Ellen Cavanagh Email & Phone Number

Ellen is the principal of Together Projects, an interdisciplinary project development and strategic advising practice. In partnership with clients and communities, she develops projects that bring people together to work, play, gather, care and move. Her clients include public agencies, real estate developers, technology companies, entrepreneurs, private foundations and not-for-profits.Prior to striking out on her own, Ellen was the Vice President for Planning, Design and Construction for the Trust for Governors Island, the non-profit agency responsible for the redevelopment, governance and ongoing operations of the 172-acre island in the heart of New York Harbor. Joining the organization near its inception in 2006, she was instrumental in the Island’s dramatic transformation from a derelict military base into a lively and loved destination for all New Yorkers. During her ten years on Governors Island, Ellen had the unique privilege of shepherding the development of the Island’s new and restored public spaces from design competition through construction, bringing in the final phase, The Hills, a year ahead of schedule and on-budget. Among her chief responsibilities was ensuring that the public was informed, invited and involved at each step of the way. Ellen counts high on her list of accomplishments her role in bringing bikes, hammocks, ice cream, music and adventure play to the Island, which have all become signature elements of the Governors Island experience. Before landing on Governors Island, Ellen led Transportation Alternatives’ advocacy campaigns for safer streets and car-free parks in communities across the city and helped win local and statewide policy and legislative reforms. She grew the groundbreaking Bronx Safe Routes to School program into a national model for more equitable traffic safety investment, still used extensively in communities throughout the U.S. In her spare time, Ellen can be found exploring Brooklyn's neighborhoods and playgrounds on her bicycle, often with her husband, son, and daughter in tow.