Tammy Edmonds, Founder, CEO & Creative Director of Tammy Edmonds DESIGN, Top 10 Inspiring Women Leaders of 2022 | IERA Women Leaders

The inert, thoughtful attention to detail and dovetailing function of the user allows tammy edmonds DESIGN (teD) to be as unique as it is today. Tammy Edmonds, founder, CEO & creative director of the firm, has created a more design-build artisan approach towards design and its execution. In 2017 teD expanded its in-house capabilities by branching off and creating Chester Install, Inc., which focuses on architectural millwork and cabinetry installations. Through this joint but separate venture, design meets with the technical expertise to produce a more well-rounded artisan solution for the client.

Empowering young entrepreneurs and up-and-coming designers encompasses teD’s methodology of paying it forward. According to Tammy, the industry can only be as strong as the next generation is prepared to grow it. “Our scholastic institutions can only take them so far, professionals have to provide guidance and sacrifice the necessary time to help mentor those who are not just the young but those who decided to make a career change and follow their passion,” she says. “teD prides itself in the work it has contributed to local universities and second career designer and tradesmen looking for apprenticeships to thrive.” The greatest gift Tammy gives back is to lead by example and to share as many of the lessons learned as she can.

Time accumulates a wealth of knowledge, and sharing those valuable lessons is a joy for Tammy. “Most recently, I have been a lecturer at the California State University Design Program in Long Beach, CA, teaching the third-year spring semester design studio,” elucidates Tammy. “Seeing the youth of our industry thrive as they do and playing a part in that is extremely rewarding. It also keeps me current with the thinking methodology of their generation.” This awareness highlights’ but one of the avenues in how Tammy succeeds in her projects. There is a difference between trendy and staying current—the latter leads to successful, timeless solutions. Staying diverse and embracing different forms of design allows for creativity to thrive. There’s no boundary that I see—from design in graphic form to environmental. The detail of fine craftsmanship holds as equal weight as the quiet beauty of putting paint on canvas and the seed of self-expression that blossoms with each stroke towards the ultimate success of a well-rounded completed project.

With a brilliant and creative mind, Tammy has led the firm toward new heights. teD has over 100+ projects, in various forms, under its belt in private aviation, and Tammy is very proud of that achievement. They were the first to curate a branding strategy for their client that embraces the vernacular of the city that they are located in which, for the aviation community was not necessarily a priority. However, utilizing teD’s branding strategy in their remodels advanced a relatively smaller network, expand as it went through multiple acquisitions to grow their network and become the second largest network chain—all with a standard design thread woven through them. “We lead the industry in pushing the design threshold into an elevated experience without sacrificing function. Was it revolutionary? Yes. Are we still? Yes,” explains Tammy. “teD is always striving to match the design with a company’s business and marketing goals. We take great pride in studying lifestyle trends and staying ahead of the technology component– which is needed in balancing design solutions.” Technology pushes teD—and spaces need to complement them to a degree, but not fully dictate either. Technology changes quickly, so you want to maintain flexibility. Hence, a decisive goal for teD is staying ahead of the curve and not forgetting the past, which helps pave the future.

According to Tammy, COVID changed many things in the industry and in general. “The supply chain issues we suffered through, and still do, is something that we are actively addressing for our clients. We have expanded our capabilities to allow us to control production, transportation, and design in-house through meaningful relationships with other vendors and suppliers so that we are not stuck in the crosshairs of these issues,” adds the pioneering leader. “Chester Install, Inc. has invested in a new CNC machine that allows us to fabricate and manufacture in real-time. It also allows us to partner with another vendor to assist them with fabrication needs if they come up.” For the days to come, Tammy’s goal is to continue to provide opportunities to curious minds wanting to experience the joy of contributing to the built environment. Our industry needs to do more for culturally inclusive community of artisans, designers, and installers to find one another. “We must highlight the joy of making things with our hands and the feeling of accomplishment that provides,” she asserts. WL