12C — October 24 - November 13, 2014 — Executive Women in Business — Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal
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Executive Women in Business
Christine Ussler & Lucienne Dooley, Founding Principal/Principal, Artefact, Inc. When you fall, get up and keep going
over 350,000 s/f. This work led to being hired by the selected developer to be the architects for 14 of the 17 buildings en- compassing almost 300,000 s/f. How do you contribute to the industry? It is important to lead by example. It is our mission to provide excellent design ser- vices and to be responsive to our clients. We hope, in this way, to open the door for more women to be considered as ar- chitects for large and important projects. Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career? Our mothers. They inspired us by their intellectual curiosity and their ability to do and make anything. Tell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in, about your current position and why you choose the field/ profession you are in today? We both were in some ca- pacity in "the field" from very early in life. Christine's father bought and renovated residen- tial properties as a hobby. Her earliest memories include ham- mers and saws instead of dolls. Lucienne's father was in con- struction in Italy. She helped in his shop over summers. What unique qualities and or personality do you feel makes you most suc- cessful in your profession? Listening and patience. It is very important in architecture to listen to your client and ad- dress their needs. At the end, they will live or work in places you design, and it is important that the spaces function well and give pleasure to all who interact with the spaces and buildings. Do you feel being a wom- an is an advantage disad- vantage or no advantage in today’s business world? Why? Why not? A recent New York Times articles (By Therese Hustonoct, October 17, 2014) indicates that, under stress, women are better decision makers than men. According to the arti- cle"....Women are more focused on finding common ground and collaborating...", but mostly, "....when the pressure is on, women bring unique strengths to decision making..." We feel this is one of our strengths. We often need to make good decisions quickly in continued on page 16C
Christine Ussler Founding Principal Artefact, Inc. Years with company: 28 Years in field: 30 Years in RE Industry: 30
Lucienne Di Biase Dooley Principal Artefact, Inc. Years with company: 6 Years in field: 17 Years in RE Industry: 17
Real estate organizations/affiliations: AIA/National Historic Trust/ICOMOS
Real estate organizations/affiliations: National Historic Trust/Engineers Without Borders
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project was in the making for several years. It is funded with a mix of public grants, tradi- tional construction financing and private donations. We are very proud to be the designer of a school that is going to pro-
vide a phenomenal artistic and academic environment for over 650 students. What was your most no- table project, deal or trans- action in 2014? We have assisted the City
of Easton Redevelopment Au- thority to list the Simon Silk Mill on the National Register. The Simon Silk Mill project involves the adaptive reuse of the former 14 acre silk factory and includes 17 buildings and
h a t wa s y o u r greatest profes- sional accomplish-
ment in 2014? We started construction on the new Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts. This
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