A trusted partner to over 80 school systems and counting
Southern A&E Today
Today, Southern A&E operates from Austell, Georgia, where our 62 professionals bring every discipline together as one team. With over 50 years of experience and more than $5.5 billion in completed work for over 80 Georgia-based Owners, we continue to deliver designs that balance cost, durability, and long-term stewardship of public resources.
Our mission is simple: make the design process clear, responsive, and effective so Owners feel heard, supported, and confident. That is the foundation of everything we do, and it is what turns vision into reality.
1970: Denney & Associates is founded.
Southern A&E’s roots go back to 1970, when Denney and Associates opened in Carrollton, Georgia, offering residential architectural services. As community needs grew, so did our practice, expanding into commercial and educational design as well as master planning.
1983: Denney & Associates joins Southern Engineering.
In 1983, Denney and Associates joined Southern Engineering Company to form a fully integrated firm. For the first time, clients had architecture and engineering— mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and civil— working together under one roof. That single-source model remains central to how we deliver seamless, coordinated projects today.
1998: Southern Engineering Company becomes Southern A&E.
By 1998, principals Roy Denney and Ernest Varney purchased the architecture and engineering divisions, establishing Southern A&E, LLC as an independent, employee-owned firm. From the start, our focus has been on supporting public-sector clients with designs that are practical, enduring, and rooted in community needs.
Leadership
Rooted in decades of expertise, Southern A&E’s leadership blends visionary
architectural design with in-house engineering services, guiding our firm to
deliver innovative, high-quality facilities across Georgia.
Michael Waldbillig
PE, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Chief Executive Officer
Rebecca Kirk
RLA, ASLA
President
Steve McCune
AIA, NCARB
CEO Emeritus
Greg Schillinger
AIA, NCARB
VP, Architecture
Patrick Hallahan
RLA, LEED AP
VP, Civil Engineering
Frank Campo, Jr.
PE, LEED AP BD+C, RCDD
VP, Electrical Engineering
Laban Busieney
PE
VP, Mechanical Engineering
Daniel Chiles
PE, SE
VP, Structural Engineering
Southern A&E in the community: Our staff gives back
Our Mission
At Southern A&E, our mission is to provide an exceptional client experience built on trust, communication, and results. We believe that every project deserves the same level of attention and care—whether it’s a small renovation or a complex, multi-phase development.
Our success is measured by the relationships we build and the satisfaction of the clients we serve, many of whom have partnered with us for decades.
How We Deliver
As a full-service, employee-owned firm, Southern A&E brings every discipline together under one roof. Our architects, engineers, and designers work side by side, ensuring clear communication, faster coordination, and responsive problem-solving from concept through construction.
This hands-on, collaborative structure allows our staff to stay directly involved in each project, providing the dedication and accountability that defines our approach.