AIA leadership
AIA’s leadership team has a diverse range of experience and perspectives that mirror the communities our profession serves. This diversity at the helm supports AIA’s mission and vision and ensures an equitable, inclusive, innovative approach to shaping the future of architecture and design.
AIA Board of Directors
AIA is governed by a 16-person board that includes elected officers, directors, and AIA’s EVP/Chief Executive Officer. The board also oversees the administration of AIA headquarters, the annual budget, and the approval of policies.
Kimberly N. Dowdell, AIA, NOMAC
Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA
Britt E. Lindberg, FAIA
Heather Philip-O’Neal, AIA
Illya Azaroff, FAIA
Anne Hicks Harney, FAIA
Latoya Nelson Kamdang, AIA
Kevin M. Holland, FAIA, NOMAC
Laura Lesniewski, FAIA
Korey D. White, AIA
Tannia Chavez, Intl. Assoc. AIA
Colt Montgomery Brock, Assoc. AIA
Amber Kidd Lombardo
Carole Wedge, FAIA
Winston Yeo, AIA
Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE
Learn about the Board
Kimberly N. Dowdell, AIA, NOMAC
2024 President
Kimberly N. Dowdell, AIA, NOMAC, is a licensed architect and frequent speaker on the topic of architecture, leadership, diversity, sustainability, and the future of cities. In her 2019-2020 term as national president of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), she worked to increase opportunities for women and people of color to gain more equitable access to the building professions. She also more than doubled the organization’s membership and significantly raised NOMA’s profile.
Kimberly’s career aspirations are rooted in her upbringing in Detroit, where she was initially driven to utilize architecture as a tool to revitalize cities. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture at Cornell University and her Master of Public Administration at Harvard University. Her professional experience has spanned architecture to government and teaching real estate development. Kimberly is currently the director of strategic relationships and a principal with HOK, a leading global design firm. She co-founded the SEED Network in 2005 and has been a LEED-accredited professional since 2007. In 2022, Kimberly was elected to the Cornell University Board of Trustees.
Kimberly’s overarching mission is to improve people’s lives, by design.
Speaking requests for Kimberly N. Dowdell, AIA, NOMAC
Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA
2024 President-Elect
Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA, is a multi-faceted professional who uniquely blends her architectural background with a tech-driven focus. As an architect now immersed in the tech industry, she serves as an angel investor, startup advisor, and fractional COO for SMB Architecture firms, playing a pivotal role in their growth and success. Despite her career transition, Evelyn's passion for architecture remains unshaken, fueled by a deep admiration for the professionals in the field, their dedication to serving clients, and the indelible impact they imprint on communities.
A sought-after speaker, Evelyn regularly shares her insights on the evolution of architecture practice, leadership and team development, the integration of technology in practice operations, and the exploration of alternative careers. Outside of her architectural pursuits, she is a founding advisor for Women Defining AI, championing a more inclusive and diverse landscape in artificial intelligence. Evelyn Lee's leadership and forward-thinking approach are not just about innovation and progress, they're about guiding the architectural profession towards new, uncharted directions.
Britt E. Lindberg, FAIA
2023-2024 Secretary
Britt Lindberg, FAIA, is a senior associate at Gensler, a global design firm of 6,000+ employees who shape the future of cities every day. With over 15 years of experience on commercial projects, Britt is an outstanding technical leader in San Jose, California. From entitlements through design and construction, Britt drives project implementation with exceptional team leadership that is essential to the project's and firm's success.
Britt is also very active in AIA, serving as 2014 AIA Silicon Valley president, 2018 AIA California president, 2020-2022 AIA National at-large director, 2021 chair of the Board Knowledge Committee, and more. She is a strong advocate for member communications, supporting emerging professionals and spreading awareness on the importance of design in everyday life. Her leadership was recognized with a 2016 Silicon Valley Business Journal "Women of Influence" award, and she became an AIA Fellow in 2022.
