Career StagesYoung Architects Forum

Northern California Region

Ian Merker, AIA, LEED AP is an architect with MFDB Architects, Inc. in Sacramento, California, his hometown.  The firm serves a diverse clientele with a current focus on civic projects and design/build collaboration on high performance buildings nationwide. Notable project leadership includes a neighborhood catalyst transit oriented development, an intermodal light rail station, renovation of a sports arena, and energy efficient prototype homes in the desert.

Ian holds a Bachelor of Architecture and Regenerative Studies from Cal Poly Pomona with additional study of Architecture and Building Science at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, UK.  He has been a LEED Accredited Professional since 2003, and has completed numerous LEED Gold and Platinum certified projects.

As Associate Director for the AIA Central Valley Chapter, his goal was to keep future architects excited about the profession.  His first action was to put a Young Architect on the board to encourage new ideas.  Ian has continued his involvement at a local level as the chapter’s Film Curator of a monthly “Film Night”, which has been an effective method to share the beauty of design with the public and give a forum for discourse.

Additionally, Ian is an active member of Sacramento Heritage, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Sacramento’s architectural heritage through awarding grants, providing walking tours and official property plaques, and various events.  He also shares a passion for smart growth development as a board member of the Sacramento Transportation Management Agency.

Southern California Region

Jana Itzen, AIA, has been committed to the efforts of the AIA since the formative years of her career, holding a variety of positions at the local and state level. After serving a year’s term as Chair of the Associates Committee for the Orange County Chapter of the AIA, Jana quickly moved into a position on the Academy of Emerging Professionals (AEP) for AIA California Council. As the Associate Director-Elect for Southern California and the Associate Director for Southern California, she championed issues surrounding the Intern Development Program and licensure for architectural candidates. Currently, Jana holds the position of Young Architect Region Director for Southern California.

Her love and appreciation for the built environment stems from many travels throughout the United States as a young child. Experiencing how cities and spaces function continue to intrigue her as she explores new places. Benchmarking sustainability as a central theme throughout her career, she obtained her LEED AP in 2004. As a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction, Ms. Itzen, has worked on more than 7 LEED projects over the course of her career. She also contributes to the sustainable learning environment through teaching her online course, Introduction to Environmental Sustainability at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.

Jana is a graduate from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly-SLO) with a Bachelor of Architecture, which includes architecture studies abroad at the University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Australia.

Ms. Itzen has been a California licensed architect since 2008. In addition to starting a remarkably gorgeous family with her architect husband, William; Jana has gone on to open her own design practice, ITZEN in Southern California.

Central States Region

Matthew Coen, AIA

Florida-Caribbean Region

Jedd Heap, AIA

Gulf States Region

Jamie A. Brown, Jr., AIA

Illinois Region

Robert Anderson, AIA

Michigan Region

Kurt Neiswender, AIA

Middle Atlantic Region

Jeremy Sharp, AIA

New England Region

Nicole C. Martineau, AIA, is an associate at TMS Architects, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. With 11 years of experience, Nicole's practice extends from residential housing and theater design, to retail, commercial and historic architecture as project manager and project architect. Sustainable design and the use of new building technologies is a high priority for Nicole and she has successfully incorporated these practices in every project.

Nicole has had the opportunity to work with the National Park Service Heritage Documentation Program in Washington DC recording historic American structures to be archived at the Library of Congress. She has focused sections of her architectural work on historic preservation and restoration projects and is a board member of her local Historic District Commission.

In addition to her professional work, Nicole has taught at the University of New Hampshire and the Boston Architectural College. She is involved with the Northern New England Chapter Eastern Region of APPA for Educational Facilities. Nicole is the current AIA New England Young Architects Forum Regional Director and is currently structuring a mentorship program within the region.

Nicole is NCARB certified, holds a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Art and Architectural History degree from Roger Williams University and is a licensed professional in New Hampshire as well as a LEED accredited professional.

Nicole is interested in advancing practice management for the profession while staying connected with her passion for design excellence. She works to connect architects with community programs for outreach in the New England Region.

New Jersey Region

Andrew Mikhael, AIA is principal of Andrew Mikhael Architect, LLC.  His practice is focused primarily on residential design in New Jersey and New York. He received his Bachelor of Architecture from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and his Masters of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.  

