The 10th Annual Design For Dignity Conference
Speaker Bios 2025
DAY 1 SPEAKERS
Chava Danielson, AIA – 2025 President, AIA Los Angeles & Principal DSH // architecture
Chava Danielson, AIA, a native Angeleno, is Principal of DSH // architecture, with specialties in design, project advocacy, and serving non-profit organizations committed to their communities. She focuses on imparting beauty and sensitive programming to recharge underserved neighborhoods through educational, therapeutic and residential projects.
Danielson is Adjunct Professor at the USC School of Architecture. She currently co-chairs the AIA Los Angeles’ Government Outreach Committee and has served as a Director for the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design. She holds an M.Arch. from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and a B.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Berkeley.
Hon. Karen Bass – Mayor, City of Los Angeles
Mayor Karen Bass has led the nation’s second largest city with unprecedented urgency that has delivered results for all Angelenos.
Thousands more unhoused Angelenos have come inside in her first year than the year before, leading to a reported drop in homelessness for the first time in years.
During her first year, LAPD received record numbers of applicants while homicides and violent crime decreased. 100,000 more city services like pothole repair and graffiti removal have been provided. Thousands of businesses opened. Hundreds of millions of dollars secured through locking arms with state and federal partners as Los Angeles continues to urgently lead on climate.
And she’s just getting started.
A daughter of our city, Mayor Bass was raised with her three brothers in the Venice/Fairfax neighborhood and is a proud graduate of Hamilton High School. After serving as a front-line healthcare provider as a nurse and as a Physician Assistant, Mayor Bass founded the Community Coalition to organize the predominantly Black and Latino residents of South L.A. against substance abuse, poverty and crime, and to pioneer strategies to address the root causes behind the challenges faced by underserved neighborhoods.
After being elected to represent Los Angeles in the State Assembly, Mayor Bass was elected Speaker, making her the first African American woman to ever lead a state legislative body in the history of the United States. There she and other legislative leaders were awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for their work making tough decisions to keep the state from bankruptcy while protecting vital services during the largest economic decline since the Great Depression.
While representing Los Angeles and Culver City in Congress, Mayor Bass helped protect small businesses during the pandemic, created policy to drive local jobs from federal infrastructure funding, and led the passage of what the Los Angeles Times called “the most significant child welfare policy reform in decades.”
Mayor Bass is the 43rd Mayor of Los Angeles and the first woman and second African American to be elected as the city’s chief executive. She earned her bachelor’s degree in health sciences from CSU Dominguez Hills before graduating from the USC Keck School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program and earning her masters degree in social work from USC.
Mayor Bass’s oldest daughter Emilia planned to follow in her mother’s footsteps working for social change. The Mayor continues to be inspired by Emilia and her son-in-law Michael’s passion for life. She has three other children, Scythia, Omar and Yvette, and three grandchildren, Michael, Henry and Oliver who live in the Los Angeles area.
Denice Wint – Vice President, Real Estate Development, EAH Housing & President, SCANPH
Denice Wint is responsible for affordable housing real estate development and project management across California and for assisting in the promotion and execution of the EAH Housing mission. Ms. Wint is primarily responsible for the supervision of project management of multi-million-dollar rental housing and other real estate development projects on behalf of EAH and facilitating relationships within the state to further the EAH mission. She ensures successful closing of several real estate projects when compared against approved project completion timelines and within board approved budget limits. Ms. Wint also, manages activities during the Predevelopment, Development, Initial or Construction Closing, Construction, and Final Closing stages.
Denice has over 15 years of experience in multifamily housing development, financial management, and economic development. She has worked with various community-based organizations and faith-based institutions to implement strategies to advance housing and development policies.
Ms. Wint joined EAH in 2018 after serving as the Director of Projects & Services, for Innovative Housing Opportunities (IHO). She oversaw real estate and community development projects as well as enhanced resident services programs. Before working at IHO, Denice worked at Los Angeles Housing Partnership (LAHP) for over seven years starting out as an Assistant Project Manager and working up to Senior Project Manager. She brought extensive experience in community and economic development, complex financial modeling, transit-oriented development (TOD), infill, historic, and mixed-use development including commercial components. Leading to this position, Denice was at Abode Communities, where she served as a LISC AmeriCorps member.