Heather Philip-O’Neal, AIA
2024-2025 Treasurer
Heather Philip-O’Neal, AIA, NOMAC, is principal of HPP International LLC, a practice focused on NYC brownstone design and affordable housing. Heather has completed projects for the Green Housing Preservation and other affordable housing projects for private not-for-profit groups such as Covenant House, Acacia Network, and Black Veterans for Social Justice. She is also an adjunct professor of architecture at the New York Institute of Technology.
Heather serves on the Affordable Housing Task Force with AIA New York State, where she is also a member of the Housing and Advocacy Committee and the former director of education. Heather also served on the NOMA National board as treasurer, and she is a past president of the NYCOBA-NOMA New York chapter.
Illya Azaroff, FAIA
2023-2025 At-large Director
Illya Azaroff, FAIA, is an architect, geographer, and internationally recognized leader in disaster response, climate adaptation, resilient design, and regenerative planning strategies with over 30 years experience.
He is the founder of +LAB architect whose mission is to build resilient capacity while giving underserved communities greater voice and visibility. He is a professor at New York City College of Technology (CUNY). He works with cities, governing bodies, and design teams around the world to build resilient capacity. Illya often receives foreign delegations on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.
He has served AIA in several key roles, including as the 2021 AIA New York state president, on the Strategic Council (2016-2018), and as founder of DFRR Design for Risk and Reconstruction committee at AIANY (2011-2021). He previously worked in Germany, Italy, and Holland. Illya has a Master of Architecture degree from Pratt Institute and bachelor's degrees in geography and architecture from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
Anne Hicks Harney, FAIA
2024-2026 At-large Director
Anne Hicks Harney, FAIA, has more than 35 years of experience, focusing on high-quality design imbued with a solid technical and sustainable foundation. After working at various architecture firms, she formed Long Green Specs in 2016 to provide sustainability-focused architectural specifications and building science material expertise to architectural firms across the country.
Anne has expertise in the health and environmental impacts of building materials and lectures extensively on this topic. Her work is currently focused on improving material selections on architectural projects, through both the specification process and material assessment services, working with nationally recognized firms to improve building design.
Anne was the 2023 Moderator of the AIA Strategic Council, a member of the AIA COTE Leadership Group in 2019-2021, and a member of the AIA Materials Knowledge Working Group from 2014-2015 and its chair from 2016-2017.
Latoya Nelson Kamdang, AIA
2024-2026 At-large Director
Latoya Nelson Kamdang, AIA, is the director of operations at Ennead Architects, a U.S. Fulbright Senior Scholar, and an adjunct professor at Pratt Institute. Latoya has designed a career that spans academia, research, and practice. As a practitioner, she has an interdisciplinary approach that bridges architecture, planning, experiential, industrial and interior design. She has collaborated across practice areas which include hospitality, aviation, retail, cultural, education, and institutional. Latoya earned a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design and a Certificate in Real Estate Design & Development from the Wharton School of Business. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University. She serves as chair of the NCARB DEI Committee and served on several boards, where she used her voice to advocate for equity in the profession.
Kevin M. Holland, FAIA, NOMAC
2022-2024 At-large Director
Kevin M. Holland, FAIA, NOMAC, has practiced architecture for over 25 years. He is a principal-in-charge at HMC Architects in Los Angeles where he serves as a business development and project lead in the higher education, K-12, and community + culture practice areas. Over the course of his career, he has worked as an operations director and a project manager and/or project architect on numerous higher education and health care projects, most notably the Hampton (Virginia) University Student Center, the University of Akron (Ohio) Student Recreation Facility, the Indiana University Memorial Stadium North Endzone Expansion, the Purdue (Indiana) University France Cordova Student Recreation Facility, and the Intermountain Healthcare Alta View Hospital Campus Expansion in Sandy, Utah
At present, Kevin serves as an At-large director on the AIA Board of Directors as well as chair of the Government Advocacy Committee. In addition to national service to AIA, Kevin has served as 2020–2021 secretary of the Board of Directors for the AIA Los Angeles chapter, as the 2015–2016 national president of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), on the Board of Trustees of the NOMA Foundation, on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Tuskegee University School of Architecture, and on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the University of Virginia School of Architecture.
