AIA leadership

Evelyn M. Lee, FAIA 
2025 President

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. 

Illya Azaroff, FAIA
2025 President-Elect

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.

Joshua Flowers, FAIA
2025-2026 Secretary

Josh Flowers, FAIA, is a registered architect and licensed attorney. He is also Legal Counsel for Gresham Smith, based in Nashville, Tennessee. There, he oversees legal, insurance, and compliance matters and is a member of the firm’s Risk Management team. 

Prior to his election as the 2025-26 AIA Secretary, Josh served as the 2024 Vice Moderator of the AIA Strategic Council, former President of AIA Tennessee and AIA Memphis, and past chair of the AIA National Young Architects Forum. He is a member of the AIA Contract Documents Committee where he served as a Task Group Chair for the 2024 AIA Design-Build family of documents. 

Josh received Bachelor of Architecture and Juris Doctor Degrees from the University of Tennessee where he served as editor of the Tennessee Law Review. He is a member of the American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry as well as the Association of Corporate Counsel. 

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.

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.

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 a Professor at Pratt Institute. With a career that bridges academia, research, and professional practice, she brings interdisciplinary expertise to foster meaningful community impact while pursuing operational and design excellence.

At Ennead Architects, Latoya leads operations with a focus on optimizing business processes and sustainable design practices while advancing architectural discourse. Her career reflects a commitment to community-centered design, shaped by her advocacy with nonprofits and her dedication to creating user-focused spaces that inspire and serve.

For over 15 years, Latoya has been a dedicated faculty member at Pratt Institute, where she connects academia and practice to advance design education. She has taught a diversity of courses including design studios lectures, and seminars. As a member of NCARB’s Education Committee, she works collaboratively to define the expectations of academic needs while understanding the critical bridge of firm-based experience.

Latoya holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, complemented by a Certificate in Real Estate Design & Development from the Wharton School, an MFA in Interior Architecture from George Washington University, and a BS in Business Administration from Georgetown University.

Carole Wedge, FAIA
2024-2025 At-large 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.

Graciela Carrillo, FAIA
2025-2027 At-large Director

Graciela Carrillo, FAIA, originally from Colombia, is a licensed architect and Senior Manager at Nassau BOCES Facilities Services, where she oversees capital and operational projects for school districts across Nassau County. She is deeply involved with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) at the local, state, and national levels, having served as the 2024 Moderator of the AIA Strategic Council, 2017-2018 Young Architects Forum New York State Director, 2020-2021 President of AIA Long Island, and Co-Founder/Co-Chair of the AIA Long Island Women in Architecture Committee. 

Graciela is also a Co-Founder of the Immigrant Architects Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting immigrant architects in advancing their careers. As a national speaker and podcast host, she has co-authored two books "City Shapers: Stories of Immigrant Designers” and “Prospering in the U.S.: A Handbook for Immigrant Architects” and contributed to “Latinas in Architecture”. 

Graciela’s numerous accolades include the AIA Young Architect Award (2022), the AIA NYS President’s Honor Award (2023), and the AIA Long Island Community Service Award (2024). Graciela obtained her Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia, and her Master of Science (Urban Environmental Systems) from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY.

Matt Toddy, AIA
2025-2027 At-large Director

Matt Toddy, AIA, champions collaborative innovation in architectural practice. As an architect, maker, mentor, and strategic partner, Matt channels his passion for design into developing projects that amplify community impact. 

As founding principal of Elevation Studio, Matt leverages the power of design to create lasting impact for his clients. Volunteerism is core to Matt’s value proposition and the Elevation Studio model. He recently served as the 2023 Chair of the AIA Young Architects Forum and the 2022 President of AIA Columbus. 

Matt is an advocate for mentorship and providing a platform for new voices in the industry. He received the 2023 AIA Ohio Mentor Award and the 2021 AIA Young Architect Award in recognition of his efforts in advancing mentorship and inspiring innovation in the profession.

Alyanna Subayno, Assoc. AIA
2025 Associate Director

Alyanna Subayno, Assoc. AIA, is a passionate advocate for equity, inclusion, and mentorship within the architecture profession. Drawing strength from her Filipino heritage, her diverse background fuels her commitment to fostering inclusive spaces and advancing social justice. This dedication has shaped her journey at Iowa State University, Neumann Monson Architects, and through her contributions to the AIA and her local community.

