July 30, 2024
San Diego Business Journal Names 4 HED Members Leaders of Influence
Every year, the San Diego Business Journal honors industry leaders, highlighting their careers and accomplishments in all facets of the workplace, all things from Commercial Real Estate, Business, and Education to name a few.
Leaders are selected from outstanding achievements in the workplace, along with their participation in the local community.
In the Life Sciences category, HED is proud to share that not one, but FOUR of our team members have been named a 2024 Leader of Influence!
Congratulations to Rachel Carr, Laurian Dixon, Kevin Perry, and Neville Willsmore for this outstanding recognition! We are proud to have you as part of our talented group of industry innovators creating positive impact each day.
Please read below for each team members' featured bio!
Leaders are selected from outstanding achievements in the workplace, along with their participation in the local community.
In the Life Sciences category, HED is proud to share that not one, but FOUR of our team members have been named a 2024 Leader of Influence!
Congratulations to Rachel Carr, Laurian Dixon, Kevin Perry, and Neville Willsmore for this outstanding recognition! We are proud to have you as part of our talented group of industry innovators creating positive impact each day.
Please read below for each team members' featured bio!
Rachel Carr | Associate Principal, Strategy & Development Leader
Rachel Emme Carr began her career 17 years ago working for an international laboratory planning & design firm. This first exposure in the role of business development sparked her curiosity and ultimate steadfast commitment to a career leading architecture and engineering firms to grow their business serving life science developers and end users. Rachel puts clients first, nurturing relationships that include global biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies to meet their facilities demands and requirements for complex project types. She has a particular passion for research and technology centered around advancement of women's health, and representation of women as part of clinical trials. Rachel finds it extremely fulfilling to provide design excellence to life science organizations, as the profound work they do offers hope and promise for a brighter future. Rachel is active in ISPE, I2SL, Biocom CA, SoCalBio, CREW and NAIOP.
Laurian Dixon | Project Manager
Laurian Dixon, a registered architect and Project Manager at the national integrated architectural and engineering design firm HED, is a key contributor to the success of life science organizations. With extensive experience in life science and biotechnical research laboratories, Laurian excels at guiding projects from inception to completion. She masterfully coordinates diverse stakeholders, ensuring seamless progress through design, approvals, and construction administration. Her expertise in handling complex projects has earned her the trust of leading commercial and agency leaders in biotechnology, life science, and nanotechnology. Laurian's commitment to excellence and her ability to navigate intricate processes make her an invaluable asset to her clients and teams. Her work not only meets the high standards required of life sciences, but also drives significant innovation and success in the sector, creating cutting-edge research environments that foster scientific advancement.
Kevin Perry | Science Sector Leader
Kevin Perry, AIA, LEED AP, is a key player in San Diego's life science and biotech industry. Kevin's unwavering commitment to clients ensures clients receive exceptional service. With a career spanning over 10 million square feet of unique scientific environments, his extensive experience drives project success. Kevin's projects expertly balance cost, aesthetics, function, and schedule, delivering lasting value and quality. His dedication to creating impactful life science facilities enhances user wellness, talent retention, operational efficiency, and fosters spontaneous innovation. Kevin's holistic approach and expertise make him an invaluable asset to life science and biotech stakeholders, guiding them toward enriching and sustainable planning and design solutions. His contributions significantly elevate the standards and success of life science facilities, driving innovation and excellence in San Diego.
Neville Willsmore | National Science Business Leader
Neville Willsmore leads the national science practice for HED. For the past 25 years, Neville has been shaping the skyline of San Diego and creating spaces that enhance the working environment for scientists and researchers in both the academic and private sectors. He has extensive design, management, and business development experience. He has planned diverse projects ranging from small lab renovations to entire campuses for life sciences, medical device companies and biochem R&D. Neville's comprehensive experience in program development, all design phases, construction administration, and extensive coordination with all stakeholders has been instrumental in delivering successful projects for multiple local, national and international clientele. With his DBIA certification, Neville has led the architectural team on numerous design- build delivery projects in partnership with general contractors throughout the Southwest Region.
Rachel Emme Carr began her career 17 years ago working for an international laboratory planning & design firm. This first exposure in the role of business development sparked her curiosity and ultimate steadfast commitment to a career leading architecture and engineering firms to grow their business serving life science developers and end users. Rachel puts clients first, nurturing relationships that include global biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies to meet their facilities demands and requirements for complex project types. She has a particular passion for research and technology centered around advancement of women's health, and representation of women as part of clinical trials. Rachel finds it extremely fulfilling to provide design excellence to life science organizations, as the profound work they do offers hope and promise for a brighter future. Rachel is active in ISPE, I2SL, Biocom CA, SoCalBio, CREW and NAIOP.
Laurian Dixon | Project Manager
Laurian Dixon, a registered architect and Project Manager at the national integrated architectural and engineering design firm HED, is a key contributor to the success of life science organizations. With extensive experience in life science and biotechnical research laboratories, Laurian excels at guiding projects from inception to completion. She masterfully coordinates diverse stakeholders, ensuring seamless progress through design, approvals, and construction administration. Her expertise in handling complex projects has earned her the trust of leading commercial and agency leaders in biotechnology, life science, and nanotechnology. Laurian's commitment to excellence and her ability to navigate intricate processes make her an invaluable asset to her clients and teams. Her work not only meets the high standards required of life sciences, but also drives significant innovation and success in the sector, creating cutting-edge research environments that foster scientific advancement.
Kevin Perry | Science Sector Leader
Kevin Perry, AIA, LEED AP, is a key player in San Diego's life science and biotech industry. Kevin's unwavering commitment to clients ensures clients receive exceptional service. With a career spanning over 10 million square feet of unique scientific environments, his extensive experience drives project success. Kevin's projects expertly balance cost, aesthetics, function, and schedule, delivering lasting value and quality. His dedication to creating impactful life science facilities enhances user wellness, talent retention, operational efficiency, and fosters spontaneous innovation. Kevin's holistic approach and expertise make him an invaluable asset to life science and biotech stakeholders, guiding them toward enriching and sustainable planning and design solutions. His contributions significantly elevate the standards and success of life science facilities, driving innovation and excellence in San Diego.
Neville Willsmore | National Science Business Leader
Neville Willsmore leads the national science practice for HED. For the past 25 years, Neville has been shaping the skyline of San Diego and creating spaces that enhance the working environment for scientists and researchers in both the academic and private sectors. He has extensive design, management, and business development experience. He has planned diverse projects ranging from small lab renovations to entire campuses for life sciences, medical device companies and biochem R&D. Neville's comprehensive experience in program development, all design phases, construction administration, and extensive coordination with all stakeholders has been instrumental in delivering successful projects for multiple local, national and international clientele. With his DBIA certification, Neville has led the architectural team on numerous design- build delivery projects in partnership with general contractors throughout the Southwest Region.