Pankow Foundation moves to Vancouver

The Charles Pankow Foundation, a nonprofit with a focus on advancing innovation in building design and construction, will move its headquarters to Vancouver following the appointment of a new executive director.

The foundation has appointed Mark J. Perniconi to succeed Robert K. Tener, who headed the foundation from its inception in 2005 until his retirement in May. Perniconi’s goal is to continue building the foundation as a strong leader in construction industry research, the foundation said in a news release.

He hopes to extend the foundation’s research through broader dissemination on the Internet.

“To get better buildings, we need to have better methodologies and technologies shared with everyone interested,” Perniconi said in a statement.

In its seven-year history, the Pankow Foundation has awarded 41 research grants, of which 19 are completed, according to the foundation’s website. For this year, it is offering grants in the $100,000 to $300,000 range.

Perniconi holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Purdue University. His early career included work on numerous underground utility projects throughout central California with the W.M. Lyles Company and its sister company, Kaweah Construction. He then returned to Purdue University, where he earned a masters in business administration.

Perniconi began working for the Pankow Companies in 1985, and managed the company’s real estate activities.

He later relocated to the Portland area, managing the C.E. John Company’s redevelopment and expansion of its retail properties. Most recently, he oversaw a major expansion and redevelopment of a regional shopping mall in northern California for the Westfield Corp.

With Perniconi’s appointment, the foundation’s office moves to Vancouver from Claremont, Calif. Perniconi can be reached at 360-326-3767 or mperniconi@pankowfoundation.org.