Career StagesYoung Architects Forum

Northern California Region

Tim Duffy, AIA. LEED AP, is currently an associate at Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, a Minneapolis-based architecture and engineering firm which also has offices in Milwaukee, Rochester, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and his home office in Sacramento. HGA specializes in corporate, religious, education, arts, and healthcare work. As a Project Architect in the healthcare studio he has enjoyed working on several hospital projects in Northern California.

Tim attended the California College of the Arts in Oakland and San Francisco where he received his Bachelor’s of Architecture in 1999. In 2007 he became licensed in Arizona and California and the following year became LEED accredited. He is the IDP Liaison for his office as well as an IDP Supervisor. In 2009 he was elected to the AIA California Council and now serves on the Board of Directors as the Young Architects Forum Director for Northern California.

Tim has a passion for music, and after 20 years of playing drums he is now a music docent to a fifth grade class at a local elementary school. He is a member of both the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Smart Growth Network. He lives with his wife and three sons in Roseville, California.

Southern California Region

Erik Hagen, AIA, is employed by UCLA as an Associate Architect, licensed since 2002, Erik has been a highly involved AIA member on all levels, from organizing Networking Mixers and Discussion Panels, to State & Regional YAF Directorship and speaking nationally at Grassroots. Erik’s experience has been integral to several AIA initiatives, such as COTE, YAF and USGBC collaboration by contributing to the boards and committees he has served on as a leader. This has given him a well-rounded perspective and the tools to address the profession head-on while allowing the opportunity for direct involvement in the overlapping goals and success of the profession.

Central States Region

David C. Meyers, AIA, LEED AP, has worked as a project architect on civil buildings (water treatment and pump building), recreation complexes, retail, restaurants and office developments. His latest project is one in which Jacobs is not only the designer but also the CM at risk. During the last two years, part of which was at the construction site, David has worked on a state-of-the-art data center. This facility is a tier III, 7 megawatt facility, which includes 80,000 sf of raised floor area. He got his License in 2004 and LEED Accreditation in 2006. David received his BS in Business from Miami University in 1997 and his Master of Architect degree from Washington University in 2000.

Florida-Caribbean Region

Joseph Benesh, AIA, NCARB, CDT, LEED AP

Gulf States Region

Kevin J. Singh, AIA, LEED AP, is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at Louisiana Tech University where since 2006 he has taught design, community design, graphic communication, and professional practice classes. Kevin has served as Director of both the Community Design Assistance Center (CDAC) and University Design Assistance Center (UDAC) since joining the Louisiana Tech University faculty. He received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Ball State University in 1998 and continued his education at Auburn University, earning a Master of Building Construction degree with a focus in Design-Build in 2006. Prior to going back to school, he practiced in Columbus, Ohio for seven years. He was actively involved with AIA Columbus, and led the chapter to the Associate Chapter of the Year award when he was Associate Director in 2003.

In his role as Director of CDAC, Kevin works with his students to provide initial design and planning to assist local communities and non-profit groups. He is passionate about leading the efforts to improve a local impoverished neighborhood through the support and collaboration of the city and university. In his free time, Kevin enjoys working out and riding his bike. In 2004, he biked solo, unsupported across the country from San Diego to Charleston to raise money for cancer research.

Illinois Region

Matthew M. Dumich, AIA, is a licensed architect with Valerio Dewalt Train Associates. VDTA is a high energy national architectural practice with offices in Chicago and Palo Alto. The firm serves corporate, institutional and private clients from coast to coast. Matt’s recent work includes several new commercial, residential, and mixed-use high-rise projects.

Matt holds Bachelor and Master degrees in Architecture from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (UWM) and serves on the Board of Trustees for the UWM Alumni Association. In 2008 he was honored with the Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award for the UWM School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

Matt is the past Chairman of the AIA Chicago - Young Architects Forum, a group dedicated to promoting design quality, professional development, and networking for Chicago design and construction professionals. In 2009 he helped develop BRIDGE, a mentoring program that pairs Young Architects with Fellows of the AIA. The participants in the BRIDGE program work collectively to discuss increasing the visibility and participation of architects in community groups and non-profit organizations. Matt was recognized with a Presidential Citation from AIA Chicago for his role organizing this program.

Additionally, Matt advises PechaKucha Night Chicago (PKN) by recommending emerging young Architects to share their ideas and work. He and the PKN Chicago organizers recently shared their experiences sparking a public dialog about design and creativity in a presentation at the AIA Grassroots Leadership Conference in Washington DC.

