A Pocatello architecture firm with deep roots in southeast Idaho reached a milestone this month, marking 50 years of continuous operation with an open house at its Historic Downtown Pocatello office at 122 S. Main St.
Myers Anderson Architects celebrated the half-century mark on June 18, gathering clients, partners, and community members to commemorate a firm that has shaped some of the region’s most recognizable buildings over five decades.
From H. Tom Myers & Associates to a Pocatello Institution
Tom Myers launched the firm in 1976 under the name H. Tom Myers & Associates. Pete Anderson came aboard shortly after the founding and rose to principal architect by 1980. Jerry Myers joined in 1985 in the same capacity. Over time the firm’s name evolved to Myers Anderson Architects to reflect those leadership changes. Tom Myers stepped away from the practice in 2002 after more than two decades at the helm.
The firm also operated a satellite office in Evanston, Wyoming for a stretch, broadening its reach into the broader Intermountain West market before consolidating back to its Pocatello base.
Richard Creason entered the picture in 2007 as a part-time intern architect while completing his studies at the University of Idaho. He earned his architecture license in 2011 and eventually took on the principal role when Pete Anderson retired in 2016. When Jerry Myers retired in 2022, Creason became the firm’s sole principal — carrying forward a lineage that stretches back to the Carter administration.
New Principal Brings Fresh Perspective, But No Plans to Rebrand
Matt Frankel joined the firm in 2020 and was elevated to principal earlier this year, giving Myers Anderson Architects a two-principal leadership structure for the first time in several years.
Frankel’s path to Pocatello was anything but direct. A native of southeast Pennsylvania, he was working as an architect in Savannah, Georgia before a trip through the Intermountain West drew him toward the region. He relocated to Pocatello in 2020 and quickly found a home at the firm.
Despite the leadership transition and Frankel’s arrival as a full partner, there are no plans to alter the firm’s well-established name. “Myers Anderson Architects is such a recognized name in the region, we don’t want to do anything to change that,” Frankel said.
That sentiment reflects a broader appreciation for what the firm has built over 50 years. Frankel described the company’s history as something worth honoring rather than setting aside. “There is some real history there that you can’t ignore and it’s something that should be celebrated,” he said.
It is a philosophy that appears to align well with the firm’s portfolio. Myers Anderson Architects has contributed to a substantial number of community landmarks in and around Pocatello and southeast Idaho. The firm’s completed projects include the ICCU Field House, the ICCU Bengal Alumni Center, Lookout Point Park, Chubbuck City Hall, and the Petersen Building Renovation — a mix of civic, recreational, and institutional work that spans much of the region’s recent development history.
The Bengal Alumni Center and Field House projects place the firm squarely in the story of Idaho State University’s campus evolution, further cementing its identity as an architectural presence central to how Pocatello looks and functions today.
The June 18 open house at the firm’s downtown Pocatello suite gave the public a chance to see that history on display — a fitting way to mark fifty years for a firm whose projects are visible across the community it serves. Southeast Idaho has seen significant growth and investment in recent years, and firms like Myers Anderson are part of the institutional fabric that supports that development, much like other long-standing local organizations marking significant anniversaries this summer.
What Comes Next
With Creason and Frankel now sharing principal responsibilities, Myers Anderson Architects enters its second half-century with experienced leadership in place. The firm has not announced specific upcoming projects, but its established presence in the civic, educational, and recreational sectors suggests continued involvement in Pocatello and the broader region. The name — and the legacy behind it — will remain unchanged.