NEW YORK — July 15, 2024 — NELSON Worldwide, an award-winning architecture, design, and strategy firm, is excited to announce that Ray Ehscheid is joining the team as National Practice Leader, Retail. With a distinguished 30-year career in retail and workplace design, Ray brings a unique blend of dynamic creative vision and focused business acumen. His expertise has consistently driven growth and innovation in both experience and physical design across the luxury, lifestyle, retail, and financial sectors.

Ray is known for transforming spaces into experiences that resonate with consumers and align with client and internal business objectives. His ability to stay ahead of market trends and translate them into actionable, forward-thinking solutions has made him a sought-after industry thought leader. In this new role at NELSON, Ray will spearhead strategic growth within the retail sector. Ray will blend business acumen with design expertise to build on the team’s success to inspire and support the global team. This initiative will catalyze ongoing innovation, delivering design excellence for current clients and new partnerships.

“Ray embodies versatility as a thought leader, strategist, spokesperson, and client advocate,” says John “Ozzie” Nelson Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at NELSON Worldwide. “We look forward to having him collaborate with our cross-functional leaders across NELSON’s multiple practice areas to bring new insights and focus to craft concepts into actionable plans and measurable results.”

NELSON’s forward-thinking approach to integrating technology, sustainability, and human-centric design principles resonates deeply with Ray’s vision for the future of retail environments. The firm’s global reach and diverse client base offer the chance to make a significant impact on a larger scale, while its entrepreneurial spirit encourages the kind of innovative thinking that has been a hallmark of Ray’s career.

Ray is an advocate for driving the integration of digital and customer experience services into architectural solutions, from an early career with Reebok, through extensive tenure reshaping Bank of America’s retail branch network, and onwards through work with a diverse and top-tier group of clients in both retail and workplace sectors. Passionate about the retail design industry, Ray maintains an active voice in key industry organizations like IIDA, PAVE, and the Retail Design Institute (RDI), where Ray was honored to be named a Fellow of the Institute in 2023.

ORLANDO – June 3, 2024 — NELSON Worldwide is pleased to welcome Dana Boyte as Business Development Leader, Civic & Justice. In her new role, Boyte will be responsible for end-to-end business development, from initial prospecting through the lifecycle of the client’s relationship with the firm. She will develop comprehensive business development plans, conduct daily outreach activities, oversee requests for proposals (RFP), and lead the sales process for new clients. Boyte’s strategic vision and client-centric approach are expected to grow NELSON’s market presence and drive long-term success.

Boyte’s previous career highlights include her role as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at CGL Management Services LLC, where she led comprehensive marketing strategies that drove significant business growth. Prior to that, at Dewberry Inc., she elevated the company’s brand in the Florida justice architecture and civil engineering municipal markets through strategic positioning and targeted marketing efforts. Her experience working with elected officials in Florida, managing citizen relations, and contributing to policy initiatives honed her skills in stakeholder engagement and policy analysis, further enriching her expertise.

With admiration for NELSON’s global reputation for innovation and excellence, Boyte is eager to join a team of architects she respects and has previously worked with. Boyte looks forward to leveraging her experience in cultivating purposeful relationships and driving success to expand NELSON’s client portfolio and foster long-term partnerships. Her goal is to position NELSON as a trusted partner and leader in the Civic & Justice sector, driving growth and innovation for the team.

Minneapolis, July 15, 2024— Award-winning architecture, design, and strategy firm NELSON Worldwide has combined operations with Itasca, IL-based Cornerstone Architects, which maintains a solid core of industrial architecture responsibilities, including distribution, manufacturing, storage, cleanrooms, and cold storage. Founded in 1996, Cornerstone’s breadth of services also includes land planning, interior design, and LEED design in the office, technology, retail, and sports facilities markets. The new entity initially will be known as Cornerstone Architects, a NELSON Company.

This move aligns with NELSON’s strategic plans to grow the national footprint of its existing Industrial practice. Rooted in efficient design and optimized delivery, NELSON’s Industrial practice creates agile spaces for clients and community that pivot with changing market trends, supply chain shifts, and consumer demand. We are excited to welcome Cornerstone into the NELSON Worldwide network,” says Chairman and CEO, John “Ozzie” Nelson, Jr. “This partnership marks a significant milestone in our growth strategy and strengthens our capabilities in industrial architecture. Cornerstone’s impressive portfolio and expertise in the Chicago market will not only enhance our service offerings, but it will also allow us to better serve our clients with innovative and comprehensive design solutions. We look forward to the exciting opportunities this collaboration will bring and are confident that, together, we will set new standards of excellence in the industry.”

Founded in 1977, NELSON has been one of the most aggressive integrators in the AEC industry, offering a breadth of services across the globe that transform all dimensions of the human experience, including architecture, interior design, graphic design, and brand strategy. The firm creates and delivers compelling brand experiences, engaging environments, inside and out, and smart solutions across the spaces we interact with daily—where we work, shop, dine, stay, serve, live, play, and thrive. Both firms are committed to managing a seamless transition for employees and clients, who will continue to receive the same level of service and attention to detail they have come to expect from both organizations.

