About

Dan Kirby is a Florida-based architect and urban planner with a career-long commitment to urban design, placemaking in urban environments. He is currently principal and vice president with Jacobs, a global professional and technical services solutions company. His project experience includes major building programs for corporate and industrial buildings, hotels, sustainable design, urban design, emerging technology and the development of workforce housing. Kirby has been recognized as recipient of the Gold Medal from the Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Florida) and as a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Florida School of Architecture. Kirby has the rare distinction of having been honored as a Fellow in both the American Institute of Architects and the American Institute of Certified Planners.

In addition, Dan currently serves as president and board chair for Architects Foundation. Kirby was a member of the AIA Strategic Council, Past President of AIA Florida, former Commission President for the Orlando Utilities Commission, was a two-term planning and zoning commission chair, served as a member of the Orange County Urban Design Commission. He has been an adjunct instructor for design in the architecture program at the University of Central Florida and has also been named to the Florida 500 as one of the most influential businesspeople in Florida as selected by Florida Trend magazine.

Over decades building in New York and beyond, Ken has realized projects that inspire, enhance the public realm, and cement the city as a place where the most complex ideas can be built. His work includes One World Trade Center—the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere—and 7 World Trade Center, both built under extraordinary circumstances. He has led major large-scale, mixed use projects including 35 Hudson Yards, Deutsche Bank Center, and Manhattan West. Most recently, he managed SOM’s interiors work at JPMorganChase’s 270 Park Avenue and oversaw the complete transformation of the reimagined  Waldorf Astoria—the most significant renovation, restoration, and preservation project in NYC’s history.

After serving many roles at The Center for Architecture and AIA New York, including Treasurer and Vice President, he became AIANY President during COVID (2021). In addition to his role at the Architects Foundation, he serves on the Urban Green Council Board of Directors, and until this fall, represented SOM at the Large Firm Roundtable.

Timothy Hawk, FAIA is nationally recognized as an architectural practice leader, designer, and educator. His efforts have led to higher design quality among architects, and he was honored as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2014 in recognition of his national influence. Currently, Hawk leads WSA, an interdisciplinary design studio, where his practice strength focuses on the adaptation of buildings to implement organizational strategies. Hawk has served as a board member and officer of the American Institute of Architects, liaison to the American Institute of Architecture Students, and received the 2020 AIA Ohio Mentor Award.

With a background in architecture and a passion for nonprofit leadership, Milan advances mission-driven work in built and cultural environments. She is Senior Director of Preservation Programs at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, leading HOPE Crew and Preserve Route 66. HOPE Crew provides hands-on preservation training for the next generation of tradespeople and has expanded partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, engaging both trades and architecture students in documentation and technology that support the preservation movement. Preserve Route 66 activates communities along the corridor through programs and events that increase awareness and visitation. Previously, Milan was Director of Workforce and Emerging Professionals at the American Institute of Architects, supporting early-career professionals and women architects. She serves on the Executive Committee of Architects Foundation Board. Milan holds a Master of Architecture from Georgia Institute of Technology and a BA from University of Maryland, College Park.

Elizabeth has extensive experience in non-profit development, recently having worked at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as the Senior Development Officer for 11 years, at other cultural organisations, and at two universities in their engineering departments.  Worked in Congress for five years and in two corporations as an analyst.  Has served on several cultural institutions boards.

Kathy Denise Dixon, FAIA, NOMAC, LEED AP+, is a licensed architect, educator, and author with more than 32 years of experience spanning civic, educational, commercial, and government projects. As Principal and Founder of K. Dixon Architecture PLLC, she has led the design and delivery of complex facilities including K–12 schools, public safety buildings, cultural institutions, healthcare environments, and large-scale commercial developments throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region.

Also a tenured Associate Professor at the University of the District of Columbia, she teaches design studio, professional practice, sustainable design, and architectural design theory. She is the co-author of The Business of Architecture: Your Guide to a Financially Successful Firm (Routledge, 2017), a resource for architects building and sustaining successful practices. A Past National President of the National Organization of Minority Architects, she was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2017 and received the 2022 AIA Whitney M. Young Jr. Award for advancing equity and increasing licensure among architects of color.

Benjamin Prosky became President of the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation in 2023. Prosky has devoted his career to a range of projects dedicated to the promotion and interpretation of architecture and design, previously serving as the Executive Director of American Institute of Architects New York Chapter (AIANY) and the Center for Architecture. He has held prior leadership roles at several academic institutions, serving as Assistant Dean for Communications at Harvard University Graduate School of Design and Director of Special Events and External Affairs at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. In earlier roles at the Canadian Center for Architecture in Montreal, and the Institute français d’architecture in Paris, his work focused on developing public educational programs and exhibitions. He currently serves on the board of directors of NYCxDesign and the Association of Architecture Organizations (AAO). A native New Yorker, Prosky divides his time between Brooklyn and Woodstock, New York.

Yentil Rawlinson is Vice President of Belonging, Culture, & Employee Experience for The Sherwin-Williams Company. She has over 10 years of experience building talent, culture, and community impact strategies in large, global organizations that enable business growth and performance.

Since joining the company in 2018, Sherwin-Williams has been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity, America’s Best Employers for Women, America’s Best Employers for New Grads, Best Brands for Social Impact, America’s Best Employers for Veterans, and Best Company’s for Company Culture.

Yentil holds a BA in Sociology from The Ohio State University, an MS in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University, and is a trained Lean Six Sigma Green Belt through Case Western Reserve University. For her professional endeavors, she has been recognized as a recipient of the Top 25 under 35 Movers & Shakers Award by the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club, Rising Buckeye Award by The Ohio State University Alumni Association, a Her-Story Honoree by Radio One Cleveland, the Overall Excellence in HR Award by Crain’s Cleveland Business, and several other industry awards.