Kevin obtained his Bachelor of Science (Arch.) degree from the University of Virginia and his Master of Architecture degree from the University of Michigan and holds, or has held, registrations in Delaware, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
Laura Lesniewski, FAIA
2022-2024 At-large Director
Laura Lesniewski, FAIA, is a principal at BNIM in Kansas City. As an architect, she enjoys exploring the unique characteristics of each project and is dedicated to pursuing the highest levels of sustainability to build truly thriving communities. Laura has collaborated on benchmark projects that serve as models for next-generation green buildings.
She values teaching an integrated design studio each year, working on projects close to home and around the world, and she serves on the board of a local housing organization as the challenge of affordable housing deepens.
Having served AIA at the local, state, regional, and national levels, she continues to believe that AIA and all architects play a significant role in addressing climate change through their designs.
Korey D. White, AIA
2023-2025 At-large Director
Korey White, AIA, is driven by her desire to create more equitable and inclusive communities, bringing open-mindedness and a systems view to her role as an architect and urban planner. She applies her dual master’s degrees in architecture and urban and regional planning to an interdisciplinary approach that creates impactful outcomes for her clients and the community. Korey leads planning at DLR Group as a planning discipline leader and K-12 national planning leader. She recently graduated with a Master of Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she was selected as a Forté Fellow and focused on entrepreneurship and strategic innovation and global challenges in business.
Korey is recognized for her leadership within architecture through her service on the AIA Strategic Council as 2022 moderator and at-large representative and was awarded the 2018 AIA Young Architects Award and the 2017 BD+C 40 under 40. She volunteers her time and energy to advance the future of the profession and raise the collective voices of all architects to effect change in the profession.
Tannia Chavez, Intl. Assoc. AIA
2024 Associate Director
Tannia Chavez, Assoc. AIA, International Associate, is a Project Manager at Jeffrey Cole Architects. Her diverse experience in the architecture industry makes her an effective and empathetic voice for inclusivity in our profession and our built environment.
Tannia has dedicated three consecutive years to the National Associates Committee, serving as the 2023 NAC Strategic Council representative and the 2021-2022 New York Regional associate director. She consistently promotes a nurturing atmosphere for this vibrant, talented group, unwavering in her mission to uplift emerging professionals' growth.
In 2019, she co-chaired and co-founded the AIA Brooklyn’s Women in Architecture committee. Tannia was recognized as an Emerging Leader by the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation in 2020. Beyond her professional achievements, she actively supports her community through Community Board Queens-CB2 as the co-chair of the Engagement & Inclusion Committee and a member of the Land Use, Technology, and Budget Committees.
Colt Montgomery Brock, Assoc. AIA
2024 Student Director
Colt Brock is the 2023-2024 National President of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). Originally from Texas, Colt attended school in Atlanta, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree from Georgia Tech in the Spring of 2022. Upon graduation, Colt lived and worked in Atlanta, where he continued focusing on workplace and school culture, bridging the gap between professionals and students, and supporting student AIAS chapters throughout the Southeast. Beginning his work with the AIAS as a high schooler, Colt has served in multiple local, regional, and national positions in route to becoming President. Colt is passionate about growing new student leaders, making waves in the industry, and pushing for positive change for all members of this world we call architecture.
Amber Kidd Lombardo
2023-2024 CACE Director
Amber Kidd Lombardo was the 2023 AIA National Council of Architectural Component Executives (CACE) President and has served as an AIA Component Executive Director since 2017 (AIA Mississippi 2017-2020 and AIA Memphis 2020-present). Lombardo earned a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Architecture, Civil Engineering and Marketing from Mississippi State University. Her web development career began in earnest with the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center, evolving into a cluster of advertising-related companies that she sold in 2016 after celebrating 17 years in business. Lifelong engagement in the preservation industry led her back to her architectural roots and made good use of her tenacious advocacy and advertising skills. Her current major projects include CiV: the Center for Architecture + Design (located in Memphis, Tennessee) and the development of ARChive, an online experience for exploring architecture, elevating the professionals who imagine it and the craftspeople who breathe life into it.
Carole Wedge, FAIA
2024 Director
Carole Wedge, FAIA, LEED AP, is the retired CEO of Shepley Bulfinch, a national design firm founded by HH Richardson in 1874.
