Ellie Martel Gardner

Before starting her career in executive search, Ellie spent nearly nine years in and out of the courtroom as an Atlanta-based lawyer representing physicians, nurses, and hospitals in medical malpractice cases as well as handling arson, fraud, negligent construction, and premises liability cases. Shifting gears in 1999, Ellie joined Heidrick & Struggles and began to recruit senior level executives in the commercial and residential real estate industries. At Heidrick Ellie also recruited executives within the insurance and professional services sectors. Ellie later relocated to Southern California where she continued to focus on real estate executive-level search and also served as a consultant and recruiter for a boutique search firm specializing in the healthcare field.

Ellie received her B.A. in Political Science from Furman University and her J.D. from Emory University School of Law. Community Commitment: Active supporter and volunteer in the classroom, on the school campus, and for special events at Our Savior’s Lutheran School in San Clemente where her children attend school. Active supporter of The Arthritis Foundation. Personal Passions: Spending time with family; exploring California; visiting extended family in Charleston, SC and Washington D.C.; passing on to her twin boys her passion for traveling which she believes broadens their thinking; reading and taking regular walks on the San Clemente beach trail near her home; painting and sculpting (she recently finished her first sculpture to add to her many paintings).