Q1: Tell us about yourself! Are you from this area?
I was born and raised in Howe, Indiana, a little over an hour north of Fort Wayne in Lagrange County. I attended Ball State University for my undergraduate degree and attended Clemson University for my Master’s.
Q2: When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in architecture? Do you have a specific niche or project type that you specialize in?
My earliest recollection of knowing I wanted to pursue architecture was in middle school. My best friend’s dad was an architect and it amazed me to see hand-drawn renderings of his projects, and even visit some of the homes he was building. I have always enjoyed building things and the arts, so architecture just felt right from a pretty young age.
I have almost exclusively worked on financial and workplace projects at Design Collaborative. The financial market is a niche market that has provided opportunities for projects across the country.
Q3: How long have you been with Design Collaborative? What is your favorite part about working at DC?
I’m celebrating 10 years at DC this year and, by far, my favorite part is the people I get to work with. We are all incredibly passionate about the work we do, and the opportunity to improve the worlds of our clients and the communities we are in. It’s an incredibly special group of people I get to work with every day.
Q4: Is there a project that you’ve worked on that you are most proud of?
Each project always brings me a sense of pride, especially when seeing the finished result with our clients. Even some of the smallest projects can make a huge impact. There is one project that remains at the top of my mind that I was fortunate to be a part of early on at DC, and that was working with Turnstone on the Plassman Athletic Center. This project will always be special to me for the impact it has had (and continues to have) on our community, and knowing the opportunities it has opened for so many. Seeing how the building helped support the mission to empower people with disabilities to achieve their highest potential is something I will always be incredibly proud of.
Q5: How do you feel architecture in northeast Indiana has evolved over the last 5-10 years? How does architecture in this area compare to larger cities?
In general, it’s been great to see the resurgence of design in our region and, more specifically, in downtown Fort Wayne. There have been many great projects downtown that have contributed to this, starting with Parkview Field, and continuing with projects like The Pearl and Pearl Street Arts Center that are currently under construction.
I would say the most important part of the revitalization of downtown is people are realizing what great design can do for a community. While something like Promenade Park on paper could appear like any other park, it’s so much more than that. It’s connected a community back to its rivers and brought life and excitement to an area that hasn’t had that in a long time. It was designed to be used and accessible for everyone, from children to adults, and has helped provide a new destination for families and visitors downtown that we should all be very proud of.
I also think some of the most successful things we’ve done downtown are the little things — the murals on buildings, activating the alleys with seating and lighting, taking away parking lots in the summer and creating places for people to sit and enjoy. These things have only added to a resurgence of design downtown.
Q6: Fill us in on what you do for fun outside of working hours.
I have three-year-old and four-year-old daughters that keep me incredibly busy! We enjoy exploring the city, going to the zoo and local parks, and spending time on the lake up north during the summer with friends and family. I love to travel and have been fortunate to see quite a bit of the world, from Australia to Asia to Europe. It’s an incredible thing to experience new places.