As Shepley Bulfinch CEO from 2004 – 2021, Carol led the firm’s evolution into an organization with an open and inclusive culture. She retired from the firm in 2023 and now works as a coach and strategic planner for her own firm, Heaths Bridge LLC.
Throughout her career, Carole has sought to challenge conventions and incite organizations to become more proactive, transparent, and diverse.
She is the 2012 winner of the BSA Women in Design Award and the recipient of the 2020 AIA Edward C. Kemper Award
Carole is one of the seven founders of the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit. She was a member of the AIA Large Firm Round Table for 17 years and served as its chair from 2016 – 2021. She has served on the Boards of the Boston Society of Architects, Architecture Boston, The Architects Foundation, Boston Architectural College, and Wentworth Institute of Technology.
Carole has been an active member of NOMA, the Green Ribbon Commission, BSA Women Principals Group, BSA Women in Design, and is a strong supporter of the seven HBCUs which offer architectural degrees. She has co-taught at Hampton University and served on many design and academic juries.
Carole has a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado and a Bachelor of Architecture from the Boston Architectural College. She serves on the Boards of Northeast Arc and Windover Construction.
Winston Yeo, AIA
2024 Director
Winston Yeo served as the 2019 program chair and the 2021 president of the AIA Hong Kong Chapter. He sought to increase membership engagement by cultivating member's ownership of new programs and initiatives. Despite COVID restrictions, the chapter offered 53 events during 2021, more than doubling the events in 2020. He focused his team's work on delivering value to every membership segment, from the inaugural mentorship program to first-project talks and media campaigns showcasing members' work.
Winston earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University and co-founded OFGA with his wife and partner Effie Yang in 2013. During the last decade, the studio has had the joy and privilege of investigating the craft of architecture and design through interior architecture, branding, and environmental graphics, working with clients from the private, educational, and religious sectors.
He is a proud father of two girls, making sense of a post-COVID world as a Hong Kong-born, US-trained architect operating in China. When he is not at a job site or school meetings, he is working to restore a 40-year-old sailboat.
Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE
EVP/Chief Executive Officer
Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE, is the EVP/Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), a dynamic global network of more than 100,000 architects and design professionals throughout 200 chapters committed to enhancing the built environment.
Woods previously served as President & CEO of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) where she led efforts to expand the organization’s programs and markets while growing and strengthening its membership base.
Prior to joining NIBS, she was the Sr. VP & Chief Marketing Officer at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), where her team was responsible for all marketing and revenue-generating programs – including marketing the International Builders Show, sponsorship sales and partnerships with major national companies.
Woods is the author of the book Never Get Their Coffee: Empowering Fearless Leadership and currently serves as Immediate Past Chair of the Board for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). She also currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Building Museum and the Board of Visitors for the University of Maryland School of Architecture. She previously served as Vice Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council Board of Directors, on the Master Painters Institute Advisory Board, on the Advisory Board of Crosswalk and is a global speaker. She is a Washington Business Journal: 2024 Diversity in Business Award winner and a 2021 iMasons IM100 Award winner for Excellence in the Digital Infrastructure Community. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland in College Park and lives with her husband and daughter in Howard County, Maryland.
Speaking requests for Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE, EVP/Chief Executive Officer
AIA leaders speak as keynotes at key forums around the world at the intersections of architecture & design innovation and responsible stewardship in the built environment, among other topics.
AIA member delegates gathered on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in Boston. for the annual AIA Business Meeting during the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design to consider amendments to AIA bylaws and resolutions and candidates for national leadership positions.
Download AIA’s Bylaws for more information.
Download AIA’s Rules of the Board for more information.
To contact the AIA Board of Directors, email boardofdirectors@aia.org.
As the largest association of architects and design professionals in the world, the AIA Board of Directors takes its fiduciary duties seriously.
AIA Strategic Council
The AIA Strategic Council is a think tank dedicated to producing forward-thinking research on behalf of the architecture profession. It advances the profession of architecture by informing the AIA Board of Directors and other AIA bodies of important professional issues and opportunities.
