Karl F. Soby
(Founder / Managing Partner of the CES Design Group, Inc. started in 2004 as an Architecture / Engineering firm.) CES Group, Inc. provides planning, Design, 3-D renderings as well as Revit and AutoCAD based drawings and construction. Karl has a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Construction Management with a minor in Architecture from Florida State. In addition, he holds a General Contractors and realtor’s license in the state of Florida.
Since 1983 Karl has been in the Architecture industry designing large scale multi-family residential communities, HUD and conventional projects, high-end residential, commercial, and industrial projects in varied building construction types. Working with several major design firms prior to starting CES Design Group, Inc. Karl has been a key component on design projects for sizeable homebuilders including Pulte Homes, 13th Floor Investments, Alliance Development Partners, California Retail Properties, The Construction team, DR Horton, Bainbridge Development, Mill Creek, Goldberg Companies Inc, and Lennar Multifamily. His responsibilities included managing the projects on a day-to-day basis and in-house operations.
Karl established the Architectural / Planning firm, CES Design Group Inc., As a result of starting this firm, he has been responsible for designing more than 30,000 multifamily units around the country, numerous high-end residential and commercial projects. The wide-ranging commercial projects comprise of medical surgical centers, large scale warehouse developments, banks, offices, and residential clubhouses buildings. As a successful business owner, he manages the overall designs, daily operation of the company, marketing along with production schedules, budgets, contracts, client and contractor interactions, billing and overseeing a staff of Architects, Designers and Engineering team members.
Henry Franky, RA
(Partner / Senior Architectural designer for CES Design Group, Inc.) Henry Franky is an Architect Partner at CES Design Group, boasting 35 years of experience in the high-end residential sector. A graduate of Florida A & M University with a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from FAMU in 1989. He began offering his services as an owner in 1993. Henry has designed high-end custom homes in numerous opulent Florida communities, including The Bears Club, Mirasol, Seminole Landing, Old Marsh, Old Palm Golf Club, Long Lake Estates, St. Andrews Country Club, Woodfield Country Club, The Polo Club, Addison Reserve and several intracoastal properties.
His work extends beyond Florida, reaching South Carolina, the Bahamas, St. Martin, and New Zealand, where he has designed homes for golf players and CEOs of major companies. Henry has always collaborated closely with top construction companies in Palm Beach and Broward County, which has enabled him to contribute to the development of multi-family projects early in his career, including a 175-unit townhouse development in Pembroke Pines.
Currently, Henry oversees the design and implementation of construction documents for residential and commercial projects. He also contributes to the design and production of multi-family projects.
Diane R. Berry
(Partner at CES Design Group, Inc. since 2020) Diane started in construction and architectural design in 1990. She graduated with honors from Florida Atlantic University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Architecture. From 1996 to 2010, Diane assisted Architecture firms in Site and Building planning and design. Many required the projects to be ADA, ANSI, FHA, and/ or UFAS compliant for redevelopment of CRA and Housing Authority owned properties.
Diane opened her own Architecture consulting business from 2010 to 2014. Acting on behalf of the Developers, she worked with Construction and Architectural teams during the planning and building processes on multiple private and public sector projects. Several included HUD financing and special building and dwelling unit feature compliances including LEED aspects. In 34 years, Diane’s experience collaborating on urban planning redevelopment, over 25,000 new multifamily buildings, mixed-use buildings, infill redevelopments, commercial spaces, assisted living venues, and medical rehabilitation facilities have left her with a well-rounded architectural knowledge and experience base.
At CES Design Group since 2015, she now collaborates with 3 other partners on designs, business decisions, and contract negotiations. She directs the daily in-house production staff in REVIT and CADD based document production, project consultant coordination, new materials research, and conducts on-site construction observation. Diane’s objective for CES and the client’s CES serves; Meet the goals of the developments by delivering a high-quality on time construction document product that serves the needs of the general contractor so the building can be constructed as efficiently and as durable as feasible to serve the use it is intended for years to come.
Michael Montgomery
(Partner at CES Design Group, Inc. since Jan. 2024) A graduate of Florida A & M University (Bachelor of Architecture), Michael brings over 25 years of experience in architecture and construction to the table. He began by solidifying his technical foundation as a draftsman and illustrator before transitioning into project management. For more than a decade as an Architectural Senior Project Manager, Michael tackled a diverse range of projects – commercial, medical, residential, and numerous multifamily developments. This involved seamless collaboration with all stakeholders, from owners to government agencies including the Broward County Housing Authority. In January 2018, he served as Owner's Representative and Construction Project Manager for a large multifamily development company in Miami, Florida. Here, he navigated the complexities of HUD financing and LEED accreditation. Among his many successful projects are La Vida (a 272-unit multifamily development in Miami), Pinnacle at Peacefield (a 120-unit project in Hollywood), and Pinnacle at Tarpon River (a 112-unit development achieving LEED Silver certification).