FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. — February 25, 2026 — The Architects Foundation (AF), the American Institute of Architects’ philanthropic partner (AIA), is pleased to announce the recent appointment of three new members to its board of directors: Elizabeth Daoust, Benjamin Prosky, and Yentil Rawlinson.
The newly appointed board members bring deep expertise across philanthropy, architecture and design leadership, and corporate culture. “We took time to seek out people with a passion for our mission,” said Dan Kirby, Board President. “We were able to find three outstanding partners and supporters that propel our growth trajectory as an organization and drive our ability to scale our impact.”
Daoust is a seasoned philanthropy and development leader with more than a decade at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and a strong record helping cultural organizations and universities secure significant philanthropic support; she will help advance the Foundation’s focus on capital renewal, programming, and endowment growth. Prosky, President of the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation, has dedicated his career to advancing architecture and design through leadership roles at AIANY, Harvard GSD, Columbia GSAPP, and major international design institutions, bringing preservation expertise and deep networks to the Foundation. Rawlinson, Vice President of Belonging, Culture & Employee Experience at Sherwin-Williams, is a nationally recognized inclusion and culture strategist with experience shaping global talent and community impact initiatives for one of AIA’s longest-standing corporate partners; in her role, she provides leadership for the Foundation’s scholarship and equity efforts. Daoust, Prosky, and Rawlinson join an existing team of eleven dedicated architecture and design professionals serving on the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
Their expertise comes at a dynamic time as the Foundation expands its national scholarship and international fellowship programs, scales Communities by Design, and renews The Octagon, its national historic landmark home, as part of AIA’s new Global Campus for Architecture & Design. For more information on the Board of Directors, visit: architectsfoundation.org/about/
About Architects Foundation
From our home at The Octagon, we demonstrate the cultural and societal impact of architecture and architects’ potential to create a just society; we invest in the next generation of the profession through our seven national scholarship programs; and utilize design thinking to help communities solve critical challenges through our Communities by Design (CxD) program. The Architects Foundation leads philanthropic efforts to inspire and empower the next generation of designers and the communities they serve.
Media Contact
Olivia Hutto, Sr. Manager of Development & Marketing
(202) 626-7455 | oliviahutto@aia.org
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