Former presidents
As the Institute has historically been run as a representative democracy, in many ways AIA presidents have reflected the values, beliefs, concerns, and aspirations of the membership as a whole. The presidents, as leaders, have also helped to shape the values and mission of the organization. Although they have much in common, each president found his or her own direction through the AIA’s leadership pathways, and each was motivated by his or her own personal passions, a sense of social and professional responsibility, and a love of architecture. Together their efforts have been instrumental in creating the culture of the professional society.
AIA presidents and their firms have designed almost every type of structure imaginable across the United States and abroad: schools, government buildings, hospitals, office buildings, ecclesiastical structures, residential buildings, transportation centers, and more. The list of iconic structures designed by AIA presidents and their firms is impressive, ranging from the dome and Senate and House wings of the U.S. Capitol to the Empire State Building and the Biltmore Estate; from the Monadnock Building and the U.S. Supreme Court Building to the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception; from the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center and the Pentagon to the Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, and hundreds of other buildings in between.
In addition to their contributions to the built environment, AIA presidents have offered their time and expertise in serving the public good. They have worked for the federal government in the Department of the Interior, the Office of the Supervising Architect in the Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Shipping Board, and the Department of Defense. They have been appointed to such important federal advisory boards and commissions as the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, the National Capital Planning Commission, the Senate Park Commission (McMillan Commission), the National Park System Advisory Board, and the White House Advisory Board as well as to numerous state and local planning commissions, design advisory boards, architectural selection committees, and design competition and award juries.
Over more than a century and a half, AIA presidents have shepherded the Institute through both triumphant and trying times. Together, with AIA’s staff, they ensure that present and future generations of architects can thrive through economic, technological, and social transformations in our global society.
—R. Randall Vosbeck, FAIA, adapted from his preface to A Legacy of Leadership: The Presidents of the American Institute of Architects (2008)
Questions for the Archives? Send us an email.
2022-2023 Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA
2021-2022 Daniel S. Hart, FAIA
2020-2021 Peter. J. Exley, FAIA
2019-2020 L. Jane Frederick, FAIA
2018-2019 William J. Bates, FAIA
2017-2018 Carl Elefante, FAIA
2016-2017 Thomas Vonier, FAIA
2015–2016 Russell A. Davidson, FAIA
2014–2015 Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA
2013–2014 Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA
2012–2013 Mickey Jacob, FAIA
2011–2012 Jeff Potter, FAIA
2010–2011 Clark D. Manus, FAIA
2009–2010 George H. Miller, FAIA
2008–2009 Marvin J. Malecha, FAIA
2007–2008 Marshall E. Purnell, FAIA
2006–2007 RK Stewart, FAIA
2005–2006 Katherine Lee Schwennsen, FAIA
2004–2005 Douglas L. Steidl, FAIA
2003–2004 Eugene C. Hopkins, FAIA
2002–2003 Thompson E. Penney, FAIA
2001–2002 Gordon H. Chong, FAIA
2000–2001 John D. Anderson, FAIA
1999–2000 Ronald L. Skaggs, FAIA
1998–1999 Michael J. Stanton, FAIA
