Architects Foundation Welcomes Five New Members to Board of Directors

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 brings experience in construction, design, project development, and civic service. In his 25+ years at Consigli Construction, he helped expand the firm’s presence from one office in Massachusetts to 16 offices from New England to the U.S. Virgin Islands, with revenue growth from $50 million to more than $5 billion. He led the creation of Consigli’s Washington, DC office, which has built or renovated such landmarks as the Lincoln Memorial, the National Air & Space Museum, and the Capital Jewish Museum. He currently serves as Board Chair for the ACE Mentor Program of New Hampshire as well as on the boards of the Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire and Stay Work Play New Hampshire. He spent more than a decade on the board of the Providence Preservation Society, including two years as Board President. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in urban affairs and planning from Boston University. Vance and his wife Anastasia live in Moultonborough, NH.

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 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 Capital 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. At STRATUS, 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.