Diane Filippi excelled as a managing partner with SMWM, a woman-owned architecture firm, also known as Simon Martin-Vegue Winkelstein Moris, for 35 years. Over the course of her tenure, she handled most face-to-face matters, including negotiating all contracts with consultants and plants, handling administrative work and working directly with clients. Passionate about reading, her most significant professional achievement was her work on the architecture for main library #6 of the San Francisco Public Library. She notably led an effort to keep the library alive, raising $15 million to help the library stay open seven days a week and enhance the book budget. She also spent time as the chair of the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.
Ms. Filippi has also had a considerable tenure with SPUR Urban Center. As the center’s director, she worked alongside executive director Jim Chappell and a group of talented professionals to bring the building to life and helped them to raise $13 million. She remains involved with SPUR Urban Center as a board member and benefactor to this day. Alongside her primary responsibilities, she has also contributed her skills to a variety of other professional and civic endeavors, including serving as a board member with Mother Jones, the Foundation for National Progress, North Beach Citizens and the Education Fund. Ms. Filippi previously chaired the Urban Land Institute and began her career as a non-voting partner of Marquis Associates.
Prior to embarking on her career, Ms. Filippi studied at both the University of Pacific and the University of California Berkeley, completing coursework toward a Bachelor of Arts in archaeology. She attributes much of her success to her natural gifts in public speaking and is proud to have retained her skill in speaking even while dealing with aphasia. As she looks toward the future, Ms. Filippi intends to finish writing a book on her experiences living with aphasia, and she also hopes to get involved with a local synagogue where she can volunteer with children. When she isn’t working or volunteering, Ms. Filippi enjoys fly fishing, reading, skiing and cooking.
For her excellence, Ms. Filippi has been the recipient of a number of honors and accolades. Recently, she was featured in the Marquis Who’s Who Millennium Magazine and was previously presented with a San Francisco Business Times Award. Having accomplished much throughout her career, Ms. Filippi notes her work with the San Francisco Public Library and the SPUR Urban Center as particular highlights and was extremely gratified to have served so many years as a full partner at SMWM.
