Meet The Staff

Thom Greene, Principal Architect

Originally from Pontiac, Michigan, and a graduate of Lawrence University, Thom lives with his wife, Nadeen, in a 1910 Prairie-style home in Chicago's Lakewood Balmoral neighborhood. Nadeen & Thom also run Greensky Company, renovating eyesore buildings into jewels for each neighborhood. His hobbies include city beautification, community history/preservation, photography, art, and tree pruning in the community and on Greene Island, where the loons are his friends.

Rick Proppe, Principal Interior Designer

Rick, originally from Southfield, Michigan, lives with his wife, Barbara, and their two children, Emily and Joe, in the Edgewater Glen neighborhood. In his spare time Rick stays busy coaching his kids' sports teams, chasing the dog around the house, and completing the occasional woodworking project when time permits.

Dan Ford, Project Manager

Minnesota born, Michigan raised, project manager Dan Ford lives in the West Ridge neighborhood of Chicago in a George W. Maher bungalow he shares with his partner Larry. He spends a lot of time gardening and maintaining their home, which was featured in the book, "Bungalow Nation." Dan has degrees in architecture from the University of Michigan, and in music from Western Michigan University. If not in the garden or on the roof cleaning gutters, you'll find him studying for ongoing lessons in Italian and French or playing the piano.

Paula Flanagan, Interiors

Paula Flanagan has been a member of the GPD team since 1996. With color and texture always in mind, she can be seen schlepping fabric and color samples to and from various projects in the neighborhood...and don't forget the vinyl. No home is complete with out vinyl wall covering somewhere. Originally from Michigan, Paula and her family travel there often to enjoy the beaches and forests on the other side of the lake. Paula shares a bungalow with her husband Andy, daughter Francie, and an ever-increasing menagerie of crazy animals.

Megan Danner, Project Manager

Megan, the newest member of our team, is originally from

Chicago's suburbs. She left the area for college, earning her BS in Architecture with a focus in Urban Planning at the University of Kansas. She has moved back to Chicago since her graduation and lives in Wicker Park. In her spare time, Megan is a volunteer tutor with the Cabrini Green Tutoring Program.

Todd Zimmerman, Office/Business Manager

Todd was born and raised in Warsaw, Indiana, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Communications from Purdue University. He has been keeping books in the design world for the past 17 years. He keeps busy with his tight-knit family and friends, books, movies, and most of all TV. The Andersonville neighborhood has been his home for the past 15 years and he relishes the 5-minute commute to work, leaving him hours of additional television time.

Mary Runkle, Administrative Assistant

Mary earned her B.A. in English Literature and Studio Art from Kent State University in 2003. She then moved to Chicago, and can't imagine living anywhere else. Mary currently resides in Rogers Park with her partner, Mark, and their little dog, Pepper the Puppy. In her spare time, Mary likes to create art, gossip about celebrities, and shop for new outfits.

We'd love to hear from you! Please address any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this website to

info@gpdchicago.com. This page was last updated 03/12/2008.