Kathy Speicher Melluish and Gretchen Wagner Named Associate Principals

Kathy Speicher Melluish and Gretchen Wagner have been named Associate Principals of GWWO

As senior managers, Kathy and Gretchen are critical to the firm’s operations, management, and advancement. In their roles as Associate Principals, they will continue their project and firm leadership and take a more active role in strategic long-term planning for the firm’s continued success.

“Kathy and Gretchen have long been assets to GWWO,” says GWWO president Alan Reed. “We are excited to recognize their contributions to our growth and success and to welcome them to the next level of leadership within the firm.”

Kathy Speicher Melluish, AIA, LEED AP brings passion for the design of innovative spaces, forms, and environments to her work, with a focus on sensitively responding to the specific constraints and opportunities of each project. Her well-balanced design and technical expertise enhance her ability to lead teams in the creation and implementation of design solutions that actively respond to each client’s needs, budget, character, and mission. As a GWWO team leader, Kathy is responsible for the management and oversight of a group of project managers, architects, and architectural staff, undertaking a variety of cultural projects ranging in size and value. 

Kathy joined GWWO in 2011, was promoted to Associate in 2015, and became a Senior Associate in 2020. Her project experience encompasses a notable range of planning and design projects for significant institutional clients, including multiple projects for the National Park Service and Smithsonian Institution, the new Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Welcome Center at Niagara Falls State Park, and the new Dolphin Design Center for Maryland Institute College of Art, as well as current work to expand Baltimore’s Church of the Redeemer Parish Day School and on the design of an expansion and renovations to the visitor center at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Kathy is a licensed architect and LEED Accredited Professional.

Kathy has served as an adjunct faculty member for Morgan State University, Towson University, and the University of Maryland College Park. She participates as both visiting critic and student mentor for regional architectural and design programs and has acted as a national juror for both American School & University Architectural Portfolio and The Society for College and University Planning National Excellence Awards. She served for five years on the Board of Directors for PSU’s Architecture Alumni Group and is a member of the Baltimore Chapter of the AIA. Kathy holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Architecture degree, with an interdisciplinary minor in architectural history, from The Pennsylvania State University.

Gretchen Wagner, AIA, LEED AP BD+C has focused the majority of her career on K-12 school projects and is passionate about the role that architecture can positively play in a student’s ability to learn. Gretchen’s long-standing client relationships within the K-12 regional market enable her to inform GWWO’s educational work with her deep knowledge of educational trends and evidence-based solutions. As a senior manager, Gretchen skillfully navigates budget and schedule complexities while leading teams in the development and execution of designs that are sustainable, maintainable, and tailored to each client’s curriculum and teaching methods. An advocate for green design, Gretchen is also a member of GWWO's Sustainability committee and serves as a firm resource, helping teams think through innovative design strategies, meet their sustainability goals, and achieve certification.

Gretchen joined GWWO in 2014, was named an Associate in 2016, and became a Senior Associate in 2020. A licensed architect and LEED Accredited Professional, Gretchen’s experience includes planning and design projects ranging from renovations and major additions to the design of entirely new facilities, including designs for prototype schools meant to be adapted to multiple sites within a school system. She has been responsible for the management of some of GWWO’s largest projects, including the $124M Old Mill West High School and $94M Crofton High School, as well as current work on a net zero ready high school for Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and a new solar ready high school in Loudon County, Virginia.

Gretchen is a member of the Baltimore Chapter of the AIA, the Association of School Business Officials MD & DC Chapter, and USGBC Maryland Chapter. She previously served on Baltimore City’s Urban Design & Architecture Advisory Panel, where she provided critical, constructive commentary to architectural teams designing a wide-ranging set of projects throughout the city. She holds a Master of Architecture degree with a focus on historic preservation from the University of Maryland College Park and a Bachelor of Architecture degree with a minor in landscape architecture from Miami University.