Q&A with Alison Cotey, DW Foundation Board of Trustees Co-Chair
As a Senior Associate in Design Workshop’s Aspen studio and Co-Chair of the Design Workshop Foundation Board, Alison Cotey brings a deep commitment to service, community, and design impact. Her perspective is shaped by both her professional work in landscape architecture and planning and her experience in the nonprofit sector, where she saw firsthand how strong partnerships and thoughtful technical assistance can help lift communities up to move important ideas forward. In this Q&A, Alison reflects on why the Foundation’s mission is personally meaningful to her, how its work has evolved, and where she sees opportunities to deepen its reach in the years ahead.
What inspired you to get involved with the Design Workshop Foundation, and what has kept you engaged in its mission?
What first drew me to the Design Workshop Foundation was the opportunity to give back to the communities where we live and work. Design Workshop has a deep bench of diverse and talented team members across the country, and the Foundation creates a meaningful way to apply this breadth of knowledge, strengthen local organizations, and contribute to places and environments we care deeply about. Service is a core personal value, so this work feels especially fulfilling. My background in the nonprofit sector has also helped me understand how valuable this kind of support can be, particularly for organizations doing important work with limited resources.
As Co-Chair of the Board, how would you describe your role in helping guide the Foundation’s priorities and impact?
In many ways, I see my role as helping bridge the work we do at Design Workshop with the unique needs and realities of nonprofit and community-based partners. Foundation projects differ from traditional client work because they often require us to think more carefully about capacity, resources, and implementation. I try to bring that perspective to the board, helping shape priorities that are responsive, practical, and aligned with the Foundation’s mission. It has been exciting to see the organization become more focused and strategic over the past several years, especially with Sarah Konradi’s leadership advancing the mission and turning big ideas into meaningful action.
What Design Workshop Foundation outcome are you most proud of, and why does it stand out to you?
I am most proud of how far the Foundation has come in defining its mission, focus, and role. A few years ago, some of that work still felt broad and evolving; now the picture is coming into focus in a really exciting way. We have strong projects that demonstrate our work and we are building momentum around them. I am especially proud of our project champions, the Design Workshop team members who take on this work above and beyond their day-to-day responsibilities because they believe in the positive impact on communities.
How does the Foundation’s work reflect Design Workshop’s broader commitment to community, design excellence, and social impact?
The Foundation reflects Design Workshop’s commitment to community by creating direct connections between our studios and the places they serve. Community is a cornerstone of our practice, and the Foundation gives us another way to show up locally with purpose, humility, and care. Through our work with community-based organizations we bring the skills of our landscape architects, planners, and designers to efforts that advance social impact. It is a meaningful way for staff to engage with organizations in their own communities and contribute to work that supports long-term change.
Looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for the Foundation to expand its reach or deepen its impact in the communities it serves?
The Foundation has reached an exciting stage. Over the past several years we have clarified who we are, what we do, and how we can be most useful to our partners. Looking ahead, I see opportunities to build on the Community Capacity Building Program, connect past and future partners for shared learning, and create more ways for Design Workshop staff to get involved. I am excited for us to build on our successes through additional training, resources, and learning opportunities that help communities continue advancing their work beyond a single project. There is still so much opportunity ahead, and I am looking forward to how the next generation of ideas strengthens the Foundation’s impact.
It is also important to recognize the Design Workshop Board of Directors for valuing the Foundation as an essential part of the firm’s identity and commitment to giving back. That support says a lot about Design Workshop’s culture and its belief in contributing to the greater good. The Foundation is one of the things that makes Design Workshop stand out; it reflects a genuine desire to make a positive impact in the places we live, work, and love.
