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Shannon Simms Honored with Women of Vision Award

Mayer/Reed Principal Shannon Simms, ASLA, has been named a 2025 Women of Vision Honoree by the Oregon Daily Journal of Commerce (DJC). Each year, the DJC recognizes an esteemed roster of women who are shaping the built environment in Oregon and Southwest Washington with their leadership, mentorship, technical skill and community involvement.

“This award is a reflection of the incredible teams and communities I’ve had the privilege to work with,” says Shannon. “I’m honored to be recognized alongside others who are dedicated to designing spaces that foster connection, sustainability and a sense of belonging.”

As co-leader of Mayer/Reed’s urban design and landscape architecture disciplines, Shannon is known for her big-picture thinking and ability to bring clarity to complexity. She is a respected voice in public space design, inspiring clients, students and colleagues to view streets as vital landscapes that support a healthy, connected urban life. Her talent lies in reframing challenges and reimagining possibilities. Clients and design partners value her extraordinary ability to help them see their projects in a new light and her knowledge of the technical requirements necessary to bring these ambitious ideas to life.

Shannon’s work is guided by a deep commitment to community. Whether through leadership in professional organizations or volunteering locally, she brings people together with creativity, passion and purpose. Recently, she helped organize and facilitate Streets of Possibility II: Downtown to the River—a workshop that brought nearly 40 urban designers and civic leaders together to reimagine downtown Portland’s connections to the Willamette riverfront. Her efforts are changing the conversation about how our city reaches the long-term goal of transforming Portland’s urban core into a series of livable neighborhoods.

As a mentor and advocate, Shannon supports emerging designers within Mayer/Reed, across the profession and in academic programs. She uplifts colleagues, making time to mentor and creating space for quiet voices—especially supporting women navigating careers in the built environment. Outside of work, Shannon finds joy in giving back and fostering meaningful connections throughout the region. She has volunteered with the Portland Parks Foundation Paseo, Portland Winter Light Festival, Cycle Oregon Gravel Ride and Friends of Trees.

At the DJC’s Women of Vision celebration on October 23, Shannon shared the stage with an inspiring cohort. While the evening recognized individual achievements, it also served as a reminder of the collective progress happening across our industry and an inspiration for the next generation of leaders, many of whom were in the room that night—watching, learning and envisioning what comes next.

Four Fall Awards

This fall, four Mayer/Reed projects were honored with design awards—highlighting the power of collaboration and the impact of thoughtful, community-centered design.

At the ASLA Oregon Design Awards Soiree on September 26, Errol Heights Park received two awards: the Green Ribbon for Climate and Biodiversity Action and the People’s Choice: “I Wish This Project Was in My Neighborhood” award. The green ribbon award honors projects that lead with environmental stewardship, including contributions to carbon drawdown, biodiversity and community empowerment. Mayer/Reed partnered with Portland Parks & Recreation at Errol Heights to bring the community’s vision of a nature-focused, accessible park to life.

The modernization of Benson Polytechnic High School, led by Bassetti Architects, received a DeMuro Award for excellence in historic preservation at Restore Oregon’s October 24 event. Mayer/Reed’s site design for the 1917 campus helped transform the school into a modern learning campus while respecting its historic significance.

On October 8, the Oregon Recreation and Parks Association (ORPA) presented the Design & Construction Award to the City of St. Helens and Mayer/Reed for the St. Helens Riverwalk. This recognition honors our collaboration in realizing Phase 1 of the riverwalk, a central component of the city’s evolving waterfront district.

And finally, also in St. Helens, the South 1st and Strand Street Road and Utilities Extension received Project of the Year in the transportation category ($5–$25 Million) from the American Public Works Association (APWA) Oregon Chapter at their annual conference, October 30. Partnering with Otak, Mayer/Reed contributed to the design of this streetscape project which opens access to the riverfront and supports future private development.

These awards reflect the dedication and teamwork that go into creating meaningful places. We’re grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with clients, design teams and communities on these transformative projects.

Mayer/Reed Gallery Artist Profile: Mike Hawks

Our in-studio gallery recently featured the vibrant work of Mayer/Reed Senior Designer and Associate Mike Hawks. The three paintings, from his Engaging the Body, Quieting the Mind series, are a colorful expression of the body’s innate creative language.

These bold, abstract compositions stand in contrast to the precision and logic of Mike’s professional design work. In his paintings, instinct and improvisation take the lead. “In my personal artistic pursuits,” he shares, “I’m free from rules and rational thought, allowing pure expression to flow.”

That flow, however, didn’t come easy this time. After a hiatus from painting, Mike faced the blank canvas without the spark that had once driven him. What followed was a period of creative struggle — a reckoning that ultimately forced him to let go of artistic habits and expectations. As Mike began to embrace the discomfort and push beyond familiar techniques, things started to change. A new color combination, a different brush, small things built up to big discoveries, and finally a breakthrough.

Outside of Mayer/Reed, Mike has shown his art in two Portland exhibits and he’s currently working on new paintings for a third. With lessons learned from his previous creative challenge, Mike is now approaching the blank canvas without expectations. “I feel creatively liberated, like the guardrails have been removed from my mind.”

Mt. St. Helens—Where Passion Meets Profession

I’ve been climbing Mt. St. Helens since 1998, and each summit of the raw terrain is its own unique adventure. As I completed my fifth climb of the 2025 season, I reflected on the role the mountain plays in my life.

Loowit, as nearby Indigenous people call it, means “smoking mountain,” and on May 18, 1980, this moniker became a reality. The eruption blew 1,300 feet off its peak and triggered the largest landslide in recorded history. Forests were leveled, ash traveled hundreds of miles, and dozens of lives were lost. Today, the mountain continues to remind us of resilience, transformation and respect for nature’s power.

As a principal landscape architect at Mayer/Reed, I am fortunate to connect my personal love for the outdoors with my professional work. In 2018, we worked on a master planning team with Hennebery Eddy Architects for Mt. St. Helens Institute (MSHI), a nonprofit dedicated to connecting people of all ages to the volcano through education and exploration. The site, set directly in line with the 1980 eruption, called for a careful balance of ecological protection and human activity. We explored what a future campus could look like with cabins, campgrounds, staff and student housing and a welcome center, all designed with respect for the landscape, environmental resilience and flexibility, connection to the local ecology and community and universal access. In other words, a place to bring people closer to nature and each other.

This year, my passion for Mt. St. Helens found a new avenue. After weeks of online courses, CPR and first aid certification and field training, I officially joined the MSHI volunteer ranks as a Climbing Steward. My bright red uniform signals to hikers that I’m here to help, whether it’s offering water or snacks, giving advice on the route, providing emergency support or simply being a source of encouragement. In a time of federal cutbacks and limited U.S. Forest Service resources and staff, volunteer trail support is more crucial than ever.

One of my favorite moments as Climbing Steward this summer was meeting David and his daughter, Neah. Decades ago, David testified before Congress in support of making Mt. St. Helens a National Monument, and here he was at 72, climbing with that same spirit. A nod to his past climbs, Neah carried his well-worn Kelty pack from the ’70s. On the way down, I guided them through the boulder fields and hiked with them to the trailhead. Their gratitude was unforgettable. It struck me that stewardship isn’t just about safety—it’s about connection.

Mayer/Reed has a tradition of hiking Mt. St. Helens together, as far back as 2001 and as recent as this year. These group treks and my personal climbs remind me that our work doesn’t end at the office. When passion meets profession, it becomes more than a job. It becomes a way of life.