Chris Aronson
Principal architect
Years in industry: 16
College, university: University of Southern California
“Chris [Aronson] has been a principal at the most prominent architecture and design firm in Fort Collins, VFLA, for the past eight years. When you are having dinner in Old Town, there is a good chance that Chris and his team are the architects behind the space you are sitting in,” said Greg Roeder, co-founder of Waypoint Real Estate.
“Their track record includes, Ginger & Baker, Blue Agave, Union Bar & Soda Fountain, and Rare Italian. If you are in one of the Class A office buildings in Fort Collins, there is a good chance that Chris was behind that, too. His office projects include the CPP Wind Engineers headquarters in Fort Collins and the CBRE headquarters on Harmony Road.
“Chris is the Fort Collins DDA chairman and has been on the DDA board for the last 7.5 years. His office contributes heavily to the Animal Friends Alliance and United Way. Chris was named a BizWest 40-under-40 member in 2017. Chris’s leadership style is both high-energy and very down-to-earth and relatable. He is able to be very engaging with his clients and has an uncanny ability to turn their goals into three dimensional space.
“He is an avid runner, golfer and sneaker head. On a personal note, I am incredibly impressed by how Chris stepped up to lead his employees when his business partner and fellow principal passed away unexpectedly a few years ago in a tragic accident while traveling. Chris showed so much strength and resiliency in stepping up to lead. He is an exceptional leader, an even better husband and father, and we are lucky to have him in our community.”
Aronson’s wife, Sharla, a Fort Collins dentist, said the death of fellow firm principal Justin Larson in 2019 caused a stepped up transition for the company.
“Chris became the sole principal a decade earlier than planned, yet he compassionately led his team through grief with authenticity. In 2020, Chris navigated the shift to working remotely, while preserving the culture that employees love about VFLA. The firm has continued to thrive under his leadership. Chris is a dynamic, positive, innovative and collaborative architect and leader,” she said.
Accomplishments of VFLA include: Small Business of the Year 2017, 2019 Urban Design Awards for Ginger and Baker & Union, NoCo’s Best for Architecture 2020/2021, Colorado Homes & Lifestyle’s Fabulous List 2021, and acquisition of Oglesby Design 2021.
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