Andrew serves as a trustee on the Architects League, his local AIA section, as well as AIA NJ Legislative and Government Affairs Committee section representative and advertising coordinator for Architects League's Leagueline newsletter.

New York Region

Illya Azaroff, AIA, is an award-winning artist who has been successful in performance, visual art, design and architecture. Collaboration, experimentation and service to the community define Illya Azaroff, AIA. He is currently Principal of the +LAB architects for experimentation, based in Brooklyn. His studio is built on trans-disciplinary collaboration where he regularly works with a broad spectrum of professionals on a wide variety of projects. Experimentation and inquiry underpin his work in the built environment and he is engaged in prototyping disaster relief shelters and rapid response systems.

Recently Illya has been appointed as New York Regional Director for the AIA Young Architects Forum (2011-12) and serves as co-chair of the DFRR – Design for Risk and Reconstruction committee at the AIANY. He is an advisor for exhibitions at the Center for Architecture and is on the advisory board of d3 Architecture gallery & publications as well as a contributing editor for UrbDeZine Magazine. In addition to his professional work Illya is on the faculty at CUNY - City University of New York where he was named a CUE teaching fellow (’09), he is the 2011-12 SVAID - School of Visual Arts, visiting guest critic.

North Central Region

Rhet Fiskness, AIA, NCARB, is an architect with EAPC Architects Engineers, Fargo, ND, and an Adjunct Professor of Architecture at North Dakota State University.

Rhet has extensive experience coordinating multi-family housing projects throughout the region and has also worked on a variety of projects types ranging from healthcare and institutional to single family residential. Career highlights include being honored AIA ND Intern of the Year, and winning an AIA ND Design Award for the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center Choir Loft. As an active member in AIA, he served as YAF ND President from 2007-2011.

Rhet is passionate about architecture and eagerly participates in multiple design competitions, Minnesota Design Team community visits, and provides pro-bono architectural services to University of the Nations, Calabar, Nigeria, and Children’s Relief Orphanage in Dondo, Mozambique.

Prior to receiving a Bachelor of Architecture degree from North Dakota State University, he studied Modern Nordic Architecture at the University of Oulu, Finland.

Northwest & Pacific Region

Jeff Yrazabal, AIA, is a Senior Associate at SRG Partnership in Portland, Oregon, bringing over 10 years of leadership and design expertise to his firm. Jeff works tirelessly to engage clients with SRG’s research-based design philosophy developing forward-thinking solutions for a wide range of public and private higher education projects. A LEED accredited professional, Jeff combines his passion for sustainability with the constant search for ideas that shape inspirational spaces. Jeff is AIA Portland’s current President-elect and also serves the AIA Northwest & Pacific Region as the Young Architect Regional Director (YARD).

Ohio Valley Region

Craig W. Penquite, AIA, is an associate at CSO Architects in Indianapolis, Indiana. A value-based company focused on providing service with integrity and honesty, CSO Architects has grown to become one of Indiana’s largest and most reputable design firms for civic, corporate, educational, hotel and hospitality, and health and research facilities. Craig has worked on projects primarily within the education sector, particularly higher education projects, including two residence halls at Ball State University and an instructional facility for the Hotel Tourism Management College at Purdue University. All three projects are LEED certified or in the process of achieving LEED certification. He also has increased the use of BIM software within the firm, acting as the BIM Manager for the company.

Craig graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Master of Architecture in 2004 and became licensed in Indiana in 2011. His undergraduate degree is also from the University of Cincinnati, where he also received a Certificate in Historic Preservation. Craig worked for Studio Kremer Architects in Louisville, Kentucky and Pelli Clarke Pelli in New Haven, Connecticut while completing the co-op portion of his education at the University of Cincinnati.

Craig has served on the Steering Committee for the Indianapolis Area Network of the University of Cincinnati Alumni Association since 2006, coordinating social and networking events, as well as participating in charity events with the group.

Pennsylvania Region

Seth Wentz, AIA

South Atlantic Region

Robert G. Barfield, AIA, NCARB, CDT, received both his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Architecture from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he also honored with both the Student Mentor Award and the AIA North Carolina Award. With over ten years of experience in the profession, Robert has been fortunate to serve as a project architect and project manager on a variety of projects throughout North Carolina and South Carolina but is most passionate about the design and construction of educational facilities.

