PENN TWP — When architect Jessica Forsythe left a larger firm in 1997 to start her own, her goal was to get back to that hands-on, personal style of designing a project that she enjoyed.

Through her leadership, 4-Most Group Architects has designed a number of projects and has served the Butler County community for more than 15 years.

Forsythe is a 1994 alumna of the Leadership Butler County program in which participants take part in leadership development and are introduced to a cross section of the private, public and nonprofit groups in the county.

The program opened her eyes to all the nonprofit groups that help the community and encouraged her to become more involved as she developed her own firm.

“I really learned a lot about Butler County and its nonprofits. I never realized just how many there were, and there's substantially more now,” said Forsythe.

She first decided to go through the leadership program because in her early career, she had been a member of the Butler YMCA board.

Forsythe, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, began her career in architecture at Burt Hill Architects, before starting 4-Most Group.

Forsythe believes that leadership “is being able to step out and find the best in other people and to help them become the best they can be, whether in business or as a person. They are catalysts rather than bullies to make that happen.”

Forsythe explained that she lived through the growth of the company, which grew from a small firm to a large regional firm.

“I wasn't practicing architecture the way I wanted,” said Forsythe. “When I first started, I gave myself three months to develop a master plan for the firm,” something she joked that she still hasn't completed after all these years.

She started her firm because she liked the personal interaction of the architect with the client and sitting down and figuring out a project that will work best for them.

4-Most Group has been designing buildings since 1997. The firm manages all stages of both commercial and residential projects, from the predesign phase through construction and project completion.

Forsythe worked with her partner and husband, Richard Forsythe, at Burt Hill, though they worked in separate departments. He had worked on larger development projects that included major hotel franchises.

“He's a car buff,” said Forsythe, which helped to sign on some of its clients such as Honda North on Route 68 along with doing some work with Tom Henry Chevrolet.

During the past 15 years, Forsythe said she's had huge opportunities to work on some great regional projects, including the baseball stadium at Slippery Rock University, the Eagle Production Center for the Butler Eagle, several NexTier buildings and a number of car dealerships.

Some of that personal touch is evident with “Evening with the Architect” program, where homeowners and contractors can talk with an architect about a potential project.

During a meeting, attendees meet with an architect for four to six hours to go over the project, the first step in the design process. Attendees get to keep any sketches that the architects produce.

Her successes with her firm and the knowledge she gained from Leadership Butler County have helped her assist community groups and make a positive impact on the county.

She has provided her business expertise serving on both the Community Care Connections and Community Health Clinic of Butler County boards.

On the community clinic's board, she was part of the site selection committee.

“It is truly a community health clinic,” said Forsythe, adding that it is one of the most rewarding community projects in which she has been involved. The clinic provides health care services for low-income individuals.

She also helped design for Monarch Place the former corporate offices of Spang and Co. that became home of Family Pathways in 2003.

It includes a 44,000- square-foot building and parking facilities for 200 vehicles. Family Pathways is a nonprofit program aimed at restoring, sustaining and enhancing family relationships.

Forsythe also serves of the board of trustees for Butler County Community College. She said that she was one of the original students to attend BC3 when it first opened.

The spirit of giving back to the community also has extended to Forsythe's daughter and employees.

Bonnie Forsythe, who works at the firm with her mother as business manager, wanted to help raise money for cancer research. She and former employee Amy Monteleone, who was battling cancer, helped organize the first Spring for a Cure luncheon in 2008.

The goal the first year was to raise $5,000. The two firm employees were able to raise more than $10,000. The amounts raised have increased ever since.

Monteleone lost her battle with cancer in 2011, but the event continues on.

The Spring for a Cure event this past year raised more than $35,000 for breast cancer research, which was donated to the Pittsburgh Komen Race for the Cure and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

<B>ADDRESS: </B>Butler Township<B>FAMILY: </B>Husband, Richard Forsythe; daughter, Bonnie Forsythe; son, Jason Forsythe<B>EMPLOYMENT: </B>President of 4 — Most Group Architects<B>COMPANY ADDRESS: </B>267 Pittsburgh Road, Suite 4, Butler, PA 16002<B>WHAT IT DOES: </B>Residential and commercial architectural firm<B>EMPLOYEES:</B> 5<B>COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP: </B>Member of the board of trustees of Butler County Community College<B>LEADERSHIP IS:</B>“It is being able to step out and find the best in other people and to help them become the best they can be, whether in business or as a person. They are catalysts rather than bullies to make that happen.”<B>INSPIRATION:</B>“Winston Churchill was a great leader. In the midst of a devastating situation, he was able to get people to perform a role and used it as a call for freedom.”