Ms. Wint currently serves as a board member of the Southern California Association of Non Profit Housing, serves on various committees, and is often an invited panelist or speaker to many local industry groups. She was also an elected member of the Harbor City Neighborhood Council in Los Angeles and served on the board for Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services in Northern California.
Faizah Malik – Managing Attorney, Public Counsel
Faizah Malik (she/her) is Managing Attorney of Public Counsel’s housing justice initiatives, leading collaborative efforts across Public Counsel to advance housing justice. Overseeing a strategic litigation and policy advocacy agenda, she provides leadership to our housing justice team and supports community-based organizations and coalitions to advance affordable housing, tenant protections, equitable community development, and racial and economic justice.
Prior to this role, Faizah served as a supervising senior staff attorney with Public Counsel’s Community Development Project, joining the organization in 2018. She has supported several impact litigation cases to protect low-income tenants, helped to win the largest expansion of tenant protections in Los Angeles in 40 years, represented and supported the Bruce family in the return of Bruce’s Beach in a historic racial justice victory, and advanced the preservation and creation of affordable housing.
Faizah has extensive experience in land use, fair housing, and litigation. She has provided legal and policy support to coalitions and campaigns advancing housing justice, expanded tenant protection policies, supported campaigns for equitable planning and development, used litigation to enforce state and federal housing laws, and helped affordable housing developers and community-based organizations to navigate complex legal frameworks.
She is a leader in the housing justice community in California and serves on the board of the Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing (SCANPH). In 2023, she was honored with the Public Interest Award from the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California (SABA-CA) at their 18th Annual Banquet. She is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Michigan Law School, where she received the Jane L. Mixer Award for her commitment to social justice.
Christopher Ira Koontz, AICP – Director, Community Development Department, City of Long Beach
Christopher Koontz is the Planning Manager for the City of Long Beach’s Development Services Department. In this role, he oversees the Department’s planning staff and consultants in celebrating Long Beach’s past and embracing its future. Prior to his appointment as Planning Manager, Mr. Koontz served as the City’s Advance Planning Officer, managing long-range planning, environmental review, historic preservation and nuisance abatement efforts. Christopher has also held prior leadership positions at Los Angeles World Airports and the City of Los Angeles. He is a former board member of the American Planning Association, Los Angeles Section board of directors. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Policy, Planning and Management as well as a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Southern California.
Matthew Trotter AIA, NOMA, NCARB – Associate, Cuningham & President, SoCal NOMA
Matthew is a talented Architect and exhibits a strong understanding of both artistic and technical design disciplines. Matthew is inquisitive and channels his passion in ways that make space for meaningful dialog and design outcomes. His design skills have been honed by working on a variety of project types, including community centers, retail, schools, restaurants, theme parks, destination entertainment, hotels, and libraries. Matthew’s passion for uplifting communities and culture through fun, thoughtful design has earned him respect and admiration in his firm and in the architecture community.
Kevin Daly, FAIA – Founder, Kevin Daly Architects & Adjunct Professor, UCLA Architecture & Urban Design
Kevin Daly, F.A.I.A., is the founder of Kevin Daly Architects, an internationally recognized architectural practice focused on craft, construction and material systems, and high performance buildings. His systematic design process engages material and technical research, employing traditional and digital design and representation processes at multiple scales. Intervention and experimentation with normative construction systems is a hallmark of the firm’s work: a belief in the creative potential at the low end of available technology has been a guiding premise in the improvisational urbanism that characterize many of the firm’s Los Angeles projects.
His work has been published widely and has received numerous awards, beginning with is earliest experimental designs for the Valley Center House, the Camino Nuevo Charter Academy and the Art Center College of Design South Campus. He continues to explore urban housing issues and density, both in collaboration with UCLA’s cityLAB and via his own firm. Broadway Affordable Housing and Bi(h)OME received National AIA Honor awards and are transforming the model for contemporary social housing design.
Current and recent projects include offices for a major technology company in Los Angeles, New York, and Silicon Valley, the new Houston Endowment Headquarters in Texas, the San Joaquin Housing at UCSB, and the UCLA Basketball Practice Facility. In addition to over forty state and local AIA design awards, Kevin Daly’s work has been recognized with three National AIA Honor Awards, a Gold Medal from the Bruner Foundation, a Millennium Award from Global Green, and his firm received the inaugural AIA/LA Firm of the Year Award in 2009.