Matt is also an award-winning photographer who enjoys documenting his travels including recent trips to England, France, Spain and China.

Michigan Region

Kristen A. G. Schleick, AIA, AICP, LEED AP, is an associate with Hobbs + Black Architects in Ann Arbor, Michigan. While her current work consists of religious and educational projects, she is particularly interested in sustainable urban design and mixed-use developments. Schleick is a Past President of the AIA Huron Valley chapter, and was honored with the Young Architect Award from AIA Michigan in 2008. In addition to her AIA activities, she is a past board member of the American Planning Association Urban Design & Preservation Division and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Schleick is a graduate of the University of Michigan, with Master Degrees in both Architecture and Urban Planning. She lives in Ann Arbor with her husband, Jack, and their son Ian.

Middle Atlantic Region

Jonathan Penndorf, AIA, LEED AP, is currently a Project Manager at Lessard Group Inc. in Vienna, Virginia (just outside of Washington DC). Originally from New York, Jon attended the Catholic University of America in Washington DC where he earned his Master of Architecture degree. He is a licensed architect in the District of Columbia, NCARB-certified, and a LEED Accredited Professional. Over the years Jon has worked on a variety of project types, including education, restaurant, and multi-family residential. He lends his expertise in sustainable design and construction to each project, and has worked on many that have earned or are aiming for LEED certification.

Jon also serves as a Faculty Associate-Lecturer at the Catholic University School of Architecture and Planning, where he teaches Pre-Design Analysis.

Outside of the office Jon works to promote the visibility and development of architects in the DC community. He currently serves as the Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the AIA Washington DC Chapter, where he also chairs the Emerging Architects Committee. Jon also is a volunteer instructor for the AIA|DC and AIA Northern Virginia ARE prep courses, and writes a column on sustainable design for the Northern Virginia AIA newsletter. Jon was named Young Architect of the Year by the DC Council of Engineering and Architecture Societies in 2008.

New England Region

Mo Gagnon, AIA, LEED AP, received his Bachelors of Architecture degree from Norwich University in 1997. A member of the AIA and a LEED Accredited Professional, Mo has been practicing in New England for 12 years with experience in a wide variety of project types. He became involved with the Young Architects Forum after winning several annual design competitions sponsored by AIANH and YAF-NH.

As a Project Manager for Lavallee Brensinger Architects, a mid-size firm in Manchester, New Hampshire, he is involved with master planning and design for education and civic projects. A proponent of sustainable design, he is part of an emerging group of people in NH trying to form a USGBC chapter within the state. He is also a member of Daylighting Collaborative, a research and education-based organization that promotes the use of natural daylight in buildings. His work has been published throughout New England.

New Jersey Region

Peter A. Kozielski, AIA, is a registered Architect in the State of New Jersey, with over 15 years of experience in the fields of Architecture and Construction. Peter received a Bachelor of Architecture from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 1998. Early in his career he gained much experience in design and construction administration working in both the public and private sector on projects of various types and size. In 2005, Peter two colleagues founded Parallel Architectural Group LLC and Parallel Construction Group LLC. The core mission of the companies is to provide high quality design/build services for their clients. As a result of their commitment to quality design, service and the community, Parallel Architectural Group was named the 2007 AIA Jersey Shore Firm of the Year.

Peter currently serves as President Elect of the Jersey Shore Section of the American Institute of Architects and is one of three representatives of AIA Jersey Shore to the AIA New Jersey the Board of Trustees. Shortly after joining AIA in 2006, Peter became active in his section serving a two year term as Secretary. As a member of the Jersey Shore Executive Committee he has attended Grassroots and has participated in the “AIA 150 Architects in 150 Schools Initiative”. Peter is also active in his community devoting time for the last 19 years as volunteer firefighter where he has held various offices and is currently a trustee.

New York Region

Joseph Cyril Kosiorek, AIA, LEED AP, graduated from The State University of New York at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Architecture in 2000 and a Master of Architecture in 2002. As a Project Manager for Hunt Engineers, Architects and Land Surveyors located in Rochester, NY, Joe has nearly ten years of experience in residential, K-12, industrial and commercial architecture.

Joe is a LEED Accredited Professional and registered with NCARB.

Outside of work, Joe is the Chairman of the City of Batavia, NY, Design Committee and sits on the Business Improvement District - Board of Directors.

Joe is married to his wife of almost three years, Samantha and enjoys renovating their house which was built in the village of Fairport, circa 1860. Joe also enjoys outdoor activities and business and equity analysis.

