On August 12, 2026, Moseley announced Stephen Halsey, AIA, has been named the firm’s first chief design officer, and Ashley Dennis, AIA, has been named leader of the K-12 education sector. The appointments reflect the firm's commitment to design excellence and to developing the leadership necessary to sustain it across all sectors and offices.
Stephen Halsey Appointed as Firm's First Chief Design Officer
Stephen joined Moseley’s Richmond office in 2007. Since being named K-12 education sector leader in 2021, he has expanded the firm's reach across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, building a body of work recognized by the Virginia Association for Learning Environments, the Virginia School Boards Association, American School & University and Learning By Design.
"This new leadership position is a deliberate statement about the place of design in this firm. We believe the quality of design is the truest measure of a firm's value to the communities it serves. Stephen has spent nearly two decades demonstrating what it looks like to hold design and discipline in equal measure, and his leadership will raise the standard of work across every sector and every office," said Jeff Hyder, president and CEO of Moseley.
As a member of the firm’s board of directors, Stephen provides leadership and support to the firm's design collaboration team, a cross-disciplinary group that brings together representatives from all six of the firm's sectors to develop new ideas and raise design standards firmwide. He also played a central role in formalizing the firm's integrated design process, which brings architects, engineers, interior designers, sustainability professionals and clients together at a project's outset.
The creation of the chief design officer role marks a significant moment for the firm, formalizing design leadership at the highest level of the organization. As chief design officer, Stephen will advance the firm's design quality and design culture across all sectors and offices, mentor emerging design talent and represent the firm through conferences, publications, awards programs and speaking engagements. In addition to his responsibilities as the firm's chief design officer, Stephen will continue to serve clients as a principal in the K-12 education sector.
Stephen holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture and a Bachelor of Architecture from North Carolina State University's College of Design. He served as president of the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) Virginia Chapter from 2018 to 2019.
Ashley Dennis Elevated to K-12 Education Sector Leader
Ashley joined Moseley’s Raleigh office in 2008. Over the course of her career with the firm, she has led her projects with close attention to what educators, administrators, facilities staff and students need from the spaces they occupy, and that orientation has defined both the quality of her work and the growth of the firm's presence in the region. Under her management since 2017, the firm’s Raleigh office has grown exponentially: the staff size has doubled and the number of K-12 clients has nearly tripled. She was appointed to Moseley’s board of directors in 2023.
As K-12 education sector leader, Ashley will guide the firm's team of principals across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Maryland, bringing to that role the relationships and judgment she has developed over nearly two decades of school design work.
"Ashley has the depth of experience, the relationships and the judgment to lead this sector with confidence. She has grown Moseley's presence in North Carolina steadily and deliberately, and she understands how to bring a team together around a shared standard of work. I have watched this sector grow, and I know it will continue to do so under Ashley's leadership," said Stephen.
Ashley holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design and a Bachelor of Architecture from North Carolina State University's College of Design. She is the current president-elect of the A4LE Southeast Region and served as president of the A4LE North Carolina Chapter in 2022. Ashley is a member of the board of directors for WakeEd Partnership and a member of the AIA NC/Carolinas Associated General Contractors Joint Cooperative Committee.
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