Professional Profile: Vada Seccareccia, 2014

Name: Vada Seccareccia Title: Designer & Marketing Coordinator Company: Union Studio Architecture & Community Design Location: Providence, Rhode Island Place of birth: Officially, Providence, but I grew up in Rehoboth, Massachusetts Family: My husband, Christopher Di Fronzo. College: Undergraduate: Bryn Mawr College, Graduate: Rhode Island School of Design First job unrelated to your current field: Picking vegetables at 4 Town Farm in Seekonk, Massachusetts First job in current field: As a physical needs assessor for the Providence Housing Authority What your firm does now and its plans for the future? At Union Studio, we use our skills as architects and planners to make a civic contribution to communities of all types, and we are committed to continuing to design sustainable places that will be loved for generations. Hobbies: Cooking, biking, kayaking, sewing ... not necessarily always in that order. Favorite novel: Just about anything by Louise Erdrich. Favorite film: "Casablanca," for purely romantic reasons. Keys to success: Listening and working with others. You can always accomplish more if you have a great team and everyone feels that their voice is heard and their input matters. Person(s) you most admire (outside of family): The people I admire most are those who take the initiative to find ways to better something, whether in their community, in their profession, or globally. If you had to choose a different profession, what would it be? If I absolutely had to choose a new profession at this point, I would be a ceramicist. Like architecture, I enjoy the combination of art, science, and process.