Voices of Design Leadership. Ken Sanders

Closer doers.

      SVDM: Yes. And Partners lead projects. They might be technical designers, project managers, design leads, but we’re all intimately involved in projects. I think it’s important that we’re first and foremost connected to our work; it makes us better and more balanced, and we’re able to do what we love. I think it also makes our leadership qualities and persona more relatable and relevant to our employees.

      KS: As you’ve continued the model of a Managing Partner focused on clients and projects, are there differences in your leadership voice or style compared to Bob or Jan? What have you carried forward, and what are the things you’re doing differently?

      SVDM: I spent a fair amount of time thinking about this. It’s scary to compare yourself to Bob Packard, right? Holy smokes. But I knew in the very beginning there was no way I could duplicate what others before me had done. I’m my own person, I have my own experiences and history. I have my own projects and clients, and these are all the things that shaped me as a person and a design professional.

      I knew that if I tried to duplicate how they tackled the position, I wouldn’t be authentic in my approach. I lead with a lot of intentionality around design first. And what I’ve really come to understand about myself and where I think the firm needs to go is making stronger impacts in the communities where we work and live. ZGF grew up in Portland; we are the largest firm in town, and I think our contributions to our own community need to be commensurate. I feel really strongly about that.

      I’ve always believed that we design for the human experience, designed by humans for humans. And that’s what I want to focus on in our work, and how ZGF carries forward into the future. My work style is that I’ve never been the loudest person in the room. I’m inherently a little shy, but I also like to listen first, hear what others have to say, and try not to be reactionary. I take a very measured approach. That’s not to say I don’t have strong opinions, but I like working towards consensus vs. forcing decisions.

      I don’t know how that compares or contrasts with anybody, but I know I have to be true to who I am. Otherwise it’s just not going to work. I also believe that I was not put in this position to be someone other than myself.

      KS: Sharron, twenty years ago the ZGF partnership consisted of ten white men, including me. Although the demographics of leadership in our profession has improved since then, it is still largely male dominated. As the first woman Managing Partner at ZGF, do you feel a special responsibility?

      SVDM: I absolutely believe it’s a huge responsibility. And it’s one thing that I’m intently focused on. I’m not planning on leaving ZGF anytime soon, but when I do, I would like to ensure the partnership is made up of a more diverse cross section of people.

Among the six new Partners that were named three years ago, four are women. Two of the six are immigrants to the US and one is openly gay. This is a step in the right direction and I’m proud of what we are starting to reflect and what we look like as a group. We still have a lot of work to do, but I take it seriously and am passionate about making changes. I am a huge promoter of more diversity in our teams and equity in the way that we approach everything; whether it’s building our internal teams, building relationships with consultants, teaming with other firms on pursuits, we’ve got to make diversity and equity a priority.

      You know this, Ken; lack of diversity is something in our profession that has a long history. We all must come together and decide that we’re going to change this, and it’s going to take all firms making a commitment to change with measurable results.

      KS: Watching ZGF move in that direction has been wonderful. As you mentioned, the original Zimmer Gunsul Frasca had three Partners, representing the classic three-legged stool of design, technical and management. Now there are twenty Partners across six offices. As a partnership, how do you organize responsibilities and decision-making?

      SVDM: It’s definitely more complicated than when it was just Norm, Bob, and Brooks, but I think that the structure has actually remained quite straightforward. There’s an Executive Committee that’s made up of at least one Partner from each office. And I would describe this as a first stop or clearing house for issues that all other Partners eventually need to weigh in on.

      We also have an Operations Committee and a Project Performance Team. We have Partner liaisons to Technology, the Business Office, Business Development, and People and Culture. There have been virtual partnership meetings monthly, and we have one hundred percent attendance, unless there’s a project pursuit and then you get a free pass. That’s pretty much the only way that you’re going to get out of attending.

      The Partners are fundamentally committed to attend these meetings. There is a strong connection and collaboration between us. From my own perspective, there is a lot of respect for one another and an acknowledgement of the contributions from each of us, and we are more than ever operating as one firm.

      I liken it to my daughter Ella playing soccer. She was a striker, which is a kingpin position of sorts. I remember her coach specifically saying that she, along with the front line, needed to form a close relationship and bond to build trust. I feel like we do that as a partnership, and the only way you do that is if you work together and you spend a lot of time together. I think that the Partners are spending more time with each other than ever before, and we’re not only enjoying each other’s company, but planning for the future success of the firm.

      KS: How often do the Partners meet in person?

      SVDM: Before COVID, it was happening every three months. When the pandemic hit, there was an absolute need to come together and plan for working remotely and figure out this new reality. Zoom and Teams are great ways to connect, but there’s nothing that takes the place of face-to-face time, discussing design, the future of the firm, and hearing what is important to each of the Partners. Because we’re all individuals and we have a different focus, or see things a little differently, we need to hear each other and work together as a collective group.

      KS: Spending time together is how you get to know each other well and trust each other.

      SVDM: My Partners and I, especially in the Portland office, have known each other for a long time. We spend time on occasion outside of work and I think that’s important to build a strong foundation. As you know, this business can be demanding, and if you can enjoy and respect the people you are leading the firm with, it goes a long way in being effective.

      Portland International Airport Main Terminal

Client:	Port of Portland
Architects:	ZGF Architects
Location:	Portland, Oregon, USA
Size:	400,000 square feet | 37,200 square meters
Completion Date:	2025 (estimated)

       Image Credit: ZGF Architects

The new main terminal at Portland International Airport is the largest of five capital improvement projects completed or underway as part of the Port of Portland’s “PDX Next” campaign. Its most prominent design feature is a mass-timber roof structure spanning the expanded lobby and ticket areas. The lattice wood ceiling is inspired by local weaving traditions and made of sustainably harvested timber. Every lattice piece will be traceable back to its forest of origin, which the Port of Portland describes as “a love letter to the small families, Pacific Northwest tribes and other landowners that contributed to the project.”

      Interior design elements are inspired by the human-friendly scale of Portland’s city blocks and neighborhoods, with retail storefronts placed along tree-lined “streets” and café and restaurant seating extending onto “sidewalks.”

      Joint venture builder Hoffman-Skanska, along with Swinerton Builders, are constructing the nine-acre undulating roof by prefabricating