Designer Spotlight: Carrie Woleben-Meade
“I have fond memories of my mom being delighted in the spring when the bleeding hearts would flower,” says Mariani Landscape’s Carrie Woleben-Meade. “She would point out things to me in our garden and on our walks together, which helped me connect to the outdoors at an early age.” For Meade, this led to a passion for plants and the environment.
Meade’s initial interest was further fanned by a neighbor who was a landscape architect. She learned the value of designing a landscape and, coupled with her fond memories, decided to make a career of creating outdoor spaces for people to enjoy with their family and friends. “Landscapes evoke a lot of sentiments, bring back memories and allow us to kick back and enjoy life,” says Meade.
“I really love solving problems for clients—that’s the challenging part of design,” Meade explains.
She began as a landscape designer at Mariani. And nearly 20 years later, she is now its Director of Design. A licensed landscape architect in Illinois and Wisconsin, Meade has received
certifications from the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). When creating a design, she focuses on the clients’ design aesthetic and personal style to create a space they never could have imagined—but feels right to them. “I really love solving problems for clients—that’s the challenging part of design,” Meade explains.
Meade holds a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Loyola University Chicago.
