TEAM SPOTLIGHT
December 2025
Dayna’s story begins in Pittsburgh, where she grew up a city girl fascinated by architecture and design. While other kids flipped through magazines or comic books, she was sketching floor plans and begging her parents for trips to Home Depot and Lowe’s to explore design books. That early curiosity led her into an engineering magnet program and later into architecture studies—until the math-heavy coursework clashed with her creative instincts and she made a bold pivot to marketing.
Her love for construction had sparked years earlier, when her aunt walked her through a house mid-build. Seeing the framework before the walls went up revealed how spaces could shape people’s lives. Even as her career path shifted, that moment stayed with her.
After earning her marketing degree, Dayna moved to Philadelphia and took a job in IT—a role that didn’t inspire her. Everything changed when she found a marketing position at an architectural firm. It felt like her two worlds had finally collided. She landed the job, discovered the AEC industry, and never looked back. For her, marketing isn’t just campaigns or collateral—it’s storytelling about the environments that shape communities.
Mentors along the way encouraged her to stretch herself, including one boss who pushed her to get involved with SMPS Philadelphia, where she later held leadership roles. Those experiences sharpened her writing, design, and strategic thinking while keeping her connected to industry trends.
When the pandemic forced her previous firm to close, Dayna found Caritas at exactly the right moment. The company was growing and ready to invest in marketing, and she became their first full-time marketing professional. From day one, she’s been shaping proposals, building brand identity, and creating the tools that help Caritas stand out. More importantly, she found a culture that feels like family—one where leadership values every employee.
Her partnership with CEO Jody Arena is a highlight—one built on trust, creativity, and shared values. Jody often describes Dayna as someone who “exemplifies our core values in The Way,” noting that “as she strives for excellence, she always is better tomorrow than she is today. Her marketing expertise is creative and eloquent.” His words reflect not just her skill, but the spirit she brings to the company every day.
Dayna’s work ripples across Caritas—strengthening the brand, elevating client materials, and ensuring the company’s values shine through every message.
Outside the office, Dayna is a foodie who loves trying new restaurants and cocktails, catching concerts, and staying active with jogging and Pilates. She’s passionate about design and historic house tours, and she’s always planning her next travel adventure. She and her husband, Tyler, were married in the US Virgin Islands and now share life with their two-year-old daughter—with a new baby arriving this summer. And for a fun twist: in college, she skated as a Pittsburgh Penguins Ice Girl, a nod to her lifelong love of hockey.
Dayna’s journey is one of creativity and passion. From sketching floor plans as a kid to shaping the voice of a growing construction firm, she’s built a career that blends her love of design with her passion for storytelling—and she’s just getting started.