Ralph Mechur, AIA – Principal, Ralph Mechur Architects & Cloverfield Commons
Firm Principal Ralph Mechur is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and has his Masters in Architecture from UCLA.
Ralph has dedicated his career to supporting the local community. He has served on the Planning Commission and Architectural Review Board of the City of Santa Monica, working on the Santa Monica Pier Expansion Plan, the Civic Center Specific Plan, and the Ocean Park Design Guidelines. Ralph recently stepped down after serving for 13 years on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education, where he focused on equity and opportunity for all students and overseeing facility improvement projects.
Currently, Ralph sits on the Board of Trustees for Community Corporation of Santa Monica, a non-profit housing development corporation.
Robert Jernigan, FAIA, LEED AP – Senior Vice President, CLAYCO & Team Palisades
Rob Jernigan’s years of experience have been driven by his deep understanding of the science of architecture and his desire to continually improve upon it. Rob possesses an instinctive ability to bring together teams on behalf of a common goal, whether that goal is a high-rise office tower or a community outreach program.
From pioneering fast-track methods for expediting delivery in the public and private sectors to redefining the state-of-the-art investment-grade commercial building through the integration of sustainable design, Rob has remained in the vanguard. Rob’s work includes multiple award-winning and highly complex projects.
Michael H. Anderson, AIA, NOMA – Principal, Anderson Barker Architects
Michael Anderson has more than 35 years of diverse experience in architecture, urban planning, transit and community development. He has been design principal for projects in aviation, transit, civic administration, education, and commercial, residential, and municipal infrastructures.
“As an architect, my purpose is to advocate for, design, and seek funding for projects that benefit the greater public needs, including economic and redevelopment strategies within challenged communities. My belief is we can utilize the city’s diversity of culture and income to create memorable and beautiful communities that support positive living for every person while producing new revenue for local government.”
Mohamed Sharif, AIA, RIBA – Partner, Sharif, Lynch: Architecture
Mohamed Sharif is an Associate Professor at UCLA’s Department of Architecture and Design, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses and directs the undergraduate program.
His practice, Sharif, Lynch: Architecture, with Todd Lynch, has completed several award-winning projects in Los Angeles.
Sharif’s work has been published in journals and periodicals, including 306090, a+u, arq, Constructs, JAE, the Getty Center, Log, and POOL. He served on the arq editorial board (Cambridge University Press, 2006–2016) and was President of the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design (2007–2009), later joining its Advisory Board (2010–2016).
PHOTO: Alyssa Tohyama
Christine Bustillos – City Planning Associate, Los Angeles City Planning
Christine Bustillos, a City Planning Associate for the Housing Policy Unit of the Department of City Planning, assists in the implementation of the Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) Ordinance as part of the Housing Element Rezoning Program. Prior to her work on the Housing Policy Unit, Christine worked in the Department as a project planner processing entitlement applications and advising members of the public on Specific Plans and overlays, and she also conducted background research and analysis for the Canoga Park-Winnetka-Woodland Hills- West Hills Community Plan update. She received her B.A. in Urban Studies from Loyola Marymount University and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California Los Angeles.
Thea Trindle – City Planner, Los Angeles City Planning
Thea Trindle is a City Planner for Los Angeles City Planning’s Citywide Housing Policy team working on the Citywide Housing Incentive Program Ordinance as part of the City’s Housing Element Rezoning Program. Prior to joining the Citywide Housing Policy team, she worked for City Planning’s Case Management Unit where she conducted pre-construction research for applicants and helped to facilitate the implementation of Senate Bill 9. Prior to joining Los Angeles City Planning, Thea served as a Planning and Development Manager for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Office of Economic Development for just over four years. Thea completed her B.A. in Urban Studies at Loyola Marymount University and her M.S. in Regional and Urban Planning at the London School of Economics. If she is not at Los Angeles City Hall you can usually find her exploring the hiking trails of the nearby San Gabriel mountains, on her bike, or wandering her beloved neighborhood of Downtown Los Angeles.
Blair Smith – Senior City Planner, Los Angeles City Planning
Blair Smith is a Senior City Planner in the Housing Policy Unit. In her role, she oversaw the adoption of the Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP), developed the Plan to House LA (2021-2029 Housing Element), and worked to improve housing production through numerous council motions. Prior to her current role, Blair crafted the Hollywood Community Plan CPIO, developed new design-based zoning tools for the new zoning code, and streamlined procedures in the Office of Historic Resources.
