Wheeling's Faces of the Future: Wendy Scatterday
From The Wheeling News-Register
July 29, 2007
by Timothy H. Taylor
An opportunity in Wheeling nine years ago brought a recent college graduate back to the Friendly City to work toward her architecture license. Since then, Wendy Scatterday has not only remained in Wheeling, but been an active participant in the issues that are important to the city’s survival.
Growing up in Wheeling, Scatterday was a graduate of Wheeling Park High School and an avid ice hockey player in Wheeling’s WAHA – something she still enjoys being a part of in an adult ice hockey league. Moving to Tennessee to enroll in a five-year architecture program, Scatterday received her bachelor’s degree in 1995 from the University of Tennessee.
After graduating, Scatterday worked with two firms over the next three years toward obtaining her architect’s license before an opportunity with SMG Architects of Wheeling arose, bringing her back to her hometown.
“I found that my priorities were backward. My first choice was to go to a big city to get my license and then possibly come back to Wheeling, when I really needed to come to somewhere that I knew people to get a good start,” Scatterday said. “My experience with SMG has been the best job experience I’ve ever had,” she continued.
“It’s nice to have a good job to come back to in Wheeling; it’s rare, but it’s nice,” Scatterday admitted.
Since joining SMG in 1998, Scatterday’s portfolio includes working with many historical preservation and higher education buildings around the area.
She also is involved in working with local not-for-profit group projects such as Laughlin Chapel’s recent addition, a total overhaul of the Easter Seals building and, soon, the Wheeling Health Right building.
A board member for the West Virginia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects for six years, Scatterday has been the chair of the Design Awards Program, which promotes design excellence, for the past four years.
However, Scatterday is involved with much more than building. She is a board member of Wheeling’s Children’s Museum, treasurer of the Homeless Coalition and has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. She is also a member of The Vineyard Church. During the summer months, Scatterday, along with other members of the congregation, offer free popcorn as part of Wheeling’s Waterfront Wednesdays.
While it is true she donates her time to helping out with the Children’s Museum and Habitat for Humanity, Scatterday’s passion is working to help the homeless population of the area. Displaying an active interest in the issues that surround homelessness, Scatterday decided to do her senior thesis on developing a transitional housing development for the homeless. “It’s an issue that has been a passion of mine since I was in high school,” Scatterday said.
When asked what the future holds for her in Wheeling, she said, “There’s no timeline I’m working with. I’m very blessed to have a job that has a lot of growth potential, and for an employer like Victor (Greco), from whom I have learned a tremendous amount. We will just have to see what the future holds; right now, I’m not putting any sort of timeline on anything,” Scatterday said.
