February 15, 2023

Berger Partnership

Abbott

Leslie

McGuirt

O'Connell

Berger Partnership has promoted Anna O'Connell and Brad McGuirt to principal, Shannon Leslie to associate, and Christine Abbott to project manager.

O'Connell, PLA, ASLA, is a team leader for the firm's Microsoft Campus Modernization project and also holds leadership roles in mentoring and hiring. She manages large-scale projects and is a trusted advisor to clients of diverse project types. O'Connell served as a member of the University of Washington's Professional Advisory Committee.

McGuirt is also a leader for the Microsoft Campus Modernization project. He is recognized for modeling a balanced approach to management and leadership, guiding with clarity and a high level of technical efficiency.

Leslie is a leader with the firm's growing residential market. She supports the entire office with her extensive plant material expertise, ensuring Berger's ethos of ecologically responsive design resonates with all projects. Leslie joined the firm as an intern, producing a report exploring the fundamentals of integrated design and how Sustainable Sites Initiative and the Living Building Challenge apply to landscape architecture.

Prior to joining the firm, Abbott was a visiting Assistant Professor at the Sam Fox School of Arts and Visual Design at Washington University in St. Louis. She forwarded her passion as a professor teaching architecture and landscape architecture history to leading the firm in work on historic and Olmsted Brothers' designed parks. She leads the firm's Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee and launched the firm's limited series podcast, Clear Umbrella. Outside of the office, Abbott is a member of the University of Washington's Professional Advisory Committee and the Volunteer Park Trust Steering Committee.