North Central Region

Mike Schellin, AIA, is an Associate with Kodet Architectural Group, Ltd. Kodet Architectural Group specializes in Education, Religious, Public Facilities, Historic Restoration, Recreational, and Retail Design. Kodet Architectural Group is a medium-sized firm located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The focus of the firm is to represent the best interests of its clients. The firm has won numerous awards for design and interiors. Good design, while meeting budgets and schedules comprise the firm’s practice philosophy. The firm has extensive experience with religious and educational projects.

Mike Schellin received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from North Dakota State University in 1999, joined Kodet immediately following graduation and received his license in 2004. Shortly after becoming licensed in 2004 Mike moved from Project Architect to Associate within the firm and continues to provide a lead role on Kodet’s major projects.

In 2008 Mike was honored with the AIA Minnesota Young Architects Award, and in 2009 mike was one of eight recipients to receive the 2009 AIA Young Architects Award.

When not in the office Mike can be found running around with his family. Mike receives all of his support from his wife Holly and two children; Cooper, Age 4 and Parker, Age 2-1/2.

Northwest & Pacific Region

Janice Li, AIA, is an Associate and project manager in WATG’s Honolulu office and has been working for architecture firms in Hawaii, California, Hong Kong and Thailand since 1999. Her prior responsibilities include overseeing hospitality and condominium projects through all phases of design and construction and acting as liaison between clients, design architects, consultants and contractors.

Janice is a graduate of Wellesley College, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture then continued on to receive a M.Arch degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since joining WATG in 2005, she has worked on hospitality projects in several countries, including China, Thailand, Taiwan, and Maldives.

Janice is currently serving on the Board of Directors in the AIA Honolulu chapter. She has been licensed in Hawaii since 2006, is a LEED Accredited Professional and NCARB Certified.

Ohio Valley Region

Jack Baumann, AIA, LEED AP, has been with Braun & Steidl Architects (Akron, Ohio) since 1997. He was named an Associate in 2008 and is currently working on the new $40mill Cleveland State University Student Center and a new Emerging Technologies & Environmental Center at Cuyahoga Community College.

He has been a member of AIA since 2002, and has served as the Associate Director for AIA Akron, the Associate Director for AIA Ohio, Ohio Valley Region Associate Director, and the 2009 NAC Knowledge Director. He is currently the Ohio Valley Regional Liaison and the 2011 President of AIA Akron. Jack is a frequent guest lecturer and juror at Kent State University and a member of the Kent State University College of Architecture Advisory Committee. He is also currently serving his community in Cuyahoga Falls on the Fire and Housing Board.

Pennsylvania Region

Denise E. Thompson, AIA, LEED AP, is a registered architect in the state of Pennsylvania. She is an NCARB certificate holder and a LEED AP.

Ms. Thompson joined the architecture firm of Francis Cauffman in 2003 and is a Project Architect in the firm’s Healthcare team. She also has been a leader in Francis Cauffman’s integration of sustainability initiatives within the firm’s healthcare projects.

Prior to joining Francis Cauffman, Ms. Thompson worked in the architecture field on residential, educational, and religious buildings. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Temple University and is an active part of a growing Alumni Organization for the Architecture Program.

Denise has been an Associate Adjunct Faculty member at Temple University since 2001 in the area of Architectural History and has also been a guest studio critic and lecturer.

Denise has been an active AIA member since 2002 and has just been elected to the AIA Philadelphia Board of Directors for the 2010-2011 term. Her goal as a YAF Regional Liaison this year will be to focus on establishing and supporting YAF Chapters in all seven eight local components in Pennsylvania.

South Atlantic Region

David Burt, AIA, CDT, is a Principal with LS3P ASSOCIATES LTD. in Charleston, SC. He received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Mississippi State University in 1995. He is serving in his second year of the 2-year term as the YAF South Atlantic Regional Liaison. David is a recipient of the 2010 Young Architects Award from AIA National. He served as Communications Director for AIA South Carolina from 2007-2009. He was the 2006 Component President for AIA Charleston.

David was named a Principal with LS3P in 2008, which makes him the youngest Principal in the 200+ architectural design firm. He has been with LS3P since 1998 and has worked on a number of Public and Private Sector projects ranging from a 500sf guard house to a 450,000sf condominium and mixed-use development. He worked his way up the ladder at LS3P by becoming a well-rounded and responsive architect capable of juggling a number of complex projects.

