CURRENT WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE

Ruth Andrew Ellenson

Ruth Andrew Ellenson is an award-winning writer and journalist, currently serving as the inaugural Writer-in-Residence at the 1906 Group. In this new role, Ruth will serve as a strategic storyteller, helping to illuminate who we are, what we do, and how our company is making an impact in communities across the country.

Ruthie’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post, and she has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning. A graduate of Columbia University’s MFA program, she has collaborated on a wide range of editorial and literary projects—including books and op-eds—with leaders in both the nonprofit and private sectors. Her debut book, published by Penguin Random House, became a national bestseller. She brings deep expertise in both traditional and emerging media, and is a frequent speaker on writing, storytelling, and the evolving media landscape.

“From Concrete to Cloth: A Labor of Love at LACMA” by Ruth Andrew Ellenson

When artist Maria Castillo Deball was commissioned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) to create a mural for the plaza of its new building, the project became a test of both artistic vision and concrete craft. Spanning more than 200,000 square feet, the mural needed to communicate both her creative vision and to withstand daily use. Making it work required both Clark's technical expertise and ability to foster a close collaboration between the artist and the skilled laborers responsible for turning her ideas into reality.

Read Ruth’s full article here.

“A Parnership Built to Last” by Ruth Andrew Ellenson

Our Writer-In-Residence Ruth Andrew Ellenson sat down with structural engineer Allyn Kilsheimer, an inimitable character who has worked with Clark Construction for nearly 60 years. Allyn’s known not only for the rigor and precision of his designs, but also for his unstoppable work ethic, his technicolor vocabulary, and an approach to problem-solving that’s as unconventional as it is effective. From his work rebuilding the Pentagon after September 11, to utilizing a tennis ball as an engineering tool, it's easy to see why Kilshimer has become something of a local legend in his hometown of Washington D.C.

Read Ruth’s full article here.

“Under Construction: Portraits of Labor” by Ruth Andrew Ellenson

In a new milestone for The Art of Building program, writer Ruth Andrew Ellenson and photographer alexander laurent rubalcava collaborated as artists-in-residence to give a new creative expression for how stories of construction work are told. Through a series of portraits and interviews, the integration of words and images allowed the artists to document both the people who build and share their lived experiences. As Ellenson listened and rubalcava observed, together they captured a conversation that explores the relationship between the indidivuals behind the labor of creating structures, and the unseen imprints left on the people who build them. This pairing reveals something essential about the personalities of those who shape the character and legacy of Clark Construction on each job site every day.

Read Ruth’s full article here.

“Foundations for the Future” by Ruth Andrew Ellenson

“Scholarships rarely appear in the blueprints of cities, yet their impact is no less structural. For a company that lays the groundwork of the modern American landscape, the Clark Craft Employee Scholarship is more than aid—it is a foundation for futures yet imagined. Parents and children, executives and tradespeople, gathered not just to celebrate academic success, but to mark a transfer of something less tangible: a legacy of labor turning into opportunity.”