Deacon Spotlight: Woody Giles

Woody Giles (2003, BA in English and Spanish)

Senior Campus Planner at Ayers Saint Gross in Washington, D.C.

Tell us about your current job role and employer. What are you currently working on?

I am a college campus planner, which is like a city planner but for college and university campuses. I work for a small firm that specializes in this kind of work, and I get to travel all around the country, but am currently helping Wake Forest with their campus plan, which is literally a dream come true.

What key personal and/or career experiences led you to where you are today?

I was fortunate to grow up on a beautiful farm in Kentucky, and then spend four years on Wake’s amazing campus. This really showed me the importance of place–why it matters where we live and invest our time, and how to make places better.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job? How do you navigate that challenge?

Universities are big, complex communities where not everyone agrees all the time. At every university, our job is to listen to everyone’s ideas and help build consensus around a plan for future campus buildings and improvements. But there are always a few people who have very specific ideas that might not be in line with others’, and that can be hard to navigate while still making sure people are heard and included.

What advice would you give to Wake Forest graduates about developing their personal life habits after college (finances, health, values, work/life balance)?

Decide what’s important to you and don’t be afraid to put that first. That may be your career or something completely different, but when your coworkers see that you value something, they will respect that, even if it is something outside of work.

We know that relationships are important for any kind of development. How do you build and maintain your network?

Early on in my career, I found a professional organization for people that do what I do every day, and I not only started attending their conferences every year, but also signed up to volunteer. That really catapulted my career and helped me get to know so many people that have helped me navigate my job over the years and also be my friends!

Tell us about your mentoring relationships. What impact have these relationships had on your career and life?

The most influential mentor in my life was my former boss, who both shared my passion about placemaking and planning, but was also willing to champion me individually and give me advice on how to move forward. It’s important to find that person, whether it is an older friend or colleague, professor, or someone else.

What advice would you give to current Wake Forest students and/or young alumni who are interested in working in your industry?

I’m in a pretty niche industry, so if you think you might be interested in college campus planning, I should probably just buy you lunch! (no joke–reach out to me on LinkedIn)

What’s next for your career? What future goals or plans are you pursuing?

I’m looking forward to building more relationships in my new home city of Washington, DC and getting to work with more universities!

Story published in July 2026. For current updates about Woody, visit his LinkedIn profile.