December Professional Member of the Month

Becky Hansel

INVISION

Principal, Architect

1. What is the most exciting and energizing aspect of your current position?

At INVISION, there is a sincere dedication to develop people in parallel with outstanding projects. My favorite moments during the day are those spent helping others find and develop their unique skills and talents and then providing or finding opportunities for them and our teams to succeed.

2. What was the last interesting book you read?

“Wolfpack” by Abby Wambach was my most recent read. Wambach led the United States women’s soccer team to a World Cup championship in 2015 and shares lessons of teamwork, failures and successes. Her motivation is to empower women to lead in new and different ways. She does this by identifying eight new rules, all of which resonated with me as I think about where I have been and where I want to go.

3. What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

I am most proud of my ability to professionally differentiate myself. Throughout my career I have built knowledge, experience and passion for healthcare planning and design. This coupled with strengths in futuristic and strategic thinking and skills in facilitation and consensus building have allowed me to offer unique value to INVISION, our clients and our community.

4. How do you define success? And measure it?

Over the past few years, I have been working on redefining my personal framework for success. I started by making sure that I was asking myself the right question. What really matters to me? This is a different question than I had asked myself in the past and helped me understand I have my own diverse set of values. Now, I’m working on consistently spending my days aligned with those values. When I’m successful, it creates a feeling of well-being making me happier and healthier as a whole person.

5. We are Iowa Women in Architecture; who were the female role models that inspired you? 

I have been inspired and influenced by many talented women in so many ways…my mother, daughter, professors at Iowa State, past and present co-workers, clients, GDMLI CLP classmates and professional connections. The list goes on and on. My most cherished role models though are women who have chosen their own way in life with confidence not rooted solely in career or status, but in seeing the value in herself.

6. Do you volunteer your time outside of work? If so, where and how?

I serve as a volunteer at several community organizations including the Youth Emergency Shelter and Services, Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute and Iowa State University. I am most engaged as the Vice Chair at the YMCA Supportive Housing Campus. The Y-SHC fills a unique role in our community, offering affordable permanent housing with wrap around support services for 140 residents who were formerly homeless or at risk of homelessness. They are hands-down one of the most impactful organizations in Des Moines and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of the great work they’re doing.