News

Courtney McLeod-Golden Joins HGA as Principal in Sacramento

HGA is pleased to welcome Courtney McLeod-Golden, AIA, LEED BD+C, as Principal and Practice Group Leader, based in the Sacramento office.

McLeod-Golden will direct and foster the continued growth of the Arts | Community | Education practice spanning the Sacramento Valley and Bay Area. Her external focus will be on cultivating new opportunities and relationships; internally she will focus on supporting the inherent talent and capabilities of the current and emerging leaders in those practices.

“Courtney is an exceptional leader focused on building a creative team culture,” said HGA CEO Tim Carl, FAIA. “We’re thrilled to have her thoughtful guidance and clear vision heading up these practices in Northern California, as well as in the design process with her clients.”

“This is an exciting professional opportunity for me, not only to work at HGA—a multidisciplinary firm founded on a collaborative model—but also to join this remarkable group of people who are deeply committed to bringing something original to their clients. I look forward to working together to translate our clients’ aspirations into inspiring, impactful places.”

With more than 25 years of experience working with public and educational clients, McLeod-Golden’s expertise includes master planning, programming, design, and project management. She has partnered with the State of California, higher education institutions, public agencies, boards, and community groups to bring vision to reality in a broad range of spaces.

“The insight developed throughout my career has come from asking questions, and listening carefully to learn what’s integral to the success of my clients, as well as the people they serve—from understanding different learning styles and the need to create comfortable, safe spaces that optimize learning for everyone, to acknowledging the talent war that’s prompting public entities to create environments more reflective of their corporate counterparts. HGA values a similar approach, which is really exciting to me.”

Before joining HGA, McLeod-Golden was Managing Principal and Education Practice Leader with Dreyfuss + Blackford Architecture in Sacramento, where she led design teams and client relations for educational, civic, and corporate projects since 2002. Prior to that she served as Project Manager for Perkins & Will in Los Angeles.

McLeod-Golden has a Bachelor of Architecture and Environmental Design from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. She is a Board chairperson for SkillsUSA California, a national membership association serving middle school, high school and college students preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled-services occupations.