Principal
Ellen Sears joined Tillotson Design in 2006, bringing twenty-six years of lighting design experience to the company. Previously, she was a partner at Thompson + Sears, LLC and at Brandston Partnership, Inc. where she directed a diverse range of projects that include the twenty-two story headquarters for Garanti Bank in Istanbul; the University of Connecticut Pharmacy and Biology Laboratory; the restoration of the landmarked Congregation Shearith Israel Synagogue; the LEED Silver United States Courthouse at Buffalo, New York; and the Ringling Causeway Bridge in Sarasota, Florida.
Before forming Thompson + Sears, LLC, Ms. Sears was an associate and lead designer at David A. Mintz, Inc. and at Jerry Kugler Associates. While with these firms, her responsibilities encompassed the lighting of performing arts centers, daylighted art galleries, hospitality complexes, and bridges. Ms. Sears graduated from the State University of New York, Fashion Institute of Technology, with an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Interior Design, and acquired several years of experience as an interior designer prior to becoming a lighting designer.