With a BA in History & Education from the University of Montana, Ellen Southard has practiced as a public relations and marketing professional for 15 years, in a career focused in architecture and design. She has worked with public and private sector clients as well as community groups, in neighborhood planning, and in development of education and cultural facilities throughout the Northwest.
Early in her career she worked with the Ralph Anderson firm. From 1995-99 she led Communications Marketing Studio, working with community groups in relationship to remediation of expanding developments. During that time her projects included the Pike/Pine Neighborhood Plan and Washington State Convention Center Expansion for the City of Seattle; Safeco Field for King County; Union Street Master Plan and the emergence of the Capitol Hill Arts Coalition for the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. She worked with GGLO Architects as Business Development Director; in 1999, she joined Swenson Say Fag�t as a Principal; and in April 2006 took up responsibilities with Belt Collins.
With a special perspective based on a love of design and history, Ellen Southard has proven a valuable ally to architects and architecture in bringing design into the public eye. Taking a special interest in design history, she undertook an extensive research project to bring forward the history of the unique and popular Seattle Times/AIA Home of the Month feature. Her effort made possible exhibits and publications for both the 40th and, in 2004, the 50th anniversary of the program – and thus a special public and professional celebration of Northwest residential design. Other recent projects include The Bra Show, a community program for breast cancer awareness, with a bra design competition drawing widespread participation by the design community and considerable public attention. She has taken a vital and supportive interest in the AIA Knowledge Initiative, and contributed greatly to the success of the Knowledge by Design Case Study Conference hosted by AIA Seattle August 4-6, 2005.
We urge LifeWorks attendees to bring young architects and emerging professional colleagues as their guests, to share the inspiration and experience of this presentation.
Cordially,
Kristen M. Scott AIA
Rick Zieve FAIA
CoChairs, LifeWorks Series
Ellen Southard