1997–1998 Ronald Arthur Altoon, FAIA
1996–1997 Raj Barr-Kumar, FAIA
1995–1996 Raymond Post Jr., FAIA
1994–1995 Chester A. Widom, FAIA
1993–1994 L. William Chapin, II, FAIA
1992–1993 Susan A. Maxman, FAIA
1991–1992 W. Cecil Steward, FAIA
1990–1991 Jim Lawler, FAIA
1989–1990 Sylvester Damianos, FAIA
1988–1989 Benjamin E. Brewer Jr., FAIA
1987–1988 Ted P. Pappas, FAIA
1986–1987 Donald J. Hackl, FAIA
1985–1986 John A. Busby Jr., FAIA
1984–1985 R. Bruce Patty, FAIA
1983–1984 George M. Notter, FAIA
1982–1983 Robert Broshar, FAIA
1981–1982 Robert Lawrence, FAIA
1980–1981 R. Randall Vosbeck, FAIA
1979–1980 Charles E. Schwing, FAIA
1978–1979 Ehrman B. Mitchell Jr., FAIA
1977–1978 Elmer Botsai, FAIA
1976–1977 John McGinty, FAIA
1975–1976 Louis de Moll, FAIA
1974–1975 William Marshall Jr., FAIA
1973–1974 Archibald C. Rogers, FAIA
1972–1973 S. Scott Ferebee Jr., FAIA
1971–1972 Maximilian O. Urbahn, FAIA
1970–1971 Robert F. Hastings, FAIA
1969–1970 Rex Whitaker Allen, FAIA
1968–1969 George E. Kassabaum, FAIA
1967–1968 Robert L. Durham, FAIA
1966–1967 Charles M. Ness Jr., FAIA
1965–1966 Morris Ketchum Jr., FAIA
1964–1965 Arthur Gould Odell Jr., FAIA
1963–1964 J. Roy Carroll Jr., FAIA
1962–1963 Henry Lyman Wright, FAIA
1960–1962 Philip Will Jr., FAIA
1958–1960 John Noble Richards, FAIA
1956–1958 Leon Chatelain Jr., FAIA
1955–1956 George Bain Cummings, FAIA
1953–1955 Clair W. Ditchy, FAIA
1951–1953 A. Glenn Stanton, FAIA
1949–1951 Ralph Walker, FAIA
1947–1949 Douglas William Orr, FAIA
1945–1947 James R. Edmunds Jr., FAIA
1943–1945 Raymond J. Ashton, FAIA
1941–1943 R. H. Shreve, FAIA
1939–1941 Edwin Bergstrom, FAIA
1937–1939 Charles D. Maginnis, FAIA
1935–1937 Stephen F. Voorhees, FAIA
1932–1935 Ernest John Russell, FAIA
1930–1932 Robert D. Kohn, FAIA
1928–1930 C. Herrick Hammond, FAIA
1926–1928 Milton B. Medary, FAIA
1924–1926 Dan. Everett Waid, FAIA
1922–1924 William B. Faville, FAIA
1920–1922 Henry H. Kendall, FAIA
1918–1920 Thomas R. Kimball, FAIA
1915–1918 John Lawrence Mauran, FAIA
1913–1915 R. Clipston Sturgis, FAIA
1912–1913 Walter Cook, FAIA
1910–1911 Irving K. Pond, FAIA
1908–1909 Cass Gilbert, FAIA
1906–1907 Frank Miles Day, FAIA
1904–1905 William S. Eames, FAIA
1902–1903 Charles F. McKim, FAIA
1900–1901 Robert S. Peabody, FAIA
1899–1900 Henry Van Brunt, FAIA
1896–1898 George B. Post, FAIA
1894–1895 Daniel H. Burnham, FAIA
1892–1893 Edward H. Kendall, FAIA
1888–1891 Richard M. Hunt, FAIA
1877–1887 Thomas U. Walter, FAIA
1857–1876 Richard Upjohn, FAIA
AIA staff leadership
Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE
Vicky Schneider, CAE, MS
Alexander Cochran, Esq.
Kevin D. Watkins, SPHR, CAE
Terri S. Stewart, Hon. AIA, CAE
Kiersten Thornton, SPHR
Joe Chappell
R. Corey Clayborne, FAIA, MBA, CAE
Andrew Flank, MBA
Praveen Patel, MS, PMP
Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE
EVP/Chief Executive Officer
Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE, is the EVP/Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), a dynamic global network of more than 100,000 architects and design professionals throughout 200 chapters committed to enhancing the built environment.
Woods previously served as President & CEO of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) where she led efforts to expand the organization’s programs and markets while growing and strengthening its membership base.
Prior to joining NIBS, she was the Sr. VP & Chief Marketing Officer at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), where her team was responsible for all marketing and revenue-generating programs – including marketing the International Builders Show, sponsorship sales and partnerships with major national companies.