NELSON Worldwide created a collaborative space for the Patterson Companies offices in Eagan, Minnesota.

Read more with Office Snapshots here.

NEW YORK — September 16, 2024 — NELSON Worldwide welcomes Jowita (Jo) Abbott as Design Leader, Retail. In this role, she will enhance the breadth and profitability of NELSON’s interior design discipline on regional and global levels. Abbott will focus on delivering innovative and compelling design solutions tailored to clients’ evolving needs. She will lead design discussions within regional teams and ensure the successful delivery of projects through effective RFP responses, management structures, and mentoring interior design teammates across various offices.

With over 12 years of experience across the hospitality, workplace, and luxury residential sectors, Abbott is a seasoned interior design leader. This diverse background has shaped her perspective on retail design, enabling her to incorporate the essential elements of detail, functionality, and relationship-building from these fields. By thinking creatively and prioritizing human-centric solutions, Abbott has crafted retail spaces that go beyond functionality to deeply resonate with users—spaces that have a soul and a strong connection to the people they serve.

Inspired by the NELSON environment that prioritizes transformation, progression, and engagement, Abbott is eager to collaborate with a forward-thinking, creative team and introduce her leadership style to the firm. Her passion for sustainable, functional, and immersive spaces aligns with NELSON’s commitment to purposeful design. As Design Leader, Retail, Abbott will actively oversee the quality control of select interior architectural projects, ensuring the highest standards are upheld throughout all phases of development. She will also be the bridge between creative teams and project management while serving as a key liaison to the Leadership Team.

In her previous roles, Abbott led teams on projects for clients including Bloomingdale’s, Amafi, Meta, T-Mobile, Micles, and Stylex, among others. As a board member of the Retail Design Institute (RDI) NY Chapter, she co-creates engaging events that foster community and growth within the industry. Abbott was recognized as one of Retail TouchPoints’ 40 Under 40 and is a recipient of VMSD’s Designer Dozen award, highlighting her dedication to pushing the boundaries of design across diverse sectors. Abbott’s extensive experience, from luxury to tech, underscores her ability to deliver exceptional results across various scales and sectors.

At NELSON Worldwide, Abbott will leverage her unique perspectives in retail design, team leadership, and business development to enhance the firm’s market impact, driving innovation and success across projects. Her role will extend beyond the office, requiring a strong presence in both local and national industry organizations to foster connections, drive business development, and elevate NELSON’s profile in the design community.

NEW YORK — May 20, 2024 — NELSON Worldwide welcomes Carina Lui as Studio Leader, Mixed-Use. In her new role, Lui will oversee business development to secure domestic, and international projects, provide leadership in design and management, as well as grow and mentor the team in the firm’s New York office.

With more than 20 completed projects over the last 16 years, Lui’s passion for architecture and design stems from a belief that spaces can create opportunities to spark unique social interactions. She possesses a diverse range of national and international experience across multiple industries, such as mixed-use, office, retail, life sciences, aviation, maritime, residential, wellness, and hospitality. A native New Yorker, Lui draws inspiration from her surveying of urban environments, working with non-profit organizations, and the reward of integrating culture and architecture. Rooted in the belief that spaces can create opportunities to spark unique social interactions, she strives to create dynamic, sustainable, and socially engaging environments through collaboration. A proponent of human-centric design, Lui will leverage her experience to support NELSON’s commitment to innovating with purpose for a better tomorrow.

Lui received her Bachelors of Architecture and Bachelors of Science in Business Management, at Syracuse University. Her notable previous work includes Hudson Yards in New York, Zayed International Airport Terminal in Abu Dhabi, Victoria Dockside in Hong Kong, and Fountainbleau in Las Vegas.

The Toby & Leon Cooperman Medical Arts Pavilion has been featured in Medical Construction & Design’s March/April 2024 issue.

Finance company Channel Partners hired architecture and interior design firm NELSON Worldwide to design their new office in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Read more with OfficeLovin’ here.

SEATTLE — May 20, 2024 — NELSON Worldwide is pleased to welcome Epaminondas “Nonda” Trimis, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, as Account Leader, Industrial. In his new role, Trimis will be responsible for account management, business development, and strategic growth in the Pacific Northwest region.

He has 20 years of experience in industrial, critical infrastructure, mixed-use, multifamily, retail, and public projects. He is passionate about constructability and construction coordination, while also maintaining a strong focus on human-driven design and sustainability in his projects.

“Nonda leads with an innate ability to drive business development and foster both client and internal relationships,” says John “Ozzie” Nelson Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at NELSON Worldwide. “His addition will further enhance the breadth, scope, and high caliber of work in the Pacific Northwest and at NELSON Worldwide as a whole.”

Aiding in the continued growth of NELSON’s portfolio of sustainable and innovative approaches to industrial work, Trimis plans to leverage his special interest in sustainable design to continue creating projects that are forward-thinking, industry-leading, environmentally sensitive, and financially successful.

Trimis’ extensive project portfolio highlights include the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, New York Aquarium, and a two-building adaptive reuse and consolidation project for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his Master of Architecture from the University of Washington.

Read more on the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal here.