Carlos Augusto Garcia, AIA, NCARB, WELL AP – AIA|LA Board of Directors, & Architect, Brooks + Scarpa
Carlos Augusto Garcia is an architect, designer, and artist with 15 years of industry expertise. Specializing in design research, sustainability, wellness, and carbon reduction, his global outlook manifests through work with UIA World Congress of Architects, New Buildings Institute, National Endowment for the Arts, and LA Planning’s Urban Design Studio. Carlos serves on AIA COTE and ASHRAE committees, influencing climate action and greenhouse gas standards. This passion was ignited by his start in emergency management and disaster recovery in post-Katrina New Orleans, where he completed B.Arch and M.Arch degrees from Tulane University. He is committed to pursuing dignity in practice, promoting equity in both membership and leadership.
Frances Anderton – Journalist, Author, and Faculty, USC School of Architecture
Frances Anderton is the author of Common Ground: Multifamily Housing in Los Angeles, published by Angel City Press, and winner of a Gold award for best Regional Nonfiction from Foreword Reviews. She has co-produced short films for the nonprofit housing developers Community Corporation of Santa Monica and Venice Community Housing. She is currently researching “Awesome and Affordable” housing as a Fellow of Friends of Residential Treasures: Los Angeles (FORT: LA). She writes a regular newsletter on design and architecture for KCRW public radio station, for which she previously hosted the show DnA: Design and Architecture, and produced the current affairs shows Which Way, LA? and To The Point. She also supports the creation of programming at Helms Bakery District. Honors include the Esther McCoy Award, from the Architectural Guild of USC School of Architecture, for her work educating the public about architecture and urbanism.. She serves on the boards of AIA/LA, Community Corp, and Palm Springs Modernism Week.
John Arnold, AIA – Partner, KFA
With an interest in housing, landscape, and urban design, John has contributed to much of KFA’s multi-family portfolio, starting in 1999, seeking to join great living spaces with their sites and the city as a whole. He has specialized in high-density urban projects and affordable/special needs buildings throughout Los Angeles. Concurrently, John heads up KFA’s adaptive reuse work and has completed over a dozen projects in existing buildings with historic designation. John enjoys community outreach and participates in many of KFA’s public presentations. He is actively involved in his South LA neighborhood of Jefferson Park with planning and zoning issues, being a long-time board member of the United Neighborhoods NC. John is currently serving on AIA|LA’s Board of Directors as AIA CA Representative and serves on the board of Abode Communities Housing. In 2023, John started the restoration of the historic Paul Williams residence in West Adams.
May Sung, AIA – Principal, SUBU Design Architecture
Founded in 2010, the award winning SUBU Design Architecture is a full service architecture and interior design practice founded by May Sung, AIA, LEED AP. Since its inception, the firm has developed a reputation of collaborative design. In addition to private custom residences and high profile commercial projects, SUBU Design Architecture has completed multiple hotel and residential projects in the greater Los Angeles area, South Bay, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and Aspen, CO.
As the principal of SUBU Design Architecture, May Sung enjoys the process of working with families, corporations, and individuals to create their dream space. Through her travels, she also understands that there is not a singular aesthetic voice. She strives to bring out the narratives from the Client in order to create a space that will tell the Client’s story, integrating architecture and interior.
She received her Bachelor of Art with honors from the Department of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley and Master of Architecture from the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University. May was also named Fulbright Fellow to Hong Kong SAR upon graduation.
Since Hong Kong, she has lived and worked extensively in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Her work in preservation has been recognized by the City of Palm Springs. Her architectural and interior design work has appeared in national and international publications alongside internet design outlets such as Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Luxury, Vogue, Elle Decor, Glocal, Dering Hall, Domino, The Hollywood Reporter and featured on the covers of LUXE and Southbay Homes. She is also an active member of AIA, DLN (Design Leadership Network), and AD Pro (Architectural Digest Pro).
Tricia Keane – Executive Officer, Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD)
Tricia Keane is the Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD). She is responsible for ensuring efficient and effective implementation of LAHD’s programs including affordable housing finance, rental housing regulation, and delivery of a wide range of housing development services to Los Angeles residents. Ms. Keane also administers the City’s accessible housing program (AcHP), ensuring that affordable housing is accessible to persons with disabilities. Ms. Keane brings 20 years of experience in land use, planning, and housing work to this role.
