Get to Know Us
John Linton, AIA
LEAD ARCHITECT, PARTNER
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With almost two decades of experience in architecture, it is John’s belief that the work we are involved with could have a greater purpose.
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As a company, we could do more to serve and our actions are distinctly different from others. Vanity often grabs the heart of a designer feeling like we can fit the shoes of the Creator.
We want to be completely humble in our efforts and rely on God and what He has taught us through life and business to take our client’s visions to reality.
Austin Haynes, PE
LEAD ENGINEER, PARTNER
Austin graduated from the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering in 2010 and has provided engineering services throughout the United States and internationally.
From the oil fields of Midland to retail centers in Houston, he has worked with both public and private clients, adding value to their projects. Having worked closely with permitting entities in the Houston area, Austin has built relationships with the decision-makers in our area.
Austin enjoys working closely with clients providing designs that are not only practical but benefit from his permitting experience and relationships with public employees.
Janice Waggoner, RA
PROJECT ARCHITECT
Janice holds a Master's degree in Architecture from Texas A&M University and brings over 20 years of expertise to a wide range of projects, from intimate designs to large-scale developments. Her philosophy centers on bringing her clients' visions to life, ensuring their needs and preferences guide the creative process rather than imposing her own artistic style. Janice is particularly passionate about space planning and creating spaces that are as functional as they are beautiful.
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Outside of work, Janice finds joy in supporting her two teenage daughters, attending musical theater performances, and spending time with her husband, their pets, and a revolving cast of foster puppies. Need a furry friend? Janice just might have one for you!
Gabby McGinnis, Associate AIA
PROJECT MANAGER
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Gabby graduated from the University of Houston, with a Bachelor of Architecture and worked in the public sector building an impressive portfolio of transportation maintenance facilities all around the county.
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She joined Altar Group as a Project Manager, creating construction drawings, and transitioning projects from the permitting stage to a finished quality product. She approaches designs strategically utilizing both her technical, yet creative skills daily.
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Gabby enjoys running outdoors near her home in Conroe, TX, spending time with her husband and two kids, and keeping up with Odin the Cat and the dogs Woody and Luna. With a busy life, her love for Jesus and passion for helping others are her most important guidance and what lights her path in everything she does.
Sandra Nadira, PE
CIVIL PROJECT MANAGER
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Sandra joined Altar Group in 2023 as a Civil Project Manager. She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and worked on hydrologic and hydraulic studies for a variety of small and large-scale projects. Her experience ranges from residential to chemical and industrial projects.
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She is most passionate about working with and growing a team that is effective at what they do, but also enjoys working together to bring a project to completion.
Sandra has had the opportunity to travel to several countries and cities around the world. She speaks and can read some Arabic and is fluent in Spanish.
Mayowa Lewis, PE
CIVIL PROJECT MANAGER
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Graduating from Penn State University College of Engineering in 2010, Mayowa has several years of experience as a stormwater engineering reviewer for the public sector and a site design engineer in the private sector. He also holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina which has equipped him for a career as a holistic engineer.​
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He has worked to provide engineering solutions to various difficult site development problems from North Carolina, to Midland, TX and finally to the Houston area. Obtaining his PE in Water Resources and Environmental ignited a drive to learn and address unique challenges related to flood mitigation and stormwater analysis. He thrives in a team of engineers and designers committed to solving such problems as the collaboration and problem-solving process reminds him of our need to remain humble and dependent on the first and ultimate Designer and Engineer/ Architect of all things, in Whose image we are all created: Jesus Christ.​
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Outside of his role as an engineer, Mayowa enjoys most forms of physical training, spending time with family and friends, hiking, encouraging others towards “shalom”, learning, or reading a good book.
Rafael Ruiz
ARCHITECT DESIGNER
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Rafael graduated with an associate’s degree in computer-aided design, using his drafting skills while working in the architecture and engineering field for 20+ years. He gained several years of experience as a Task Lead and Project Manager in design of transportation maintenance facilities across the country.
