Eileen Vitelli
Owner & Director of Operations
My focus is on internal firm operations: developing and documenting processes that ensure strong project management and a framework for teams to execute successful designs. I also support business development, financial management, cultivation of positive client relationships, human resources, and onboarding new staff.
I am an interior designer by training, with 20+ years of design and project management experience. I have designed for theatre, hospitality/hotels, restaurants, retail, mixed-use, multi-family, and high-end residential market sectors in the U.S. and abroad. I have worked in firms of all sizes, from sole proprietorships to enormous international corporations, finding my niche working with small to mid-size businesses.
Photo: Melissa Blackall Photography
During my early career, I designed and built scenery and props for several live theater companies in DC. Inspired by a love of travel, I then joined the U.S. Department of State, where I designed the homes of diplomats and staff, traveling to more than 30 countries. It was a natural transition to specialize in hotel design next, working for an international hotel chain and for boutique design firms to create comfortable and functional spaces for travelers.
Plumbline Operations grew from my experience in a start-up design firm as it accelerated in size and notoriety. I envisioned and created a design-adjacent role as Director of Operations, where I provided “air-traffic control” for the busy office’s many projects. When the world hit “pause” due to the pandemic in 2020, it became clear that design firms would cut expenses. Yet, there was still a need for operations support across the industry, especially the suddenly-hot residential sector. Plumbline Operations was launched to make these services available to companies of all sizes.
I’m ready to tackle your “I’ll-get-to-it-later” list with a passion for organization, and an obsession with operational efficiency!
Design: //3877, Courtyard Fort Worth Stockyards
LICENSURE/CERTIFICATION
Interior Design license, Washington, DC. NCIDQ Certificate No. 28279. LEED AP ID+C. Green Globes Professional. PSMJ Project Management Bootcamp Master Class.
OTHER SKILLS & CERTIFICATIONS
Public speaking (Toastmaster’s International Competent Communicator), writing, interior and theatrical set painting, basic sewing & upholstery, USNSA Sailing Certification, DC Motorcycle license, DC Notary Public.
DESIGN COMMUNITY SERVICE
Board Member, District of Columbia Board of Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture
Member & Volunteer, American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)
Member & Volunteer, Network of Executive Women in Hospitality (NEWH)
I enjoy helping younger designers as they enter the profession. I individually mentor interior design students in their early careers, and speak about interview preparation, resumes and other topics at design schools and on industry panels.
FOR FUN
Board Member, Rorschach Theatre Company
Founding Member, Vespa Donne (women’s Vespa riding group)
Executive Member, DC Puzzle Swap (jigsaw puzzle exchange)