CPL Welcomes CJ Gaffney, Sirvan Pour, Travis Smith, Molly Teska and Judith Richards in New York

ROCHESTER, NY — CPL, a full-service design firm serving public and private-sector clients for more than 50 years, is excited to announce the addition of five accomplished professionals across its New York offices.

CJ Gaffney has been appointed Senior Director of Strategic Marketing, where he will lead business development strategy and oversee brand positioning across all market sectors. With a proven background in communications planning and consumer insights, Gaffney has directed award-winning integrated campaigns that strengthened visibility and drove measurable growth. At CPL, he will collaborate with national practice leaders to amplify the firm’s presence and deepen client engagement.

Prior to joining CPL, Gaffney served as Vice President of Brand Strategy and Consumer Insights at Partners + Napier. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from St. John Fisher University and was recognized in 2024 with the prestigious Jay Chiat Award from the American Association of Advertising Agencies for excellence in strategic marketing.

Sirvan Pour, RA, NCARB has joined our K-12 Practice team as an Architectural Project Manager. With extensive expertise in project management, iteration and quality control, he will oversee the full design process from concept through construction—ensuring K-12 projects are delivered on time, on budget and in compliance with regulatory standards. Skilled in BIM (Revit), AutoCAD and other leading design platforms, he brings a detail-oriented approach to every phase of execution.

Pour’s portfolio spans commercial, retail, hospitality and mixed-use developments with budgets ranging from $1M to $100M. He previously served as an Architect at Foit-Albert Associates in Buffalo, NY, and has held senior design roles on projects across the U.S. and abroad. Academically, he earned a Master of Architecture from Imam Khomeini International University in Qazvin, Iran, conducted research as a scholar at the University of Houston and completed coursework at Southern Illinois University. He is both a registered architect and accredited by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

Travis Smith, PHR joins CPL’s Human Resources Team, bringing more than a decade of human resources expertise with a focus on payroll, retirement planning and benefits strategy. In his role, he will lead HRIS transitions, optimize access to high-value benefit programs and streamline operations to support the well-being of a growing team.

Smith most recently served as a Senior Benefits Analyst at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing from the State University of New York at Fredonia and is certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) by the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI).

Molly Teska steps into a role on the Marketing Team, playing a key part in advancing brand awareness through compelling storytelling, impactful design and thoughtful digital strategy. With a strong background in editorial design and communications, Teska will harness expertise in Adobe Creative Suite, social media strategy and user experience design to enhance both firmwide communications and business development initiatives.

An alumna of Ithaca College, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Management and Design and served as Co-Editor of The Ithacan newspaper. Teska also previously interned in CPL’s Buffalo office, where she supported a range of creative projects.

Judith Richards joins our Higher Education practice team as Senior Practice Manager, bringing more than two decades of experience in construction administration. A trusted leader, Richards has successfully managed multi-state project portfolios and spearheaded firmwide training initiatives on Procore and AIA documentation. Her expertise spans higher education, healthcare and civic projects, and she will provide both technical oversight and on-the-ground coordination.

Richards most recently served as a Construction Project Coordinator at Calamar Construction LLC. She earned an Associate of Applied Science in Accounting from Niagara Community College.