Longtime MSR Design Principal Jack Poling didn’t plan to pursue a career in architecture until well into his college career, when a guidance counselor suggested it might be a good fit.

The counselor was onto something. Now, after a decadeslong career in architecture, including 16 years as managing director at MSR, Poling is calling it a career.

A native of Texas, Poling graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in environmental design, and he later earned a master’s degree in architecture at the University of Minnesota.

Poling has worked on numerous projects in Minnesota and beyond, with a special focus on libraries. In 2019, he was inducted into the American Institute of Architects’ prestigious College of Fellows, which honors AIA members who have made “significant contributions to elevate those architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and have made a significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level.”

In the following interview, Poling talks about how he decided to pursue a career in architecture, the importance of designing libraries as transformational places, the impact of the pandemic on design firms and more.