Merchants Capital announced that Margaret Lehto has joined the firm as chief architect. She will be based out of the company’s Chicago office. According to the press release, Lehto is a licensed architect in the states of Illinois and Wisconsin, a member of both the American Institute of Architects and the Association of Licensed Architects and she holds a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) professional accreditation. In her new role with Merchants, Lehto will be responsible for ensuring compliance with underwriting guidelines for debt and equity investments across the company. She will also manage the review of construction due diligence and third-party construction reports throughout the duration of all projects. Additionally, Lehto will use her skillset and knowledge of construction documentation and budget review to ensure projects are appropriately budgeted from the start so that Merchants and its customers will avoid critical issues that may arise later in the project life cycle.