Our Staff

I am very fortunate to have a great staff. Each one of them contributes so much to the way our plans evolve. We all plug into each others’ creativity and energy sources from time to time. We enjoy what we do, and that makes for a wonderful work atmosphere. Each one of the staff contributes to my daily dose of laughter! They give me the energy I need to continue to be creative. I am blessed. 

          Jonathan Knapp - Gretchen Eden - Ron Hill - Suzanne Sunderman - Brian Powell

As we push our company to different levels, I look forward to seeing our staff become leaders in the world of design. They are very passionate and meticulous about their work and often end up becoming friends with our clients.

Brian Powell - Brian has been with Euro World Design since 2005. I am very proud of Brian and his abilities to communicate our style to the builders and subcontractors who fabricate our homes. His knowledge and understanding of Old World style is an enormous asset to our firm. Brian is responsible for overseeing all drawings that leave our firm.  Additionally he is responsible for any project management that we are involved with during the builds. He works under our corporate architect coordinating and managing our commercial projects. Not only can Brian create character, he IS a character! He keeps our staff and myself laughing constantly. Brian is one person I plug in to for energy. He is creative and very passionate about his work. He is an inspiration to the rest of the team.

Brian is a native of Houston, Missouri where he graduated from high school in 1996. He began his educational journey at the University of Missouri with an interest in International Business before transferring to Missouri State University in 1999. In 2001 he graduated from Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Urban & Regional Planning and a Minor in International Management. During his education at Missouri State University, Brian completed internships with the City of Branson and the City of Springfield. After graduation, Brian moved to Raleigh, North Carolina where he pursued his post-graduate education in architecture. In 2004 he earned a Master of Architecture Degree from North Carolina State University. Following graduation, Brian moved back to the Springfield area and began his career with Euro World Design in 2005.

While studying architecture at North Carolina State University, Brian spent a summer backpacking around Europe. It was during his experiences abroad that he found his passion and appreciation for the timeless character of Old World architecture. Euro World Design has given Brian the opportunity to take his European travels and integrate his Old World experiences into the projects he is involved with.

Brian has a strong interest in design / build projects. Brian was the recipient of two awards given by Preservation Springfield and North Springfield Betterment Association for the historical renovating / remodeling work he performed on an old 1887 Queen Anne Victorian house. During his tenure with the company, he has been involved in all aspects of residential, commercial, and graphic design. His broad range of talents and knowledge of architecture and related fields make him a versatile and integral part of the company.

Gretchen Eden - Gretchen has been with Euro World Design for almost six years. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Gretchen and watching her skills develop over the years. Gretchen works with me on the front end during the schematic and conceptual stages of design. Her attention to detail, as well as her understanding of what I look for in proportion and design elements, are integral parts of our service. She knows what it takes to pull off “cozy.” Her past education and experience in design, construction, and computer-aided drafting is beyond what I could have ever expected in an employee of our firm. I am very fortunate to have Gretchen on our team.

Gretchen was born and raised in the Midwest with solid roots to Springfield, MO. She initially began her education in high school through a Vo-Tech program with an interest in the field of architecture and construction. She attended Missouri State University, and in 2001 she graduated with a Bachelor of Science double majoring in Architectural & Mechanical Drafting with a minor in Construction Management. Gretchen was employed by CAD Solutions where she worked as an instructor teaching students how to use CAD software. She was also employed by an environmental company working on commercial projects. In 2003, Gretchen joined our team at Euro World Design and became my assistant. Her unique personality brings a special spark to our company keeping us on our toes and excited about our projects.

Jonathan Knapp - Jonathan has been with our firm since 2005. I didn’t fully realize who I was getting when Jonathan was hired. Not only is he extremely good at computer-aided drafting, he is also an incredible artist. He definitely has the knowledge of Old World elegance and character. He surprises me all the time with little vignettes and sketches. Jonathan and I communicate often with sketches. We then transfer these sketches to buildable construction drawings. Jonathan works tirelessley on the back end of the projects helping think through the building process of the assemblies. Jonathan has a three dimensional mind that works well with the character elements we try to incorporate into our homes. I am very proud of his recent achievement in becoming LEED certified for our company. No favoritism here, but he is also a great guitarist.