Before joining LAHD in July 2020, Ms. Keane served as Deputy Director of the Operations + Engagement Bureau at the Department of City Planning. Her role included oversight of various functions including the External Affairs, Government Relations, and Communications teams, the Performance Management Unit, the information technologies teams, and budget and administrative functions. Prior to City Planning, Ms. Keane served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Councilmember Mike Bonin where she worked extensively on planning, housing, and homelessness issues. Prior to that, she served as Senior Deputy County Counsel for the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning.
After graduating from law school, Ms. Keane clerked for Judge James S. Gwin in the U.S. District Court and then spent several years in private practice at the law firm of Latham & Watkins LLP, advising clients on environmental and land use regulations related to private and institutional development projects. Ms. Keane holds a Bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and a Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the UCLA Law Review (Vol. 48).
Alison Martin, AIA – AEC Coordination, The Foothill Catalog, & Senior Architect, CO Architects
Alison Martin is a licensed architect based in Los Angeles, CA. She demonstrates diverse experience in the design and project management of healthcare, higher education, science & technology, and K-12 projects across Southern California. She is also passionate about historic preservation and sustainable practices, with experience in the design and construction of experimental residential projects. Alison spends time giving back to the profession and community by volunteering her time with local chapters of several organizations including AIA, NOMA, and CIEF. Originally from South Carolina, Alison received her Master of Architecture degree from Clemson University, relocating to Los Angeles in 2016.
Joan Ling – Housing Policy Analyst and Advocate
As a child, Ling developed a passion for carpentry and building that later inspired her to pursue a career in urban planning.
Ling recalls: “My father was a doctor by vocation and carpenter/cabinet maker by avocation. When I was 12, I designed and built a house for my dog from scratch . . . I love working with my hands and building things.”
“My intellectual interest in the nexus between social theory and practice led me to the UCLA Urban Planning Department,” Ling continues. “And during the two years I attended school here, my love of cities blossomed, along with a growing awareness of work opportunities that could fulfill my emotional, spiritual and creative needs. “
Following graduation, Ling used her hands-on experience to improve public policy, legislation and government regulations. Among the many issues she has affected, highlights include reforming the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to streamline affordable and urban in-fill housing production, negotiating the California Mello Act implementation in Los Angeles, running a successful voter initiative to authorize affordable housing development under Article 34 of the California Constitution, passing local ordinances giving land use incentives and protections for affordable housing development projects, and advocating for more and better targeted financial resources in California’s tax credit and bond-funded housing programs. She is currently working on promoting a range of housing choices in Los Angeles transit station areas, land use incentives for affordable housing, and a dedicated funding source in California.
Ling has taken about 60 development projects totalling 1,400 units from acquisition through entitlement, financing, construction, marketing and building operations. Her projects include the first multi-family structure in the country awarded the gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as well as two buildings that received the National American Institute of Architect’s Design Honor Awards.
Ling served as the Executive Director of Community Corporation of Santa Monica for 20 years. She has also worked for the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission; Kotin, Regan, and Mouchly; and The Planning Group. She was the Treasurer of the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles for over six years until its dissolution in February 2012. She is a director on the Housing California board and the chair of its Land Use and Finance Committee. In addition, she serves on the MoveLA Advisory Board.
Ling holds a certificate from Harvard Kennedy School of Government after completing an 18-month program in Achieving Excellence in Community Development. Fannie Mae Foundation honored her as a National James A. Johnson Fellow. Ling also currently teaches real estate, housing and planning courses in the Urban Planning department.
“Returning to teach in the department after a 30-year professional career is one of the best choices I made in my life,” says Ling. “The students’ energy, enthusiasm and commitment make me feel alive and hopeful for the future.”
DAY 2 SPEAKERS
Nithya Raman – Councilmember, District #4, City of Los Angeles
Nithya Raman is an urban planner, a graduate of Harvard and MIT, a working mother, an immigrant to America, and a member of the Los Angeles City Council representing District 4.
After serving several years as the Co-Chair of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council Homelessness Committee, as well as co-founding the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, Nithya felt there was a gap between city services and the expanding homelessness crisis – a gap she was equipped to fill.
She ran for City Council in 2020 and won a historic victory, becoming the first Asian-American woman and the first South Asian ever to serve on the City Council. In March 2024, she was decisively elected to a second term.
