Kathleen A. Bartels, AIA, was recognized by Providence Business News with an Achievement Honoree Award at its 2019 Business Women Awards. PBN honors the success of high-achieving women in a variety of industries with these annual awards. Kathleen is a Principal and Co-Owner of LLB Architects.

Kathleen has been instrumental in the growth of LLB Architectswhich was established in 1936. She has helped expand its practice from a respected local design firm to a regional leader in major institutional and civic projects. Kathleen has a Master in Architecture degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College. She joined LLB Architects in 1996 and became a partner in 2000.

Kathleen is also an active member of the local community, serving on several nonprofit boards. She was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for Centreville Bank Charitable Foundation which helps strengthen communities across Rhode Island by providing grants to local community-based organizations focusing on education, economic security and capacity building initiatives. Kathleen also serves on the Board of Trustees for Community Preparatory School, an independent school serving socio-economically disadvantaged students in grades 3–8. She is an active member of the Board of Directors of the Pawtucket Foundation.

In 2011, Kathleen and business partner Christian Ladds completed a renovation and adaptive reuse of a vacant mill building in Pawtucket which became LLB Architect’s headquarters. Now known as the Design Exchange for its fostering of creative enterprises, the building has won numerous design and historic preservation awards as well as serving as a model for urban renewal and redevelopment.