David is a founding member of the Young Leaders Group of the Urban Land Institute in Charleston. He was named as one of Charleston’s Forty Under 40 Business Leaders in 2004. He is active in the business community and the Chamber of Commerce and stays involved in his community as a Rotarian in the Historic Charleston Rotary. David lives in Charleston with his wife, Kenna, and three children, Maddie, Quinn, and Amelia.

Texas Region

Wyatt Frantom, AIA, is a Senior Associate and Project Designer with HOK (Hellmuth Obata + Kassabaum) as well as a Research Assistant Professor with the University of Houston’s Green Building Component (UHGBC) program in applied research.

Wyatt earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture with Distinction from The Ohio State University in 1997 followed, in 2001, by a Master of Architecture with full scholarship and Commendation from Rice University. During both his undergraduate and graduate studies, Wyatt worked professionally in the fields of architecture and industrial design and engineering while earning the James Gui Senior Design Award from OSU and the Margaret Fossi Traveling Fellowship from Rice University.

In his nearly 15 years of professional practice, Wyatt has created a diverse range of project types and scales including large-scale mixed-use developments, corporate office and healthcare complexes, campuses for higher education, the master planning of ground-up cities to small-scale commercial, retail, and residential design; projects such as the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia and the eighty-level office tower in Riyadh to Sugar Land Methodist Hospital and Unity Church of Christianity.

Wyatt is a LEED Accredited Professional having been recently involved in two LEED Platinum rated projects among other such certified projects. Wyatt is an active member of the American Institute of Architects, the Texas Society of Architects, the Rice Design Alliance, and a Master Mod member of Houston Mod. During his professional tenure, Wyatt has participated in projects, both domestically and internationally, that have garnered numerous design awards and, in 2007, Wyatt was awarded the Young Architect of the Year by the Houston chapter of the AIA and also serves in the elected position of the AIA Young Architect Forums Regional Liaison for Texas.

The Virginias Region

Teera Games, AIA, LEED AP, is a Project Architect and Designer for Cannon Design, a 17 office firm employing a staff of over 1,000, delivering architectural and design services throughout North America, as well as abroad in China and India. Delivering services in a number of different markets, ranging from Colleges and Universities, Healthcare, Sports, to the Federal Government, Corporate Commercial, and Primary and Secondary clients, Ms. Games plays a vital role in business development, meeting with potential clients within these different markets, and securing projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. In addition to business development, Ms. Games is currently the Project Architect and Project Designer for Tidewater Community College’s New Student Center in Norfolk, Virginia, as well as for Texas Christian University’s Brown Lupton University Union in Fort Worth, Texas.

Ms. Games graduated from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, earning her Bachelors in Architecture, and has since been actively participating in outreach programs in her local community and in the A/E/C industry. In addition to her commitment to YAF, Ms. Games is an appointed member of the Arlington Public School’s Advisory Council on School Facilities and Capital Programs, where she makes facility improvement recommendations to the Arlington Public School Board. Ms. Games has volunteered her time to the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, writing and developing streetscape ordnances. For the past three academic semesters, Ms. Games has helped organize and teach architecture studies to elementary 3rd and 5th grade students through the Washington Architectural Foundation’s Architecture in the Schools (AIS) program.

Ms. Games is a strong advocate on career and professional development, and volunteers this commitment to the Virginia Community College Systems’ Commonwealth Scholar Program. Through this program, Ms. Games provides speaking engagements and organizes different events for northern Virginia area high school students, offering these students a link to Virginia’s community colleges and the other higher education institutions.

Western Mountain Region

Virginia E. Marquardt, AIA, LEED AP, is an architect at DLR Group with 12 years of experience leading educational, justice, and municipality teams as a project manager and project architect. After graduating from Louisiana Tech University in May of 1999 with a Bachelor of Architecture, Virginia and her husband, Brandyn, moved to Phoenix, Arizona. She is a licensed professional in Arizona as well as a LEED accredited professional.

Virginia has been an active member of the AIA since August of 2004, where she has served on AIA-Phoenix Metro’s Board as Associate Director in 2005 and 2006, Emerging Professional Director and YAF Committee Chair in 2007, Director in 2008, and Secretary in 2009. She is also AIA-Western Mountain Region’s (WMR) YAF Regional Liaison since 2008 and is the 2010 Emerging Professional representative for AIA’s Center for Integrated Practice Leadership Group. In 2009 Virginia was honored by receiving AIA-Arizona’s Young Architects Citation Award.