Christine Gyovai
Christine Muehlman Gyovai is the Principal of Dialogue + Design Associates and has over twenty years of experience in creating community transformation and resilience. The granddaughter of a coal miner and a firefly scientist, Ms. Gyovai grew up in West Virginia. She holds certificates in design charrettes, coaching, mediation and permaculture design, and is a member of the National Roster of Environmental Dispute Resolution and Consensus Building Professionals. A frequent speaker at conferences and events, she holds a M.U.E.P. in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia and a B.S. in Environmental Studies from Burlington College. She lives in central Virginia with her husband and two children.
Reed Muehlman
Reed Muehlman is a registered Architect, illustrator, and environmental designer. Mr. Muehlman is a LEED Accredited Professional, and holds certification from the National Charrette Institute, and in permaculture design and urbanism. He has over twenty years of experience working in the architecture field, and has consulted on several diverse project types including academic master plans, residential visioning and permaculture design, and dairy design. He holds Masters degrees in Architecture and Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia, and Bachelor’s degrees in Art and Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. Mr. Muehlman designed the passive solar straw bale house he and his wife live in with their two children in central Virginia.
Philippa Belsches
Philippa Belsches is a project manager and consultant with Dialogue + Design Associates and has over 15 years of professional experience in the nonprofit and corporate sectors. Her focus areas include program management, policy analysis, strategic planning, and partnership development. Philippa is committed to supporting organizations and projects that strive to foster equity, build sustainability, and create a positive social impact. Philippa holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from UVA’s Frank Batten School of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) from Georgetown University. She lives in central Virginia.
Emily Carlson
Emily Carlson is a project manager and consultant with Dialogue + Design Associates supporting projects through facilitation, design, stakeholder engagement, and writing. Emily possesses a Masters Degree from Penn State University in landscape architecture, and possesses experience specifically community design, green infrastructure, GIS, digital drawing and drafting, planting design, sustainable tourism planning, project management, community planning and economic development, and stream restoration. Her past professional experience in community watershed education, environmental education, field science, and social research merge with landscape architecture to transform spaces, minds and communities.
Brandon Dennis
Brandon Dennis is an architectural intern at Dialogue + Design Associates, involved in multiple roles in the architectural process including design, drafting, and modeling. He was initially involved with D+D in an externship program before taking on his current role. Brandon earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He is projected to receive a Masters of Architecture from UVA in 2023. Born and raised in Virginia, Brandon is interested in preserving and enriching the local landscape through environmentally and socially conscious design.
Alexandria Sentilles
Alexandria Sentilles is a consultant with Dialogue + Design Associates supporting projects through graphic design and writing. Alexandria has over five years of experience working as a graphic designer, using her skills in Adobe Creative Suite to consult with clients and organizations across multiple sectors to create visually appealing products. She holds a M.U.E.P in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia and a B.S. in Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University. In addition to operating her graphic design and consultation business, she works as an environmental planner for an engineering firm in North Carolina.
Partners
San Luis Sustainability Group
Since 1976, the San Luis Sustainability Group, based near San Luis Obispo, California, has focused on designing a variety of building types with the common thread of being environmentally friendly with regard to function, process, and composition. Their buildings range in size from small cottages of 400 square feet to large scale commercial complexes that incorporate energy efficient design techniques such as passive solar heating, passive cooling and day lighting, as well as the use of green building materials and/or integration of photovoltaic electricity generation. In addition, San Luis Sustainability Group provides sustainable planning, research and consultant services that promote building practices to better integrate human activities with the natural environment.
Visit them at www.slosustainability.com
Or email at SLOSG@slonet.org
Institute for Engagement & Negotiation
Founded in 1980, the Institute for Engagement & Negotiation (IEN) based at the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture provides mediation and consensus-building services to governments, citizen organizations and businesses dealing with conflicts and complex policy choices about land uses and the natural and built environment. The Institute designs public involvement processes for land use planning projects such as watershed plans, brownfield and Superfund site redevelopment, forest management and other related projects. The IEN team comprises seven highly qualified staff members specializing in urban planning, public administration, conflict management, and environmental policy.
Visit them at www.virginia.edu/ien
Or email at envneg@virginia.edu