Robert has previously served the profession as the Associate Director on the AIA Charlotte board of directors in 2007 and head of the AIA Charlotte mentorship committee in 2008 and 2009. He currently serves as the South Atlantic Regional YAF Director as well as the IDP Coordinator for North Carolina. In his role as IDP Coordinator, Robert speaks on a variety of topics related to IDP, the ARE, and licensure. In addition to his professional involvement with the AIA, Robert also serves as the Director of Facilities for Myers Park Baptist Church and is a member of the Advisory Council for Central Piedmont Community College’s Architectural Technology program. Robert was also honored with the AIA North Carolina J Hyatt Hammond Scholarship in both 2009 and 2010.

Robert received his license to practice architecture in 2008 and is currently a registered architect in both North Carolina and South Carolina. He was previously an associate and project architect at MBAJ Architecture. Robert is currently employed as the Manager of Technical Services at Premier, a building products company located in Charlotte, North Carolina where he works to address a variety of thermal envelope issues related to the built environment.

Texas Region

Sam Garcia, AIA, is currently a Project Architect with ROFA Architects in McAllen, Texas. He received a Bachelor of Architecture in 2004 from the University of Texas at Austin.

Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, Sam has become a recognized throughout South Texas for his community service and research into high-density urban development in the region known as Rio Grande Valley. He has been an invited speaker at universities, AIA conferences, and other public venues. Sam currently serves on the boards of various civic organizations, providing his insight and ideas for the betterment of his adopted home.

Prior to returning to South Texas, Sam’s work afforded him the chance to live in Boston, San Francisco, and Madrid – among other places. Sam brings a strong commitment to exploration and discovery as a means to be of service to local communities. Whenever possible, Sam escapes his daily life to pursue his passion of mountaineering – to date he has climbed various peaks in both Mexico and the US. Someday, Sam intends to scale Aconcagua – the highest peak in the Americas.

The Virginias Region

R. Corey Clayborne, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a Project Manager for Wiley|Wilson. In this role, he manages planning and design services for local, state, and federal clients while leading architectural and engineering design teams. He joined the firm in 2004 and currently works out of the Richmond, Virginia office. Corey has been actively involved with the AIA since 2005. From 2005 – 2009, Corey served as a Director for the AIA Blue Ridge chapter. Through his leadership, the AIA Blue Ridge Young Architects Forum was created in 2008 and hosted events that included hard-hat tours, networking socials, and an international design competition for emerging professionals. In his absence, that YAF chapter continues to thrive today. Since 2011, Corey has served as a Director for the AIA Richmond and assists with its YAF component. Corey currently serves as the state’s IDP Coordinator and Young Architects Regional Director.

Western Mountain Region

Jered Minter, AIA, LEED AP, CEFPI, is a licensed architect, and LEEDTM accredited professional, with thirteen years of experience in the design and construction of architectural projects throughout Colorado. He serves as Project Manager at Bennett Wagner & Grody Architects. In this role he is involved with all office functions including: business development, team management, strategic/tactical planning, management of resources, design, construction administration, contract management, marketing, and research.

Jered has served his profession extensively for over a decade. Recently he served as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) - Colorado, Government Affairs Director. In that capacity, he served his profession/community by leading a committee responsible for review of State/National legislation. He authors opinions and advocates for or against legislation affecting the architectural profession, the built environment, and livable communities. He is a member of the national ArchiPAC and ARCpac in Colorado.

Most recently, Jered was elected AIA -Western Mountain Region, Young Architect Regional Director. In this position, Jered represents young architects in a six state region as one of nineteen Directors within the National Young Architects Forum. He was also recently appointed to the AIA Board Advocacy Committee.

Other AIA leadership positions include: Western Mountain Region Associate Director, Colorado Associate Director, AIAS National Director, AIAS Chapter President, and Colorado Liaison to the Colorado Board of Examiners. Jered currently is a member of the following Colorado committees; Government Affairs, History, and 2013 Convention Planning.

His primary mission is to empower architects to expand their influence on the profession, community and the built environment.

Jered participates locally in numerous religious, fraternal, and civic organizations. He is a: recipient of several AIA leadership awards, a Colorado native, a University of Colorado Master of Architecture graduate, and an eternal optimist.