An Experienced Team

Our core group has more than 100 years of combined experience leading volunteers in the design and construction of hundreds of community-built playgrounds throughout the U.S. as well as in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. All members of our design-and-build team are Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSIs).

All members of our team are Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSI) with broad experience in the community-built field as former employees of a world-renowned playground architect. Examples of our work during that employment can be found throughout North America, as well as in Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

dave iannello

Senior Designer
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dave iannello

Dave was the company vice president and senior designer/head of design at Leathers at the time of his departure, and has over 35 years of experience in community built playgrounds. Dave oversees the design process at PBD and takes great pride in passing his knowledge on to others. He is particularly mindful of the overall flow and feel of a playground design and can be available to help a community with details such as color choices and design of imaginative elements. Dave will assist with the new design and development of Kids Kastle.

lee archin

Co-Founder, Designer, Builder and Project Manager
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lee archin

Lee was a senior construction consultant and project manager at Leathers at his time of departure, and has continued in those roles at PBD, overseeing the in-house design development process as well as the build event. Lee possesses an eagle’s eye for details, ensuring that nothing gets overlooked before the build event, during build week and for the post-build inspection. He has motivated volunteers during snow, long hour days, and even flooding, in fact, Lee is directly responsible for the successful completion of 2 post-tsunami projects in India and 12 projects in war-torn Afghanistan. Lee will be the lead consultant and project manager for your project.

dennis wille

ADA Specialist, Senior Designer
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dennis wille

Dennis Wille, designer, received his BFA and MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Dennis has a broad array of design experience, including nearly 20 years designing community-built playgrounds. During his tenure with an internationally known playground firm, he conducted nearly 400 “Design Day” events throughout the U.S. and internationally. From the very beginning of his playground design career, he has worked to push the envelope toward highly inclusive play environments. During college, he worked with developmentally disabled children and adults who had experienced spinal and head trauma, which instilled in him an understanding of and compassion for the unique challenges and needs of this population. As a playground designer, he seized the opportunity to create a more user-friendly world, one playground at a time. He works closely with committees, parents, therapists, and teachers to develop inclusive playgrounds, and at times, new components, in some cases for the specific needs of an individual child. While working for his former employer, Dennis designed some of the most inclusive playgrounds you will find anywhere, including projects in Port Washington, WI; Oconomowoc, WI; Racine, WI; Manitowoc, WI; Mechanicsburg, PA; Lancaster, PA; Lake Charles, LA; Lubbock, TX; Concord, CA; Louisville, KY and many others. Today, as a designer with Play by Design, he continues with his quest to create user-friendly, inclusive playgrounds, not only for children, but also for parents, caregivers and anyone who has experienced difficulty accessing play areas.

barry segal

Building Coordinator and Project Manager
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barry segal

45 years experience
200+ Design Days (30 Years at Leathers & Associates)

Barry has spent the greater part of his career dedicated to the community build model. He spent 30 years as an employee at Leathers and Associates as a lead build consultant and project manager. Barry is passionate about volunteering and community and is currently volunteering his time to help the people of Haiti rebuild their homes after the latest earthquake. Barry was the project manager and lead construction consultant on the original Kids Kastle playground build and will return as a construction consultant for.

lisa deshano

Senior Designer and Project Manager
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lisa deshano

14 years experience, 50+ Design Days (5 years at Leathers & Associates)

Lisa’s educational background is in corporate architecture, but her creative spirit led her to pursue her passion working with children and community build custom design. With the design of over 250 playgrounds under her belt, Lisa has the experience and talent to assimilate all of the feedback she gathers from Design Day into an initial hand-drawn sketch. She has extensive experience introducing the concept of community build to large groups of people and sub-committees and can walk each volunteer through the many steps we provide in the playground manual. Lisa will be your Design Day host and Project Manager.

laura sehn

Project Manager, Designer
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laura sehn

EDUCATION:
Nazareth College, BS Studio Art

Laura Sehn is an artist and designer who found her way to Play by Design through her love of volunteering. Laura graduated from Nazareth College in 2000 with a BS in Studio Art with a Concentration in Illustration and Graphic Design. She has been a Board Member for the Binghamton, NY based non-profit, A Room to Heal, for 5 years, helping create healing environments in the homes of children with severe medical challenges, as a designer and project manager.

Laura was drawn to Play by Design because of their passion for inclusive design and community builds. Many of the children she works with through her volunteer efforts have medical challenges and special needs, Play by Design creates spaces where everyone can play and be a kid! When Laura isn’t working or volunteering, she is most likely driving her 2 children around to basketball, Scouts, or tennis, out walking her dog, or working on a home-improvement project.

samantha mcadams

Operations Manager
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samantha mcadams

EDUCATION:
Alfred State College
Architectural Technology (AAS)
Interior Design (AAS)
Technology Management, (BBA)

Samantha McAdams grew up on Long Island, New York. Her passion for design started young when she would help her mother, an Interior Designer. Samantha wanted to pursue her passion and attended school at Alfred State College where she earned her degree in Technology Management, BBA. Her concentration was in Architectural Engineering and Interior Design. After graduation, Samantha moved to Ithaca and shortly after started to work for Play By Design.

She is the fundamental support to the team and brand of Play By Design. Manages all schedules, and oversees daily workflow and construction operations. Responsible for all project materials, procurement, logistics, and general administration including payroll, bookkeeping, invoicing, and daily financial tasks.

nathan bishop

Construction Consultant
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nathan bishop

20 years construction / landscape experience.

Nate started his career as a landscaper and ran his own company for 20 years before switching to community builds. His years of knowledge and expertise with ground cover, drainage as well as team management makes him a valuable asset to the team.

mary archin

Marketing Director
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mary archin

Mary’s 20 year career in marketing ranges in experience from high profile / celebrity events, preschools, concerts, festivals and tours. With her entrepreneurial spirit, she is a resource for events, grants, social media and grassroots marketing.

History of Play by Design

Play by Design is a playground design firm that specializes in working with communities to design and provide safe, affordable, and unique volunteer-built playgrounds for children of all abilities. We begin with the design, then provide project management and organizational assistance to the committee, and finally on-site supervision of the volunteer work force during construction.

Co-founders Dave Iannello and Lee Archin began Play by Design based on their vision and passion for design and quality construction. Both are talented designers and community organizers who have more than 40 years experience leading volunteers in the design and construction of community-built playgrounds. Our staff has a combined 100 years of experience working in the community-built field and have worked on hundreds of playgrounds throughout the U.S. and in many other countries. We employ designers, project managers and construction consultants. All of our designs meet and exceed the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines. At the completion of your community build, one of our Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSIs) inspects the playground. As CPSIs, we are well-versed in current industry standards and guidelines for safety and accessibility.

Partners

All members of our team are Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSI) with broad experience in the community-built field as former employees of a world-renowned playground architect. Examples of our work during that employment can be found throughout North America, as well as in Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Resources

All members of our team are Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSI) with broad experience in the community-built field as former employees of a world-renowned playground architect. Examples of our work during that employment can be found throughout North America, as well as in Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.