He joined Altar Group in late 2022 as a Project Manager in the architecture department and works to carry projects through the permitting process, coordinating with city and county officials for an efficient and timely product delivery to our clients. He has also taken on coordinating the concept designs for many of the projects we work on throughout Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
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Rafael is a native Houstonian and father to a daughter and son. He enjoys spending time with them, traveling and finding new places to explore. He also enjoys getting out and hitting the trails in his Subaru Crosstrek with other Subie enthusiasts.
Casey Hernandez
CIVIL DRAFTER
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Casey joined Altar Group in December 2024 as a Civil Drafter. He is a skilled designer with a passion for creating innovative and functional designs that contribute to improving our community.
When he's not working, you can find Casey immersed in the world of cars and motorcycles, exploring the outdoors, or diving into the latest gaming adventures.
Whether it's designing, riding, hiking, or gaming, he strives to challenge his creativity in everything he does.
Christopher Scott
CIVIL DRAFTER
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Christopher Scott is a civil drafter with a passion for furniture design and craftsmanship. With over 4 years of experience in drafting and developing detailed engineering plans, Christopher specializes in creating accurate, functional, and visually appealing designs for infrastructure projects such as roads, utilities, and residential developments. His proficiency in industry-standard software ensures that his designs meet both technical requirements and standards for our clients.
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Christopher’s dedication to design extends beyond his professional career, to furniture design and craft. In his personal time, he also channels his creativity into designing and building custom furniture pieces, using traditional woodworking techniques and modern design principles.
Bryan Torres
CIVIL DRAFTER
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Bryan is a skilled CAD drafter with over 4 years of experience. With an AutoCAD certification, Bryan has developed a strong foundation in creating precise and innovative designs. His skills assist in keeping the team moving forward and staying on track with projects.
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When he is away from work, Bryan enjoys spending time with family, sports and video games.
Melany Castaneda
DESIGNER
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Melany joined Altar Group in May 2022. Her interest in design and eagerness to learn something new have brought her to the team. She performs organizational tasks and assists in production.
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Melany plans to pursue a career in design-related field in the future. She enjoys spending her time off with her family, friends, and her dog, Angelo.
Rhonda Childs
PROJECT COORDINATOR
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Rhonda has always chosen a career path in the service of helping others. She has a background in graphic design, complex event scheduling and team management for non-profit and corporate organizations. When God led her to Altar Group, she knew it was a position that had purpose and would allow her to expand her gifts and talents. Whether it’s trying to organize the world, utilize her “Nancy Drew” skills for site investigations, or think of a creative place for our next team building adventure, she loves her job and feels like she’s surrounded by family. Being originally from New Orleans, Louisiana this matters greatly.
When Rhonda is not loving her job, she’s loving her family, which consists of her hubby of over 30 years, 3 amazing kids and Pippin the dog. If she’s not watching Lord of the Rings for the 100th time or finding the latest adventure with her family, she may be teaching children what it means to trust in Jesus every day, because it’s a lesson we never stop learning.
Sandra Sala-Diakanda
TALENT ACQUISITION SPECIALIST
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Sandra holds a BFA in Graphic Design and Illustration from AIU, and an AA in Architecture. She is an artist who has always had a passion for serving others with any talent or gift she feels blessed with. She joined Altar Group in October of 2024 as an in-house recruiter to facilitate the search for great candidates that fit our company like a glove. Her love of talking to people, and getting to know them, and her few years learning about architecture and design are the perfect combination to make her good at sourcing talent for Altar Group.
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Outside of work, she is running her art and illustration business from home, painting and making stationery that reflect her love of travel. She is most likely doing this while juggling three energetic little boys, with her husband! She loves, Nutella, coffee, traveling, and anything that involves laughing a lot and spending time with family and friends. Her favorite place to be is serving Jesus at her church with the worship team, or anywhere else she can.
Jules Childs
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
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Jules has always wanted to work in an environment that contributes to building God's kingdom here on Earth. Before Altar Group, this meant working with children and bringing them up in the way of Jesus. Now, in a more literal sense, building the kingdom while still helping to build it in others through conversation.
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Jules was drawn to this company because of the intentionality with the business decisions, and with the organizations that Altar Group supports. She believes in working with a purpose and this environment accomplishes significant purpose; loving and helping others through the skills Jesus has given us through wisdom and talent.​
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When she is not working or spending time with family, you can find Jules hunting down her favorite Korean restaurant for a delicious meal!