dairy farm before school. He once escaped a “near death” experience of being crushed by a cow. He was tough and survived all that and expanded his interests by making sketches in his spare time. He had an eye for design and a local Architect saw his talent and work ethic and asked him to hand draw renderings for him. That’s what started it all. He graduated from Elyria High School in 1998 then attended Kent State University for Architecture to build on his natural talent for design. He then took additional courses in AutoCAD and Blueprint reading at Lorain Community College to expand on those skills. He knew what he wanted and weeded out the non-sense to get down to the nitty gritty. This all has paid off contributing to the top notch designer and project manager that he is today possessing an array of skills including: 3-D modeling, schematic designs, construction documents, and field work.
He also mentors new talent, heads the office I.T. department and he is a plumbing guru! Having earned the title of Lead Project Manager, Tim shows no signs of slowing down. Whether it’s a simple house addition or a complex commercial project, he treats all projects equally. His easy going demeanor and “more-than-most” amount of patience helps him to handle challenges with complete professionalism. Tim is a true asset to have at Mayer Architectural Group. We just Thank God he survived that cow incident.
Always wanting to learn new construction techniques, he can be seen staring at buildings and dissecting them with his eyes.
Hobbies and Interests: Duck hunting, nature walking, tinkering on cars, helping with his son’s baseball team, accompanying his daughter to horse riding lessons, and helping his wife foster their next orphan pet.
Fun Fact: Tim was born on Elvis Presley’s Birthday; and he can deep fry a turkey like no other!
Noel McDoniel- Designer/Project Manager
Noel had an early interest in Architecture taking “Technical Drafting” and the “Independent Study of Architecture” when he was at Vermilion High School. Well-known local Architect, the late Richard Sly was looking for new talent to bring into his firm. Mr. Sly approached the drafting teacher at the Vermilion School asking for the best student in the class, and that was the beginning of Noel’s many years of experience working in an Architectural firm. Noel built his knowledge and skills converting rough sketches into presentation drawings, field measuring, producing contract documents and coordinating projects. He became efficient in AutoCAD, maintaining office standards, product research, design development, and project management. He also worked with clients and supervised construction. He attended Lorain Community College taking Customizing AutoCAD courses to further enhance his skills. His twenty seven plus years of knowledge, experience, and creative talent for design is part of the foundation that makes Mayer Architectural Group a top notch firm.
When Noel is not designing he is enjoying time traveling or working on school projects with his family. He is also known to take “one tank trips” on his motorcycle.
Fun Fact: Noel makes gourmet dinners with his kids for his future You Tube channel “Dinner with Dad” a show that emphasizes the importance of imparting parental wisdom onto your children and family values.
Theodore “Teddie” Mayer D.O.G (Director Of Greeting)
Teddie is a working dog (of course, because he is a Border Collie) always looking for the next “task.” His skills include managing morale in the drafting department where he is always quick to give encouragement with a tap of his paw or a nudge from his nose.
Teddie takes pride in what he does, waiting to greet the next client with his tail wagging and a big doggie smile.
