October 24, 2023

When most people start their first internship, they don’t expect to become the Chief Operating Officer of the firm 20 years later. For Josh Inman, his path at Cuhaci Peterson brought him a myriad of opportunities, shaping him into the architect he aspired to be since high school.

It all started when his family moved to West Lafayette, Indiana, during his sophomore year of high school. Amidst the chaos of building their new home, his parents needed a design for a two-story vaulted wall. Unimpressed with the builder’s proposal, Josh took matters into his own hands, hand-drawing brick designs for the focal point of the wall. After hours of sketching and many iterations, he presented the design to his parents at 1:30 a.m. His design materialized weeks later, solidifying his determination to pursue architecture. Subsequently, he continued to enhance the house, contributing designs for a deck and incorporating tile features within the interior.

Entering Ball State’s five-year architecture program mandated an internship before graduation. After facing challenges securing positions in Indiana and Chicago, IL, Josh attended a job fair where he encountered Greg Simpson, who served as studio director at Cuhaci Peterson at the time. Simpson presented an opportunity at the firm’s Florida headquarters, offering accommodations in exchange for Josh’s commitment to work. Accepting the internship, he spent a semester at CP before returning to Ball State to complete his degree.

Post-graduation, the job market’s challenges led Josh to call Cuhaci Peterson asking if they had any job opportunities. Six weeks later, Josh was back in Florida working at CP. What he expected to be a two or three-year stint turned into a long-term commitment as Josh is now looking back at more than 19 years at the firm. “Something about Cuhaci Peterson just felt right. One of the things I love about CP is that I’m free to take risks and try new things,” Inman stated.

Beginning as an architectural graduate, Josh collaborated on retail, grocery, church and mixed-use projects. His affinity for challenging aspects of projects and a collaborative spirit with colleagues like Kevin Payne and Nathan Griffis fueled his career growth. Within the first couple of years, he began to see a strong career growth trajectory for himself. Josh recalls leaving a meeting as a project coordinator thinking “I could see myself running this office… is there really anything to stop me?” Engaging with leaders at the firm, he advocated for breaking down vertical tracks within the organization, emphasizing the possibility of moving laterally between technical, project management, sales and executive roles.

Recognizing the benefits of a business degree to lead the company, he pursued a master’s program at the University of Florida’s College of Business simultaneously fulfilling his dream of earning a degree from UF. Throughout his master’s program, he took classes based on his ambitions at Cuhaci Peterson. This reinforced Josh’s belief of the transformative power of education. “It absolutely changes who we are and betters us, even if we don’t use it right away,” said Inman. “My MBA has paid for itself many times over in the past five and a half years,” he added.

While serving as the Director of Operations, Josh steered through substantial hurdles, such as the pandemic, hurricanes and downsizing. Despite the taxing nature of these challenges, overcoming them brought immense satisfaction. When discussing his role and duties, he underscored the collective significance of every individual in the organization. Building connections, nurturing the team, and surmounting obstacles are essential aspects of propelling the firm towards greater achievements. Josh ensures that each decision he makes considers not only the well-being of CP’s 250+ employees but also extends to their families.

Reflecting on his journey, Josh imparts advice to aspiring professionals: be confident, trust yourself and embrace new opportunities. At Cuhaci Peterson, no one will stand in your way if you’re seeking new opportunities or want to try new things. Our culture of support fosters individual growth, encouraging team members to pursue their passions.