In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re connecting you with a handful of the women of NELSON who are boldly transforming our industry. Sharing their thoughts and perspectives, keep reading to learn more about what it means to be a woman in architecture and design and what inspires them each day: 

 

Sheryl Moore-Marlette

Chief Operating Officer

 

What lessons and experiences can you share as a female leader?

Women are naturally empathetic beings and great communicators who know how to rally a team together. I encourage women to use those powers for good. Improve yourself but don’t change everything about yourself — be the best version of YOU.

If you could give one piece of advice to young female professionals, what would it be?

Transferable skills are critical to professional success because they empower you to do your job, whatever it is, well. They increase your odds of success at any level and are the foundation and engines of propelling you forward — no matter what you do or how high you want to climb.

 What do you want to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered for being authentic, dependable, trustworthy and always following my moral compass.

 

Susan Martens

SVP, Human Resources

 

If you could give one piece of advice to young female professionals, what would it be?

Aim and push yourself to GROW — both internally and externally. Don’t underestimate yourself, know when to be tenacious and when to step back and re-strategize. Listen and learn – it’s not always about being the “loudest” voice in the room, you can still be heard. Respect diversity and differences and have a trusted colleague you can talk things through.

What are some of the traits that you admire most amongst other female leaders you’ve worked with?

Aside from what you would expect from leaders being focused and possessing a clear vision, additional traits I admire most are a strong sense of fairness, loyalty, decisiveness, honesty, and humility. A sense of humor also works!

Past or present, name three women that you would invite over for a dinner party?

Condoleezza Rice, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and my mother. All extremely intelligent women and what I value is integrity and conversations based on the value of merits – great dinner party!

 

Heesun Kim

Design Director

 

When did you first become interested in design/architecture?

I was a very lucky girl. My father is a wood sculptor and my mother is a Korean traditional flower artist. I naturally grow up surrounded by art & flowers…and I like to express my vision through drawings & objects for as long as I can remember. However, I ended up falling in love with design more than fine art. I realized that while fine art is focusing on self-expression, design focuses on a user. Because of this, this path was more meaningful to me. 

If you could give one piece of advice to young female professionals, what would it be?

Embrace being a woman. Be confident of who you are and express your point of view. Do not limit yourself professionally because you are EQUAL.  Empower the women around you and encourage an inclusive culture. Along the way, you’ll contribute to making the world a better place for all, and most importantly yourself.

 

Andrea Brandt, RID, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C, CMP

Studio Director

 

When did you first become interested in design/architecture?

I had planned to be an art teacher. However, I had a class in Home Economics my junior year in high school that piqued my interest in decorating…yes, decorating.
I went on a few campus visits and while at Iowa State University I accidentally found myself in the College of Design (Arch, ID, LA, GD, ID, RP, & Arts). I came back and visited the “shop” teacher and said, “can I take a side class in drafting instead of sitting in study hall?” I enrolled in Interior Design in 1981 and never looked back.

What lessons and experiences can you share as a female leader?

Transparency and vulnerability are necessary.
If you are going to pull up a chair, you need to be present.
Focus on elevating others.

Past or present, name three women that you would invite over for a dinner party?

“Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light” – Frida Kahlo
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“The next decade cannot be a decade of confrontation and contention. It cannot be East vs. West. It cannot be men vs. women. It cannot be Islam vs. Christianity. That is what the enemies of dialogue want.” – Benazir Bhutto

 

Cheryl Smith, AIA LEED AP

Director

 

When did you first become interested in design/architecture?

It was in my genes.  As a child, I loved to draw and build things with my father and I remember going for drives with my parents to look at new buildings.  It’s what I knew and loved to do.  My father was an entrepreneur and construction owner; I learned a lot from him about the construction business and the development world.  I also learned from my mother, who was the tastemaker of the family, how to design and become a leader in the community.  I think that I found the best of both worlds because as an architect, I have a desire to create wonderful places for people, but also understand how projects get built that contractors can relate to.

If you could give one piece of advice to young female professionals, what would it be?

Get involved, especially with community groups, and own what you are doing.  As a young designer, this is an excellent way to find mentors and as you gain more experience, it provides opportunities for you to become a mentor to others.  In college, I became involved in the Architecture in the Schools program where an architectural student is paired with an architect to teach grade school children about architecture and the built environment.  After graduating from college, I became an ACE Mentor and eventually joined the ACE Mentor Board.  The experience becomes both a humbling and rewarding part of the growth of your career.

 

Chen Hui Spicer, NCIDQ

Southeast Global Solutions Regional Design Leader  

 

When did you first become interested in design/architecture?

From a young age, my childhood dream was to become a famous artist (or die trying!) For a while, I knew I wanted to be a Fine Arts major in college but ultimately I decided that Interior Design was the right path financially. For me, I loved using art to express myself and enjoyed the ability it gave me to share my emotions beyond just words.

What lessons and experiences can you share as a female leader?

My advice is to always be supportive of other women. Also, be strong and bring your best self at all times. The positive energy that you give the world will come back to you.

When I was in college I took a Communications class and the one quote that has always stuck with me reads:  “everyone that you touch in your life, they take a little piece of you with them”.  

What do you want to be remembered for?

I want to be remembered for always bringing the best version of myself forward, embracing different perspectives, and being part of the greater change that pushes us forward.