Linda MacLeod Fannon IIDA, RDI, senior project manager at Elkus Manfredi Architects of Boston, has been elected president of the Boston Chapter of the Retail Design Institute (RDI). Dedicated to the advancement and collaborative practice of designing and building retail environments, the Retail Design Institute is the foremost professional organization in its field. Its Boston Chapter is one of its strongest, with membership including area architects, interior designers, contractors, educators, and suppliers to the industry.
Fannon's career has centered on the design of branded environments. Early on, she worked as a prototype designer for Timberland stores worldwide, then oversaw store planning and design teams for Target, Mervyn's, and Marshall Field's. She followed these positions by becoming senior manager of Store Design for Fleet Bank and Bank of America. Fannon currently leads projects for Elkus Manfredi, a firm well known for its master planning and design of large retail developments such as The Grove in Los Angeles and The Shops at Columbus Circle, the 500,000 s/f retail base at Time Warner Center in New York City. She is widely recognized as a pioneer in creating, enhancing, and advancing customer experience as the essence of building a successful retail brand.