Woods is the author of the book Never Get Their Coffee: Empowering Fearless Leadership and currently serves as Immediate Past Chair of the Board for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). She also currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Building Museum and the Board of Visitors for the University of Maryland School of Architecture. She previously served as Vice Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council Board of Directors, on the Master Painters Institute Advisory Board, on the Advisory Board of Crosswalk and is a global speaker. She is a Washington Business Journal: 2024 Diversity in Business Award winner and a 2021 iMasons IM100 Award winner for Excellence in the Digital Infrastructure Community. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland in College Park and lives with her husband and daughter in Howard County, Maryland.
Speaking requests for Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE, EVP/Chief Executive Officer
Vicky Schneider, CAE, MS
Chief Strategy Officer
Vicky Schneider is the strategic advisor for The American Institute of Architects (AIA). In this role, she guides strategic initiatives, identifies and activates opportunities for collaboration and leadership across the organization, and ensures that the work of AIA adheres to the strategic goals set for in the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan. Prior to joining AIA, Vicky spent nearly 20 years at Johns Hopkins Institutions establishing new programs, cultivating internal and external relationships, guiding strategic vision, and increasing organizational efficiencies at the Center for Talented Youth, The School of Medicine’s Center for Epigenetics, and in Development and Alumni Relations. Vicky began her career as a SAS programmer, operations manager, and client trainer supporting research at the National Institutes of Health.
Vicky holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in biology with minors in service learning and science education. She holds a Master of Science in the science of learning from Johns Hopkins University, as well as Executive Certificates from both the Academy of Women in Leadership and Innovation & Human-Centered Design from Carey Business School.
Alexander Cochran, Esq.
Chief Advocacy Officer
Alexander Cochran, Esq., is the chief advocacy officer of The American Institute of Architects (AIA). He comes to AIA after spending the past 10 years as Special Counsel to the Governor of New York State, where he oversaw a team of federal and state government affairs policy experts. He advocated for federal policy solutions and devised strategies that solved state budget and policy needs while navigating a myriad of complex challenges. He worked closely with governors' offices across the country to advocate for governors' federal legislative priorities. Alexander co-conceived and launched the governor-led U.S. Climate Alliance.
Combining 25 years of impactful federal, state, and local government relations representing Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and city/state governments, he has a record of success in corporate and government reputation management, strategic/crisis communications, political strategy, and policy advocacy.
Alexander began his career as an advisor to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the Clinton Administration. There he advised the Secretary on intergovernmental relations working closely with the Nation's mayor, county officials, and governors. He lives in Oakton, Va. with his wife and has two sons, one who is studying at University of Virginia and the other at the University of Georgia. Alexander is a very proud Georgia Bulldog.
Kevin D. Watkins, SPHR, CAE
Chief Membership Officer
Kevin D. Watkins is the chief membership officer at The American Institute of Architects (AIA). In this role, he provides leadership to stakeholder-facing teams including Membership & Component Engagement, Knowledge & Practice, and EDI Strategies – and seeks alignment to provide value to AIA’s over 100,000 members. To advance AIA’s mission, he works to create a collaborative vision of an equitable and inclusive AIA through meaningful relationships and trust throughout all levels of the organization.
Before joining AIA, Kevin held key leadership roles focused on membership development, chapter relations, and events at the American Institute of Physics, the National Apartment Association, and the National Association of REALTORS®.
Kevin received his MBA from Baylor University. He is recognized as a Certified Association Executive by the American Society of Association Executives and a Senior Professional in Human Resources by the HR Certification Institute.
Terri S. Stewart, Hon. AIA, CAE
Chief Finance and Administration Officer
Terri S. Stewart is the chief finance and administration officer at The American Institute of Architects (AIA). In this role, she guides the financial, technological, and operational strategy of the organization with an eye toward innovation and efficacy. She is an association executive with more than 30 years of experience in finance, administration, and operations roles across industries; including biotechnology, green building, and architecture. In addition to her work in associations, Terri served as chief financial officer for a technology software company.
Terri holds an MBA from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Science degree in business and minor in accounting from the Mississippi University for Women.
Kiersten Thornton, SPHR
Chief People Officer
Kiersten Thornton is the chief people officer of The American Institute of Architects (AIA). She has over 15 years of human resources experience, is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and has expertise in leading all areas of recruitment and onboarding; performance management and compensation; employee relations; training and development; and compliance.
