WBE Firm Continues to Promote Women to Leadership Positions
Quinn Evans, a leading national planning and design firm, recently announced the promotion of three professionals to principal. Susan Pryor and Shannon Wray, based in the Richmond, Va., office, and Julia Siple, based in Washington, D.C., have joined the firm’s team of principals, effective July 1.
Susan Pryor, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, serves as the operational director of the firm’s Richmond office. Pryor has more than 25 years of architectural experience, with expertise in the design of 21st-century learning environments, including complex renovations. In Virginia, she is currently leading the renovation and expansion of Spotsylvania Middle School and the Southeast Community Resource Area Development Plan in Newport News. “Susan has done a masterful job strengthening the team and fostering creative energy and stability in our Richmond office. It’s really impressive what they have accomplished so far this year,” says Quinn Evans CEO Alyson Steele, FAIA, LEED AP.
Pryor holds a Master of Architecture (2002) from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture (1997) from the University of Virginia. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Shannon Wray, CID, IIDA, LEED AP, designs community-responsive interiors for libraries, schools, higher education, and civic facilities. Her unique blend of engagement and insight with specialized design yields places for people to learn, gather, create, and belong. “It’s rare that a designer this skilled and experienced demonstrates the curiosity, care, and empathy that Shannon weaves into her work. I’m excited to see what she does next,” says Steele. Wray’s projects in the greater Richmond area have included the award-winning, nationally recognized Fairfield Area Library in Henrico County, the Chsterfield Career and Technical Center @Hull, and Fluvanna High School.
Wray holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design (1999) from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a member of the American Library Association, the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE), and the Commercial Interior Design Association.
Julia Siple, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, serves as Quinn Evan’s Director of Sustainability and co-director of the firm’s Washington, DC office. Siple is a national leader in guiding teams to realize the sustainability and resilience impacts of revitalized places, and leveraging embodied carbon to address climate change. “Julia brings deep insights into the untapped environmental resources in our built environment and leads our investigations on how to unlock them. She is an inspiration to our practice,” says Steele. She has guided sustainable outcomes for projects of all scales, including the Sully Woodlands Stewardship Education Center in Fairfax, Va., the firm’s first Living Building Challenge project; and the Compound in Baltimore, a Passive House project.
Siple holds a Bachelor of Architecture (2009) from Rice University. She is a member of the AIA, the Committee on the Environment DC Chapter, and the Open Architecture Collaborative DC. She is a graduate of the AIA DC Christopher Kelley Leadership Program.
“These remarkable professionals are innovators and effective leaders,” Steele adds. “Their work has been widely recognized and has had a substantial impact on communities and the architectural profession as a whole. As Quinn Evans principals, they will continue to advance the firm’s sustainability, design excellence, and industry leadership.”
In June, Quinn Evans announced that it had achieved majority women-owned status. The statement followed a series of milestone announcements for the firm, part of a long-planned leadership transition and strategic initiatives planned to enhance operations and workplace culture. Alyson Steele was elected president and CEO in February. Quinn Evans also recently announced the expansion of its board of directors and the establishment of a new research fellowship that will focus on practices in the built environment that advance sustainable stewardship and inclusive design.
