May 20, 2022
Four HED leaders honored by SDBJ as Women of Influence in Architecture and Design
Congratulations to the San Diego Business Journal's 2022 Women of influence in Architecture and Design honorees! Special recognition to HED's own Melina Aluwi, Jennette La Quire, Heather Foley, and Tracey Moran for their contributions and commitment to the industry.
Melina Aluwi is a Higher Education Sector Leader and Associate Principal in the HED San Diego office. She has deep expertise in both public and private sector educational, civic, cultural, and commercial project types and has worked in various roles within the architecture and design field, from business development and operations to design and construction, bringing a holistic design and management approach to every project. Melina is an established leader and mentor within the San Diego architectural community, having served and volunteered for many local professional organizations, including NewSchool’s Alumni Advisory Board as the Mentorship Committee Chair and Alumni Board President. She founded NewSchool’s Alumni Mentorship Program and has actively volunteered her time with non-profit organizations such as the San Diego Architectural Foundation and the Association for Learning Environments. Committed to diversity and equity within the profession, she is also a founding member of the San Diego Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (SDNOMA), and works to cultivate awareness, membership, engagement, and support programs.
Jennette La Quire is the National Pre K-12 Sector Leader and Principal overseeing educational facility projects in HED's San Diego office. She has made a lifetime commitment to creating a positive impact for school districts, students, and faculty. As a leader of the Pre K-12 sector at the national level, she works day to day with partners in the design and construction community to create tangible change in the city and beyond. She has cultivated a dynamic team and provides mentorship and guidance which has resulted in high performance and a renewed office culture. She also helps to shape the larger PreK-12 sector by sharing best practices with her intimate understanding of state regulatory agency requirements. She is greatly trusted by her clients because she honestly and deeply cares about their missions and getting them the very best set of solutions to the challenges they are facing. She is so much more than an Architect - she is a strategic planning partner to her clients. She listens deeply to their goals for their schools and districts, and then uses design to chart a pathway to the realization of those goals. She also serves the profession as an Adjunct Professor at San Diego State University.
Tracy Morran is an Associate and Interior Design Leader in HED's San Diego office. Focused on design excellence, mentorship and superb client relations, Tracy is passionate about strategic planning & workplace strategy as the means to drive the development of customized design solutions for her clients. She has more than 20 years of experience working with clients in the corporate, education, healthcare and hospitality sectors and holds CID, NCIDQ and LEED credentials. As an active member of CREW San Diego for the past 7 years, Tracy lends her interior architecture and design expertise to her role as director (previously co-chair) of the organization’s Education & Programs Committee, offering important educational and networking resources to hundreds of members. Over the last year, her team has been on the front lines of evolving information regarding commercial real estate design and the heightened importance of health & wellness being supported by integrated design strategies, practices and protocols.
Heather Foley is the Landscape Architecture discipline leader and Associate in HED’s San Diego office. Her diverse portfolio of work weaves together the natural and built environment to create spaces where people can connect with nature and create community. This work includes campus master plans, workplace, mixed-use development, housing, and healthcare. Heather also contributes to the firm’s business development efforts and is working to grow HED’s residential portfolio throughout southern California. She has prior experience working in sensitive coastal environments, on brownfield redevelopment projects, and in executing streetscape design. Heather is an established expert on a spectrum of land use policies, housing, mobility, capital markets, and design through the development of educational programs and advisory services. She currently sits on the San Diego Downtown Partnership Planning and Public Policy Committee and participates on the Partnership’s Placemaking Committee, tasked with implementing the Partnership’s long-term strategy to deliver vibrant and memorable public spaces. Heather was recognized by the San Diego Business Journal in 2017, 2018, and 2019 as one of San Diego’s 500 most influential people and was inducted into Lambda Alpha International in 2020.
Jennette La Quire is the National Pre K-12 Sector Leader and Principal overseeing educational facility projects in HED's San Diego office. She has made a lifetime commitment to creating a positive impact for school districts, students, and faculty. As a leader of the Pre K-12 sector at the national level, she works day to day with partners in the design and construction community to create tangible change in the city and beyond. She has cultivated a dynamic team and provides mentorship and guidance which has resulted in high performance and a renewed office culture. She also helps to shape the larger PreK-12 sector by sharing best practices with her intimate understanding of state regulatory agency requirements. She is greatly trusted by her clients because she honestly and deeply cares about their missions and getting them the very best set of solutions to the challenges they are facing. She is so much more than an Architect - she is a strategic planning partner to her clients. She listens deeply to their goals for their schools and districts, and then uses design to chart a pathway to the realization of those goals. She also serves the profession as an Adjunct Professor at San Diego State University.
Tracy Morran is an Associate and Interior Design Leader in HED's San Diego office. Focused on design excellence, mentorship and superb client relations, Tracy is passionate about strategic planning & workplace strategy as the means to drive the development of customized design solutions for her clients. She has more than 20 years of experience working with clients in the corporate, education, healthcare and hospitality sectors and holds CID, NCIDQ and LEED credentials. As an active member of CREW San Diego for the past 7 years, Tracy lends her interior architecture and design expertise to her role as director (previously co-chair) of the organization’s Education & Programs Committee, offering important educational and networking resources to hundreds of members. Over the last year, her team has been on the front lines of evolving information regarding commercial real estate design and the heightened importance of health & wellness being supported by integrated design strategies, practices and protocols.
Heather Foley is the Landscape Architecture discipline leader and Associate in HED’s San Diego office. Her diverse portfolio of work weaves together the natural and built environment to create spaces where people can connect with nature and create community. This work includes campus master plans, workplace, mixed-use development, housing, and healthcare. Heather also contributes to the firm’s business development efforts and is working to grow HED’s residential portfolio throughout southern California. She has prior experience working in sensitive coastal environments, on brownfield redevelopment projects, and in executing streetscape design. Heather is an established expert on a spectrum of land use policies, housing, mobility, capital markets, and design through the development of educational programs and advisory services. She currently sits on the San Diego Downtown Partnership Planning and Public Policy Committee and participates on the Partnership’s Placemaking Committee, tasked with implementing the Partnership’s long-term strategy to deliver vibrant and memorable public spaces. Heather was recognized by the San Diego Business Journal in 2017, 2018, and 2019 as one of San Diego’s 500 most influential people and was inducted into Lambda Alpha International in 2020.