As the Interior Design Practice Group Leader at ISG, Jane Miller leads her growing team with a positive mindset and over 25 years of creative interior design experience. Discover more about Jane’s career journey, favorite aspects of leading the interior design group, and why she treks to Kansas City every year!
My interest for interior design first sparked in high school while watching a movie where the main character was an interior designer. I thought it looked interesting and creative, and after researching it more I decided to pursue it as a career. I graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Design and Human Environment and went on to work in residential design and then switched to commercial design. Now, 25 years later, I work on the full range of architectural interior design projects with ISG.
One of the most rewarding parts of my job is the mentorship aspect. We have a vibrant growing team of young interior designers at ISG. It’s a lot of teaching, guiding, and helping these young professionals develop their full potential as great interior designers. This mentorship role has developed into some wonderful relationships. Our whole interior design group is super team orientated, positive, and ready to help, which has strengthened our teamwork, communication, and problem solving skills for each project we collaborate on.
The positive attitude of every single employee owner. Everybody understands that we’re all on the same team and want to give our clients the best product possible. It feels rewarding to be surrounded by genuinely nice people and it is even better to work with such a supportive group. This positive team energy has been continuous since I started at ISG nearly six years ago.
Maple River Schools was a really fun project. I was involved with the interior and furniture design from beginning to end. It is a K-12 building so our strategy was to make the design continuous for all the students but also individual for the different age groups. The client was open to ideas and wanted to incorporate school branding, engaging learning spaces, and variety in furniture for the students and faculty, which made the process an enjoyable and creative collaboration.
Every part of a project is important. It may not be your favorite project or the most fun part of the project, but all the steps are needed in the design process to make it successful. Know you are always learning and that will be valuable in your future. It is always ok to ask questions, if you do not know why something is being done a certain way, if you don't understand what a client is wanting, ask questions. Information is key.
Lake time is the best time! We have a lake house and spending time boating with friends and family during the summer is one of my favorite things to do. When I am not out on the water, I enjoy cooking, reading, walking, shopping, and cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs. My family and I go to a game in Kansas City every year to watch them play. I have been a Chiefs fan for the past 35 years, so it has been extra fun these past few years watching them win!
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As ISG continues to grow and expand to new geographies, we want to share a few non-traditional benefits that have come with employee owners choosing to relocate. Culture transplants ensure that as we continue to grow, we stay true to our core values, mission, purpose, and culture, which not only benefits ISG employee owners, but our clients as well. This why we encourage relocation across all our locations.
If you know Mallorie, you know that she is anything short of how she describes her fellow coworkers–friendly, helpful, humble, fun, and knowledgeable. For nearly eight years, this Senior Graphic Designer has been making an impact at ISG with her creativity and bright personality. What brought her to ISG and what is her favorite part about working here? If you guessed the people, Mankato’s patio, and projects, you’re halfway there.
As the leader of ISG’s robust marketing team, Abby Gram is a resilient creative force who is always ready for the next challenge. Read on to learn about ISG’s #Allin culture, some surprises about the marketing team, her time on the muddy Mississippi, and why she encourages others to “just keep swimming.”
As a Project Accountant and former Support Specialist, Bill Bartz continues to serve as an important link between projects and employee owners. Learn more about Bill’s journey to ISG, the importance of a first-class team, and get an inside scoop about the Green Bay office and some of Bill’s favorite post-work activities!
ISG’s Caleb Rasmussen is a steward for conservation through his role as a civil engineer. Focusing on surface water, Caleb works on the unique waterways of the Midwest to improve water quality and wildlife. Even though he spends much of his time outside while on the job, you can still find him enjoying the outdoors working with his livestock or spending time with his family.
What do you get when you combine real-world experiences, a collaborative team environment, strengths-focused personal and professional development, and exposure to a positive working culture? One rockin’ internship with ISG! This year, ISG welcomed 35 interns into our offices—investing in their experiences by providing customized and meaningful opportunities that mutually impact our firm and each student.