At Neumann Monson, Alyanna leverages her experiences to enhance the firm’s onboarding process, cultivating a lasting culture of inclusivity. Beyond the firm, she has dedicated three consecutive years to the AIA’s National Associates Committee, first as Iowa’s State/Territory Associate Representative (STAR) and as the 2024 NAC Strategic Council Representative. Through her leadership and unwavering commitment, Alyanna continues to drive meaningful change and create opportunities in architecture.

Jordan Luther, Assoc. AIA 
2025 Student Director 

Jordan Luther is the 2024-2025 President of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). Originally from Southeastern Connecticut, Jordan attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree. In 2023 she earned her Master of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University. Upon graduation, Jordan began working as a designer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There she continued advocating to bridge the gap between the profession and education and amplifying the student voice in local, national, and global positions. 

Jordan has expressed interest in research throughout her academic and professional journey. In 2022, she was honored as an AIAS CRIT Scholar and now serves on the AIA Pittsburgh Design + Research Committee. As a 2024 member of the AIA Strategic Council, Jordan continued to advocate for student health and well-being while exploring the elements of trauma-informed design.  

Jordan is committed to creating inclusive and sensitive spaces for all communities. Her experience and research have informed her advocacy for students and professionals and their role in shaping our spaces and communities while pushing for positive change in the profession at large.

Mary-Margaret Zindren, CAE
2025 CACE Director

Mary-Margaret Zindren, CAE, is the EVP/Executive Director of AIA Minnesota, the three local chapters of AIA in Minnesota, and the Minnesota Architectural Foundation; she has served in these positions since 2015. She is the Past President of the AIA Conference of Architectural Component Executives (CACE) and is a recognized expert in board governance, strategic planning, equity, and culture change. 

Mary-Margaret received the AIA CACE Emerging Leader Award in 2018 and the 2022 Finance & Commerce Women in Construction Award for Service to the Profession. Mary-Margaret holds a B.A. in Public Administration from Miami University and a Master of Public Affairs degree with a concentration in Public and Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School. In 2025, she will serve on the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum of Minnesota.
 

Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA
Interim EVP/Chief Executive Officer

The Honorable Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, NAC, CCM, LEED AP, is the interim EVP/Chief Executive Officer of The American Institute of Architects, a dynamic global network of more than 100,000 architects and design professionals throughout 200 chapters committed to enhancing the built environment.  

Ayers previously served a 10-year term as the 11th Architect of the Capitol. He was responsible for design, new construction, renewal, maintenance and operation of the historic U.S. Capitol Building, the care and improvement of more than 570 acres of grounds, and the operation and maintenance of 18.6 million square feet of buildings including the House and Senate Congressional Office Buildings, the Library of Congress Buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court Building, and other facilities.  

After retiring as Architect of the Capitol in 2016, he started the Ayers Consulting Group, LLC, where he has worked with numerous government and private entities on design and construction matters. He also served as the Project Executive for the renewal of the AIA Headquarters Building and as the Interim CEO at the National Institute of Building Sciences. 

Before his role as Architect of the Capitol, Ayers served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, where he was Staff Architect and Design Team Chief with the 6510th Civil Engineer Squadron.  

He joined the Voice of America in Washington, D.C., as a General Engineer in 1991. In 1992, he led design and construction efforts at several Voice of America sites in Greece and Germany. 

Ayers is the recipient of the Construction Industry Institute's 2011 Carroll H. Dunn Award for Excellence. The National Academy of Construction elected him as a member of its 2013 class for transforming project delivery processes at the U.S. Capitol and caring for the nation's historic treasures through inspired leadership, extraordinary vision and personal commitment. Ayers was also the 2018 recipient of AIA’s Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture. Engineering News Record MidAtlantic honored Ayers with their Legacy Award in 2019. In 2020, he was honored with the National Institute of Building Sciences Mortimer M. Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also awarded the Donald B Myer Award for Public Service by the Washington Architectural Foundation in 2022. 

Read statements from the board

AIA member delegates will gather on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in Boston for the annual AIA Business Meeting during the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design® 2025 to consider amendments to AIA bylaws and resolutions and candidates for national leadership positions.

Read more 

Download AIA’s Bylaws for more information.

Bylaws 

Download AIA’s Rules of the Board for more information.

Rules of the Board 

To contact the AIA Board of Directors, email boardofdirectors@aia.org.

Contact us

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.

2023-2024 Kimberly N. Dowdell, AIA

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