It is with sincere gratitude and appreciation that we send well wishes to Principal Steven J. Boyington, AIA, LEED AP, as he retires from The Lunz Group after more than 50 years in the architectural business. Steve’s official last day was on December 22 of 2023.
Prior to joining The Lunz Group, Steve Boyington was the CEO of WMB-ROI, an architectural firm based in Lakeland, FL for more than 30 years. Steve started working for Bruce Renfroe at 15 years old, followed by Ernie Straughn, Todd Rose, Dean Rowe, and Ken Regnvall. Eventually, John Wallis and Mike Murphey would join Steve as partners, founding Wallace Murphey Boyington Architects, which would eventually rebrand to WMB-ROI in the 2010s.
Steve received his Bachelor of Design from the University of Florida and his Master of Architecture from MIT. Having spent most of his adult life in Polk County, he continues to remain very involved in the Lakeland and Winter Haven communities, even participating in the Leadership Lakeland Class of XVI and serving as a past chairman. Steve’s passion for serving the community aligned with many of his clients over the years, especially those who actively pushed for a better vision for the Lakeland and Central Florida community.
In 2019, the Lunz Group merged with WMB-ROI, leveraging the skillset and sustainability of each successful firm and combining them into the largest architecture firm in Polk County. He brought to The Lunz Group his specialized experience in multifamily and affordable housing. Steven’s forte was taking on clients with tight budgets and conceptual barriers and providing them with vision, clarity, and confidence to maximize their return on investment. Steve worked on some of the firm’s most notable projects during his tenure, including Summit, Catapult, Lakeland’s Downtown Gateway Concept, and the Lakeland Train Station off the iconic Lake Mirror (who he had the opportunity to work closely with Roger Haar, assistant City Manager that the time).
Arguably, what he’s most proud of is not so much the projects he’s worked on, but the clients and teams that he had the privilege of serving for more than 50 years. Some of those clients he continues to recognize as impactful in his career include Wesley Beck, the partners of Six/Ten in Winter Haven, Louis Garrard and Jason Lewis (Coda Development) and in particular, Steve Baylis.
From our clients, community, and The Lunz Team, we say Thank You to Steve Boyington for his years of service, wisdom, and leadership.
