2013 40 Under 40: Alexis D. Kurtz, 37

Project Manager/Acoustic Consultant, The Sextant Group, Falls Church, Va.

By Jessia DuBois-Maahs, Contributing Writer May 14, 2013

Alexis D. Kurtz, LEED AP, 37

Project Manager/Acoustic Consultant, The Sextant Group, Falls Church, Va.

University of Miami, BM Music Engineering Technology

Alexis D. Kurtz is deeply involved in the emerging field of sustainable acoustics. Her experience spans education, museum, transportation, high-rise residential, and mixed-use facilities. Kurtz’s recent projects include the University of Iowa’s Arts Building; New York University’s Nursing, Dentistry, and Bioengineering Building; Academic VII at George Mason University; and the soon-to-be operational and NPR-affiliated broadcast studios of American University’s WAMU-FM in Washington, D.C. As liaison between the technology team, architect, and owner, she coordinates both the technology and acoustic aspects of a project. Kurtz’s desire to create sustainable building solutions is one thing that sets her apart in the already-specialized field. For the past 6 years, she has served as a member of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Indoor Environmental Quality Technical Advisory Group and the Acoustics Working Group. She is co-author of acoustic credits for the LEED for Schools and LEED for Health Care projects, along with Pilot Credits 24, 47, and 57. A familiar face at industry conferences, Kurtz most recently presented “Sustainable Acoustics from Theory to Practice” at the 2012 InterNoise conference in New York. As a wife, mother of two, and an active community member, her time outside of the office is primarily dedicated to her family. Along with encouraging her two budding musicians, Kurtz fulfills her love of being outdoors by boating, swimming, hiking, and skiing.