CWU Capital Planning and Projects director featured in national publication

CWU’s Capital Planning and Projects Director Delano Palmer was featured this week in American Builders Quarterly, a national publication that covers construction, real estate, design, and development.

The article, published February 3, covers Palmer’s important role at Central, while also touching on his community involvement and his appreciation for the work-life balance afforded to him at CWU — a benefit he didn’t always have as a former private-sector employee.

“I didn’t always have the bandwidth to be involved in my community,” Palmer said in the article. “Moving into public sector work, I’ve found a better work-life balance. That gives me the opportunity to be a bigger part of my wife’s and children’s lives as well as an active member of Ellensburg.”

Among Palmer’s many community service roles, he sits on the Ellensburg City Council and the board of the local Habitat For Humanity chapter, and is a member of the Ellensburg Morning Rotary Foundation.

The article goes on to cover the major construction projects Palmer has overseen during his six-plus years at CWU, including the Health Sciences building (opened in 2022), the Nicholson Pavilion renovation (completed in 2023), and the North Academic Complex (ongoing, scheduled to open in early 2026).

Palmer talked about the high expectations he and his team have set for themselves and for CWU's construction and design processes.

“We wanted standards we could give to engineers and designers to let people know exactly what we expect and certain areas where we are not willing to deviate from our standards,” he said. “We made them part of our contracts moving forward.”

American Builders Quarterly is an award-winning media organization that highlights executive-level industry professionals and their insights through a magazine, newsletters, and events.