Clarissa Easton has joined the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) as Project Director for Legislative Campus Modernization (LCM), a multi-phased project on the Capitol Campus that includes replacing the Irving R. Newhouse Building, replacing or renovating the Joel M. Pritchard Building, and renovating the third and fourth floors of the John L. O'Brien Building.

Clarissa will lead a team of professional staff providing leadership, project management, and coordination for the LCM project. She will act as the lead DES representative for stakeholder engagement, assist her team in managing consultants and contractors, develop staffing and resource plans, and oversee programming, planning, design, construction, and budgeting efforts.

Clarissa joins DES from the City of Dallas, where she spent the last five years managing capital projects as the city’s Senior Manager of Construction and Design. She recently led a master plan update for three civic campuses focusing on energy, budget, construction delivery methods, and historic preservation issues.

“I’m looking forward to joining the DES team and the many local partnerships necessary to make this project successful,” Clarissa said. “Public architecture is my passion and I’m confident we will touch the future through the LCM project. As Winston Churchill once said, ‘We shape our buildings, and afterward our buildings shape us.’”

Clarissa began her career practicing architecture with large national firms. She transitioned into capital program leadership when she joined King County Government in 1996. Her accomplishments there include leading the development of a King County/University of Washington Master Plan for the Harborview Campus. After leaving King County, she served with distinction in capital program management with the University of Missouri System, the University of Texas System, Dallas County, and the City of Dallas.

“I’m proud to welcome Clarissa to our team as we fulfill our charge to develop the future of the historic Capitol Campus through Legislative Campus Modernization. We had an impressive pool of candidates for this role, but Clarissa’s proven record of distinction in complex project management, her attention to detail, and her experience in public engagement set her apart. Her inclusive leadership style and belief in the importance of varied partnerships to blend and strengthen our shared values for the Capitol Campus will support the success of this multi-faceted project. I’m excited to have Clarissa on our team and to welcome her back to Washington,” said Bill Frare, DES Facility Professional Services Assistant Director.

Clarissa is an accredited professional in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and is also deeply involved with the American Institute of Architects (AIA). She has served on the AIA Dallas Code and Standards Committee, the AIA Dallas Board of Directors, was the AIA Dallas Chair of Women in Architecture Network, served as AIA Mid-Missouri President and, in 2020, was nominated as an AIA Fellow. Additionally, she volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and student groups interested in architecture. Clarissa said she is excited to be back in the Pacific Northwest with her family and friends. When she’s not at work, she likes to read, garden and experience all our beautiful outdoor spaces have to offer.