Founded in 1972, Erickson McGovern Architects (EMA) has been a mainstay in the Pierce County architectural community for over 50 years. Our story is one of innovation and adaptation while never losing sight of the clients and communities we serve.

Starting an educational design firm was the idea of John Erickson and Rick McGovern, both architectural students at Washington State University in the late 1960’s to early 1970’s. Their focus was educational planning and design, something lacking during that era. At that time, school design was solely based around use, with little emphasis put into aesthetics. John and Rick thought you could have the best of both worlds, combining functionality with beautiful design - spaces where students, staff, and the community could be inspired. Since schools are typically built with bond money, staying on budget and providing thoughtful, cost-effective solutions has always been an EMA emphasis.

John and Rick’s co-founding partnership carried strong through three decades. In the early 1990’s, Rick retired and moved to Hawaii while John continued on through 2005. By this time a new leadership group had emerged at EMA. The trio of Jay Peterson, Steve Storaasli, and Wayne Lerch transitioned into ownership. The new partners were also WSU Alumni and carried the same passion for educational design as John and Rick.

During the recession of 2007, EMA looked to expand its footprint and move into new areas of design. EMA found our core principles of efficient designs within structured budgets brought benefit to a number of areas, including healthcare facilities, community centers, and transportation facilities.

The second wave of owner retirement began with Wayne Lerch in 2015, followed by Jay and Steve in 2019. Ownership of EMA passed to Raymond Mow (also a WSU Cougar a client-centric architect with an appreciation for the importance of educational spaces in communities.)

2023 has brought a new chapter to Erickson McGovern Architects.  Currently, EMA has merged with INNOVA Architects to form a single company with two discrete market sectors, led by Paul McCormick. With this merger, EMA has gained a deeper breadth of resources and the ability to continue bringing high-quality design and work, focus on program needs, and functionality with great service to our clients.

EMA is, and always will be, on a trajectory of modernization and improvement. Gone are the drafting boards, rotary telephones and the one shared “office” computer. Today’s architectural firm consists of 2D and 3D renderings through REVIT and BIM models, remote meetings, paperless drawing sets, and many other advancements. Tools and people may change, but our values and principles remain the same. EMA understands that public design demands that we are not only stewards of the public’s trust but also of their money. It is our mission to provide functional, attractive, and innovative designs within any given budget to allow for the realization of goals.

After more than 50 years EMA, continues to innovate and explore new ways to provide beautiful, cost-effective designs. We strive to deliver inspiring, useful, and well-executed facilities and spaces that will bring pride to your organization and the community.