Caroline Fitzgerald, PE, is Client Relations Manager at RMF Engineering. A structural engineer by training, she connects clients and design partners with the firm’s engineering expertise, drawing on experience delivering complex projects and a commitment to design quality. She joined RMF’s Boston office in 2019 after working with construction, cost estimating, architecture, and engineering firms.

Caroline earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, magna cum laude, from Tufts University and is a registered Professional Engineer in New York and Massachusetts. Her professional service includes leadership with Professional Women in Construction and the Boston Society for Architecture.

Sharon Haar, FAIA, NOMA, ACSA is Professor at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. In addition to her current position, she has taught and held academic leadership positions at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Parsons School of Design and served as visiting faculty at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Her current research investigates the development of equitable, affordable housing in the United States through Taubman College’s Collective for Equitable Housing (CEH), which she co-founded in 2021. The CEH brings together architecture, urban design, and urban planning faculty at Taubman College to promote housing equity within the state of Michigan and beyond. By leveraging faculty expertise, funding, and community-based partnerships, they pursue research questions and impact-driven projects. Continuing projects investigate the intersection of higher education and urban space, with a focus on the changing nature of the university campus, as well as the study of architectural practices devoted to social activism and humanitarian relief.

Ken Higa, AIA, is a Principal and Higher Education Practice Leader at The Beck Group in Atlanta. His work connects institutional goals with campus planning and design, with a particular focus on student housing, inclusive learning environments, and student well-being. He joined Beck in 2017 and brings experience in architecture, business development, and marketing. Ken holds degrees in architecture and building sciences from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from Georgia State University. His nonprofit service includes the Society for College and University Planning, where he helped establish its Annual Fund and Fellows program, and Architects Foundation.

Ching-Hua Ho is a Principal at PAYETTE and a healthcare designer whose work includes complex clinical facilities, intensive care units, surgical floors, and campus planning. She has led major projects ranging from new buildings and additions to interior renovations, with an interest in building envelopes that respond to their context and program.

Ching brings a commitment to carefully crafted spaces, design excellence, and project delivery. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Chinese Cultural University, a Master of Architecture from Chung Yuan Christian University in Taiwan, and a post-professional Master of Architecture from Yale University.

Vaughn Lewis, Assoc. AIA, is a New York-based project manager and design professional whose work spans capital projects and civic environments. He works with the Trust for Governors Island and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from The Cooper Union. His design interests connect cultural memory, equity, and sustainability.

A former Architects Foundation scholarship recipient, Vaughn received the 2015 AIA/AF Diversity Scholarship and the 2019 Architects Foundation/McAslan Fellowship. He joined the Foundation’s board in 2021, served as Secretary from 2023 to 2025, and chairs its Scholarship Committee, bringing firsthand experience of scholarship support to his work advancing opportunities for the next generation.

Illya Azaroff is the 2026 president of the American Institute of Architects and founder of +LAB architect. An architect and geographer, he works with communities and design teams on disaster response, climate adaptation, and resilient design. He is a professor at New York City College of Technology (CUNY) and previously served as president of AIA New York State. His work centers on helping communities prepare for disruption and giving underserved communities a stronger voice in shaping their future.

Vance Freymann is Regional Director, New Hampshire, at Consigli Construction Co., Inc., and brings experience in construction, project development, and civic service. At Consigli, he has helped expand the firm’s presence in institutional markets and has spoken about sustainable building approaches, including mass timber. He also serves on the boards of the Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire and the ACE Mentor Program of New Hampshire, supporting connections between industry and the next generation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in urban affairs and planning from Boston University.

Marilyn A. Jackson is President & CEO of the American Alliance of Museums, the national organization representing the full spectrum of museums across the United States. Since taking the helm in April 2024, she has focused on strengthening the museum field through advocacy, professional development, and institutional excellence. Her more than 25 years of leadership span the nonprofit, cultural, and corporate sectors, at the intersection of marketing, audience engagement, and organizational strategy. She previously served as President & CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center and Chief Engagement Officer at United Way of Metro Chicago, and held senior leadership roles at the Chicago Architecture Center and the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. Marilyn holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.

Wallace J. Mlyniec, Lupo-Ricci Professor of Law Emeritus at Georgetown Law, recently retired after 53 years of teaching at Georgetown University Law Center, where he served for 19 years as Associate Dean for Clinical Education and Public Service Programs. Alongside his legal education work, he helped guide campus planning and development, serving on the University Campus Planning Committee and, for more than 20 years, the Law Center’s Capital Planning Committee. From 2002 to 2005, he supervised construction of the Hotung International Law Building and the Georgetown Law Sport and Fitness Center. He represented Georgetown on the D.C. Downtown Business Improvement District Board of Directors from 2007 to 2025 and served as Georgetown Law’s liaison to the Capitol Crossing project. He is the author of Construction Notes: Transforming a Campus in Washington, D.C.

Grace Perdomo is an urban designer and civic leader trained as an architect, with more than 30 years of experience in planning, community engagement, and urban redevelopment. As Senior Vice President of Civic at STRATUS Team, LLC, she leads master planning, mixed-use redevelopment, and transit-oriented development work for public agencies, including transit planning for Miami-Dade County and Broward County. She has led more than a dozen successful HUD grant applications that secured over $415 million in federal funding and leveraged more than $3.3 billion in public and private investment in neighborhood redevelopment. Grace is a board member and former executive director of Transit Alliance Miami and previously served on The Underline Conservancy board. She is committed to advancing the civic role of the design profession and supporting the next generation of architects and design leaders.