Dalton’s Jason Judson Co-Presents Presentation on Capital Projects at Independent School Conference

Big visions with tight budgets. Operating schools during construction. Surprises behind walls.

These are some of the issues and constraints that many independent schools encounter when planning and building capital projects. How can independent schools successfully juggle these issues while navigating the complex design and construction process to deliver their next legacy project?

At a recent event hosted by CIS Ontario, Dalton’s Jason Judson and Jon Loewen, Design Principal at Perkins & Will, addressed this fundamental question during a presentation for independent school finance and operations professionals.  

Jason and Jon explored several topics during the 60-minute presentation and Q & A session, including:

• Understanding the risks involved in capital projects

• Keys to building the right team

• Important elements to establishing the program

• Risk management strategies from a design and construction perspective

Jason shared insights on these topics based on the lessons he’s learned during his 25-plus years delivering projects at Dalton—which includes the successful delivery of capital projects for Appleby College, St. Andrew’s College and St. Anne’s School—and his previous role as a project manager for an international project management firm.

These experiences informed several risk management strategies that Jason recommended that schools should implement early in the planning and design process. For example, Jason encouraged schools to ensure that the program underpinning their next capital project is defined as clearly as possible to prevent approval delays or rework during the design or construction phase—an issue he has encountered more than once.

Based on the wealth of questions and discussions that the presentation generated, Jason and Jon are planning to host a webinar on a similar topic in the New Year that will offer more insights and integrate feedback and ideas they received from independent school professionals.

Stay tuned for details on this webinar in early 2026.