Meet Neotha Leslie

Perspectives

Who or what brought you to Civitas? Why did you choose to work here?

I actually started at Civitas back in 2006 while I was in graduate school. My professor had worked at Civitas prior and encouraged me to apply for an internship there. When I looked into their work, I was really impressed by the quality and creativity I saw. I ended up interning there for about a year and a half, and then I was hired full-time. Unfortunately, I was laid off in 2008 during the Great Recession. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that first experience at Civitas really set the bar for what I would come to value in a design practice. I spent the next 12 years working at other firms, gaining experience and perspective. Then, three years ago, I returned to Civitas as a contractor, and now I’m back full-time.

What ultimately brought me back was the realization that Civitas offers something truly unique: a deep rigor in design, a commitment to craft, and a high standard for both ideas and execution. The design reviews, the collaborative energy, and the thoughtful attention to detail really stand out in the industry. It’s a dynamic, creative environment filled with smart, passionate people, and that’s what brought me back.

How would you describe your personal approach to design?

My background is in fine art and graphic design, so I naturally gravitate toward form. I care deeply about creating landscapes that are beautiful, balanced, and expressive. However, I also bring a very analytical mindset to my work. I like to dig into the site-specific constraints: Who is this for? What are the programmatic needs? What does the site want to become? For me, it’s always about marrying the formal with the functional. I believe landscape needs to do more than one thing; it should serve ecological purposes, support human experience, and adapt over time. I’m very conscious that we’re designing a layer in time, knowing that people will interact with it, change it, and make it their own. So I approach design with a sense of humility, we’re designing for people and for the environment, not for ourselves.

What experiences (or people or places) have had the most influence on you and/or your design approach?

During and after graduate school, I worked in New Orleans on post-Katrina recovery efforts, particularly in the Lower Ninth Ward. That experience had a deep impact on me. Working with and for the community really shaped how I think about design. It taught me that my role is not just to design for people, but to understand the historical and cultural context that has shaped a place, especially in communities with complex, layered histories. That awareness continues to inform my approach.

Earlier on, after undergrad, I was planning to pursue graduate studies in Bronze Age Aegean art history. I took a fellowship in Italy, where I worked closely with an Italian architect and art historian as his teaching assistant. I was surrounded by architecture and landscape architecture students, and what really stayed with me from that time was the realization that our built environments are deeply shaped by belief systems, by our values, social structures, and political forces. That perspective helped me understand how design reflects function and worldviews.

Travel and time spent in places like Italy, studying how the approach to the design of cities evolved, helped me see how context and culture shape form. It’s made me more aware of my own biases and more intentional about challenging them. I don’t want the design to be about me; I want it to respond thoughtfully to the people, the place, and the larger systems it exists within.

What is your proudest accomplishment so far, either at work or in life in general?

My proudest accomplishment is my family. I’m a mother to a 12-year-old son. Being a parent has shaped me in so many meaningful ways, and it continues to be the most important and rewarding part of my life.

What accomplishments do you hope or aspire to reach in the future?

With the support of Civitas and the incredible team of designers and mentors here, I hope to see a project through from concept all the way to construction. I’m really looking forward to that full arc of the design process. More than anything, I hope to contribute to a place that holds real meaning for the people it’s designed for.

What are your favorite types of design projects to work on or design challenges to solve?

I’m drawn to projects that are complex, whether that complexity comes from the scale, the site conditions, or the many layers of social, cultural, and ecological needs. I enjoy diving into those challenges and finding design solutions that balance competing priorities or perspectives.

I especially love projects that integrate ecology and culture, where a place can be both beautiful and high-performing, supporting ecological function while also creating meaningful, welcoming spaces for people. That intersection is where I feel most engaged as a designer, and it’s the kind of work I hope to continue doing.

What do you do outside of work to have fun, or relax, or learn, or volunteer?

Outside of work, I love to travel and spend time with my family. We’re big on watching movies together, taking long walks with our dog, and getting up to the mountains whenever we can.

What are you reading or listening to these days?

Lately, I’ve mostly been listening to NPR, trying to keep up with everything going on in the world, even though it can feel a little overwhelming. I also have a 12-year-old, so my soundtrack is a mix of NPR and whatever pop music he’s into at the moment. And in between, I’ve been listening to “Learn Italian While You Drive” in the car, so it’s kind of an eclectic mix!

What is your favorite food to eat, or recipe to cook?

I enjoy baking. When I have time, I bake something from “Rose’s Heavenly Cakes” – the more complicated, the better.

Describe one item that you never leave home without.

The feeling that I have forgotten something.

Random thing on your desk

My son’s pencil case that I stole from him.