MSR DESIGN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Marketing & Communications Manager
Marketing and communications manager and a firm associate, Amy has been with MSR Design for 25 years. She has written for Architecture MN and currently serves as cochair of the AIA Minnesota ENTER Publications Committee. Amy has cochaired several Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) seminars on writing and preparing proposals and related topics. Prior to joining MSR Design, Amy worked in book publishing for 12 years, including for Oxford University Press and Yale University Press, among other presses. In addition to her career in marketing professional services and book publishing, Amy has sustained a passion for writing poetry. Her poems have appeared in a range of journals and several anthologies, including If Bees Are Few: A Hive of Bee Poems, edited by James Lenfestey (University of Minnesota Press, 2016). Amy has given readings on Minnesota Public Radio and at a variety of venues and events regionally and nationally, including Bowery Poetry in New York City. She maintains a blog of original poetry (arambler.com) and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with honors from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.
Job Titles:
- Registered Architect and Associate With MSR
Brendan has been practicing professionally for more than 20 years. As the firm's director of technical practice and a senior associate, Brendan has developed exceptional design, technical, and management skills, which enable him to clearly communicate design solutions with team members and shepherd those designs through construction. His diverse project experience includes cultural facilities, public libraries, corporate offices, academic buildings, and research laboratories. Brendan designs smart, high-performance buildings that emphasize architectural expression down to the finest detail, and he has helped in the formulation of an office-wide design process for low-energy buildings. He is a certified construction documents technologist through the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and meets the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualification, Standards (36 CFR Part 61) in Historic Architecture.
Charlie, a fifth-year architecture student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, has joined MSR Design as an intern designer. With experience developing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) immersive experiences and an interest in adaptive reuse design, he is a devout, collaborative jack-of-all-trades with an interdisciplinary background. Charlie has a passion for narrative-driven design as a means of generating comprehensive, inventive, and functional products. Having grown up in the Midwest, attending school in California, and completing a yearlong exchange program at Virginia Tech's Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center, Charlie has had the opportunity to experience life across the country. He is eager to bring this experience to a firm with such a rich history and vibrant culture.
With a background in architecture, landscape architecture, and visual art, Connor thrives on multidisciplinary approaches to design thinking and visual communication. He has nine years of experience as a planner and architectural designer, with a particular focus on projects with a high degree of community engagement. Connor's past work includes regional adaptation planning for future sea level rise in coastal Louisiana and master planning for community centers. He enjoys integrating rigorous analysis with creative ideation to craft compelling visual arguments for possible design solutions. Connor has a passion for artfully handling light and rainfall to integrate building and landscape systems with heightened experiential qualities.
The firm's chief financial officer, director of operations, and a senior associate, Doug joined MSR Design in 2012. His responsibilities include leading the office's financial, operations, and accounting functions. A licensed certified public accountant, Doug has more than 15 years of professional experience, including four years in public accounting. His prior experience includes serving as vice president in charge of finance, human resources, IT, and office administration at Little, a privately-owned, insight-driven design firm located in Minneapolis. Doug holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. An avid runner, Doug has completed numerous marathons, ultramarathons, and 200-mile team relay races.
Job Titles:
- Certified Interior Designer and Associate With
Job Titles:
- Architect and Associate With
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Director of Project Delivery
Kathryn recently joined MSR Design after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from the University of Minnesota. Her drive to design sustainable, biophilic, and healthy spaces was honored with a 2022 Metropolis Future 100 Award. Kathryn focuses on changing lives for the better through design. This recognition of how space impacts the quality of human life motivates her to think deeply about the well-being of building occupants from a holistic perspective. She enjoys traveling and exploring opportunities to expand her global perspective. Kathryn is excited to be part of a team so focused on sustainable design and positively impacting the world and climate.
Lisa is the firm's go-to person for day-to-day accounting and billing issues and questions. Self-taught with 30 years' experience, she calmly handles staff concerns with grace and ease. Her responsibilities include billing, accounts payable, expense reports, and project management support, plus all the steps that help MSR Design remain financially stable. As a transplant from Illinois, Lisa enjoys exploring all that Minnesota has to offer. A dedicated mother of three children, she keeps her days very full and busy.
Madeleine approaches design with integrity, intention, and curiosity. With an appreciation for the ordinary and an eye for the extraordinary, she is always observing and building connections between humans, built and natural environments, and the systems that hold us all. This interconnectedness translates into design experiences layered with meaning. Her work is guided by the mindset that all project stakeholders are partners in design who have a wealth of knowledge and experience to contribute. This mindset frames Madeleine's role in cocreating spaces that build community and heal human and environmental harms.
Job Titles:
- Registered Architect and Associate With
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Director of Sustainable Practice
CEO and principal of MSR Design, Traci focuses on design for learning. She promotes an integrated design approach-equally valuing human well-being, building performance, aesthetics, and delight. Recent building projects Traci has led include the award-winning VCAM building-a 24/7 visual culture, arts, and media creative hub for Haverford College in Pennsylvania-and Missoula's new library and culture house in Montana. Traci regularly contributes articles to publications and lectures nationally and internationally about the built environment's role in fostering well-being, promoting learning, and creating inclusive and cohesive communities. Traci is chair of the American Library Association (ALA) Architecture for Public Libraries Committee and a member of the International Federation of Libraries and Associations (IFLA) Library Buildings and Equipment Section Standing Committee. She is also a member of the AIA Minnesota Community of Practice for Culture Change Core Team.