TAT Announces CFO Hire, Advancing Plans for National Growth
Appointment of strategic finance and operations leader underscores commitment to innovation and client service for award-winning architecture, interiors, and planning firm
PRESS RELEASE
CHELSEA, M.A., October 8, 2026 – Reflecting an ongoing regional and national expansion as well as a longstanding commitment to design leadership and organizational excellence, the award-winning architecture, interior design, and planning firm, The Architectural Team (TAT), has announced the appointment of finance, operations, and business strategy leader Diane Stephens as its chief financial officer.
This senior leadership role places Stephens alongside TAT’s four principals in determining and implementing strategic direction for the 55-year-old firm, which is known nationally as an innovator in historic preservation and adaptive reuse, affordable housing, senior and assisted living, large-scale mixed-use development, climate resilient architecture, and more. Following the recent elevation of longtime TAT leader Thomas Schultz to the role of managing principal and coming as the 100-plus-person firm takes on significant new project work in 22 states, this latest appointment underscores TAT’s focus on business strategy as integral to design excellence.
Over the course of her career, comprising senior management and director-level positions at high-growth organizations including large-scale precision instrument laboratory testing companies, Stephens has developed a reputation as an enterprising driver of strategic initiatives as well as a skilled manager of ongoing daily operations, which makes her ideally suited to her new role.
Diane’s expertise and ability to align financial strategy with broader business objectives will play a central role in the continued growth of our award-winning, client-centric national practice. And as a proudly independent firm known for providing boutique levels of service and attention to detail even as we continue to expand our reach, adding a leader of Diane’s caliber to our team represents an important investment in the firm’s future as well as a clear long-term commitment to our clients and partners.
Managing Principal Tom Schultz, AIA, NCARB, CPHC
Says Stephens, “I have always been drawn to the intersection of strategy, people, and performance: building scalable systems, strengthening financial health, and creating environments where teams feel empowered and businesses grow. TAT has a long history of design excellence that shapes communities in positive ways, and a clear vision for what comes next.”
“I’m thrilled to lead finance and operations and help build the systems and structure that will support TAT’s continued success,” she adds.
Stephens assumes the role of TAT’s chief financial officer during a period of notable achievements. Highlights from the firm’s recent work include the trauma-informed transformation of New England’s largest day shelter, St. Francis House, and the innovative supportive housing tower 41 LaGrange, which features passive house design strategies.
Other projects in the works include:
- the ongoing redevelopment of Boston’s Mary Ellen McCormack public housing complex, one of the largest such projects in the country;
- the upcoming West End Library, designed in collaboration with MASS Design Group and integrating 119 units of affordable housing with vital civic uses in Boston;
- Sturgeon Place in Scarborough, Maine, an innovative apartment community for adults with mobility impairments and physical disabilities; and
- major new multifamily and mixed-use initiatives in the nearly 22 states where TAT’s architects are registered, including North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, and other significant markets across the United States.