Jonathan hails from the outskirts of Kansas City, MO and moved to Springfield after graduating high school in 1998. He began his educational journey at Missouri State University with interest in art/illustration. In 2005 he changed his focus to architecture and received an Associate of Arts degree from Ozarks Technical Community College in Drafting and Design Technology. Prior to graduating OTC, Jonathan joined our team part time. With degree in hand, he began his full-time career with Euro World Design.

With strong interest in Green Design and practices, Jonathan recently tested and became an LEED (Leadership in Energy & Efficient Design) accredited professional. He has been investigating ways of incorporating these techniques into our Euro World homes. His broad range of talents and knowledge within architecture and related fields make him a versatile and integral part of the company.

Suzanne Sunderman - Suzanne has been with Euro World since 2006. She is our Interior Designer and Office Manager. Additionally, she serves as the “client advocate” for the company. As the client advocate, she makes sure information is documented and relayed to ensure customers get what they are looking for in their new homes. During our meetings, Suzanne takes notes that are then passed on to the clients for approval and/or verification. Throughout the process, she becomes very familiar with all aspects of the homes and the clients’ needs. Some of our clients already have a relationship with an Interior Designer. In this case, Suzanne makes herself available to work with the client on an as-needed basis regarding information and how-to's. Other clients have Suzanne follow the project's interior all the way through. I am extremely proud of Suzanne's accomplishments and what she brings to the table at Euro World. She wears many hats. Suzanne has a knack for Old World style. She knows our look and how to achieve it. When it comes to following our design concepts through to fruition, she is a great asset.

Suzanne is also our chief morale booster. She is continually working on our attitudes and bringing optimism to our firm. She is definitely a "Ms. Merry Christmas" and sees to it we celebrate holiday cheer. She is an awesome young mother, and she cares about people.

A Springfield area native, Suzanne became interested in design right after high school. From a young age she was interested in interior design and art. She would draw pictures for family, color at any given chance, and had a neatly decorated room. With a scholarship in hand, Suzanne started her post high school education at Ozarks Technical Community College. Upon the completion of a two-year Associate’s degree, she received an additional transfer scholarship to Missouri State University. In 2006 she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Housing and Interior Design.

While attending MSU in the spring of 2006, Suzanne began an internship with Euro World Design. She joined the Euro World team full time as an Interior Designer after graduation. With three years at Euro World under her belt, she has participated and consulted on multitudes of design projects, including an award-winning design featured in 417 Magazine for 2007 Interior Design of the Year—Office Space. She continues to build her nest at Euro World with clients coming to her to finish the look of our homes.  Her color, material and furnishing choices complete our goal for an authentic, Old World style experience for our clients.

Marilyn Hill - The boss, my wife Marilyn, is my greatest inspiration. She is a driving force helping us make it to where we are now. She believes in my work and enjoys traveling with me as we research and seek out new ideas. She has an uncanny knack for finding, possibly, THE best shopping areas along the way. Our relationship began in 1984 when St. John’s Hospital of Springfield, MO launched its first Emergency Helicopter Service. Marilyn became a flight nurse and I started as a flight paramedic, both for Hammons Life Line at St. John’s. We worked as a team transporting patients in need of critical care, much like we work together as a team with our current business now.

Marilyn was born in Topeka, KS but lived the majority of her life in the Springfield, MO area. Much of her time has been dedicated to nursing, and she has worn many hats the past 25 years. She is currently the Director of St. John’s Corporate Health & Wellness providing health screenings and programs to companies all over the southwest Missouri region. The goal is to help employees proactively become more healthy; therefore, reducing the cost of healthcare insurance.

Marilyn is the only person I know who uses my full name, “Ron Hill,” when speaking to me. Of course, this is not all the time and is only when she is trying to get my attention or give me direction. We have had a lot of fun over the years and have raised two great boys, Matt and Josh. Marilyn fills in the gaps, as needed, at Euro World Design and is my ideal observer.