Prior to joining AIA, Kiersten served as vice president, people and culture at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, leading a team in implementing a modernized vision for the people strategy and HR functions that was fully aligned with overall organizational strategy and values. She also acted as a trusted advisor for staff, a strategic partner to the leadership team, and an innovator of HR initiatives that drove employee engagement and equitable outcomes for all team members.
Kiersten’s record of accomplishments includes strengthening company culture, enhancing overall staff engagement, and improving and automating processes. She has also worked on several strategic initiatives, including developing and executing performance management and compensation programs and spearheading equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives.
She holds an MBA from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She previously held positions at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and law firm Wiley Rein.
Joe Chappell
Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Joe Chappell is senior vice president, marketing & communications at The American Institute of Architects (AIA). Joe leads the development and execution of bold strategies to advance the brand identity of AIA and engage an ever wider and more inclusive audience. Through creative brand and messaging efforts, his team works to enhance the value proposition for members and elevate the public’s appreciation of architecture’s importance.
Prior to joining AIA, Joe served as CMO of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC), a global professional association representing the $16 billion executive search and leadership consulting industry. There, he reinvented the association’s brand and marketing strategy, which activated unprecedented growth in brand awareness and revenue.
He began his marketing career in the retail book industry where he pioneered an ecommerce and digital strategy, enabling triple-digit sales growth in an era of intense technological and competitive change.
Known for his customer-centric approach and commitment to building diverse teams with the right capabilities, Joe empowers organizations to articulate and live out their purpose, mission, and values. Today, he steers the marketing and communications organization, amplifying the voice of the architectural profession to better serve AIA’s 100,000+ members worldwide.
Joe holds a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Fine Art from the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and he completed postgraduate studies at The European Graduate School.
R. Corey Clayborne, FAIA, MBA, CAE
Senior Vice President, Knowledge & Practice
R. Corey Clayborne is the senior vice president, knowledge and practice, at The American Institute of Architects (AIA). In this role, he guides his team in offering knowledge-rich opportunities for members to increase their value to clients, employers, and communities.
Most recently, Corey served as Executive Director for AIA Virginia. There he was responsible for the success of the advocacy, education, outreach, and member services portfolios while coaching staff to tap into their fullest potential. During his five-year tenure, he grew its Political Action Committee (PAC) annually by ten-fold, cultivated impactful industry and government relationships, and established AIA Virginia as a reliable, authentic resource on the built environment to city councils, mayors, the General Assembly, and the Governor. Prior to his role at AIA Virginia, Corey worked in private practice for local, state, and federal clients.
In 2020, he became the youngest African American member of the AIA College of Fellows to achieve fellowship through the traditional submission process.
Andrew Flank, MBA
Senior Vice President of Sales, Events and Exhibitions
Andrew Flank is the senior vice president of sales, events and exhibitions for The American Institute of Architects (AIA). He leads the events and sales departments in the pursuit of producing world-class events including the AIA Conference on Architecture while developing meaningful partnerships with industry suppliers and supporters.
Prior to AIA, Andrew spent more than 15 years at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), most recently leading partnerships, innovation, and affinity programs while overseeing the management of sponsorship programs for NAHB and the International Builders' Show. Before joining NAHB, Andrew spent seven years working in advertising for The Washington Post and in promotions for Red Bull North America.
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the University of Maryland, College Park and an MBA from Georgetown University.
Praveen Patel, MS, PMP
Senior Vice President, Technology
As senior vice president of technology, Praveen Patel is responsible for leading The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) digital technology strategy, which aligns business goals, enables operational excellence, and drives technology innovation. He directs the planning and implementation of enterprise systems in support of AIA's business operations to improve cost effectiveness, service quality, and business outcomes. He is responsible for all aspects of AIA's digital technology and systems.
Prior to joining AIA, Praveen spent 18 years in technology consulting, enterprise architecture, and software consulting leadership, serving clients in professional and trade associations (nonprofit), the commercial sector, and state and federal government.
Praveen holds a Master of Science in information systems and technology from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in chemistry and systems management.