Since taking office, Councilmember Raman has prioritized delivering compassionate and effective services for people experiencing homelessness, building more affordable housing, and moving with greater urgency to meet our city’s climate goals.
She has built a dedicated team that takes a proactive approach to constituent services, ensuring her office both responds to incoming requests and goes out in the field to meet people where they are, informing them about renter protections, neighborhood upgrades, community initiatives, fire safety, and more.
Councilmember Raman serves as Chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee, Vice Chair of the the Rules, Elections, and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, and member of the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee, Energy and Environment Committee, and the newly formed Ad Hoc Committee on Unarmed Crisis Prevention, Intervention, and Community Services.
Councilmember Raman also represents Los Angeles on the Governing Board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District and serves on the Board of the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA). In 2024, she was nominated by Mayor Karen Bass to serve as Vice Chair on the LA County Executive Committee for Regional Homeless Alignment.
Nithya lives in Silver Lake with her husband Vali Chandrasekaran and young twins Karna and Kaveri.
Connor Lock – Deputy Mayor of Housing, Office of Mayor Rex Richardson, City of Long Beach
Connor Lock is an experienced government innovator and policy implementer who enjoys breaking down complex challenges and designing holistic approaches to improve people’s quality of life and fairness in society.
Mr. Lock most recently served as Chief of Staff for Long Beach Vice Mayor Cindy Allen. Prior to his current tenure in Long Beach, Connor served from 2019 – 2020 as the first Chief of Staff for Katrina Foley, then-Mayor of the City of Costa Mesa.
Deputy Mayor Lock also currently serves on the Housing Advisory Committee for the County of Los Angeles and on the Board of Partners of Parks. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service in International Political Economics from Georgetown University and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach.
Connor lives in Long Beach with his wonderful wife, two sons and two dogs, and enjoys doing DIY home remodel projects.
Heather Flood, AIA – Dean & Professor, School of Architecture, Woodbury University
Heather Flood is a designer of information, graphics, and architecture. Her work integrates the disciplines and techniques of cultural research, graphic art, and architectural design to create experientially dense environments. Founder and principal of F-lab, Heather’s work has been published and exhibited internationally. Prior to forming F-lab, Heather worked in the offices of Murphy, Burnham, and Buttrick Architects (New York), HOLST Architecture (Portland), and Roto Architects (Los Angeles). In addition to her professional practice, Heather teaches design studios with a focus on beginning design pedagogy at Woodbury. She has taught design studios and visual studies seminars at SCI-Arc, as well as UCLA and the University of Kentucky. Heather has a Master of Architecture degree from the Southern California Institute of Architecture where she graduated with honors and received the Henry Adams Medal awarded to the top ranking graduate student. Heather has a Bachelor of Art degree from Michigan State University.
R. Steven Lewis, FAIA, NOMAC – Thinking Leadership
Steven Lewis pursues his passions wherever they lead him. From Southern California, to New York, to Detroit and back, Steven’s ethics-driven urban planning and design has made the cities he’s worked in not only more aesthetically beautiful, but also more equitable and representative of the surrounding communities. Following in the footsteps of his father, an architect with a drive for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, Steven designs, speaks, mentors, and volunteers tirelessly to advocate for what he believes in and to see those values embodied in the built environment.
Darcy L. Coleman – Vice President | Asset and Investment Management, Alagem Capital Group
Darcy L. Coleman is a recognized leader in real estate, with a proven track record in managing high-value assets across hospitality, mixed-use, and commercial sectors in top urban and resort markets. As Vice President, Darcy has led over $4 billion in acquisitions, development, refinancing, and repositioning projects involving some of the world’s most prestigious branded and luxury properties.
With a sharp focus on strategy and risk management, Darcy is passionate about driving innovation in the real estate industry. She’s known for her ability to build strong relationships with lenders, investors, and top hotel brands like Hilton, Marriott, and Waldorf Astoria, ensuring every project is executed to perfection.
Having started her career managing Class A office towers at JLL and CBRE, Darcy transitioned into hospitality, where she’s become a thought leader in value creation and asset optimization. Outside of her work, she’s deeply involved in philanthropy, serving on boards that support urban development, homelessness, and financial literacy, among other community-focused causes. Darcy’s leadership continues to shape the future of real estate, bringing fresh ideas and a forward-thinking approach to every challenge.
Lewis C. Horne – President for Advisory Services, CBRE
Lewis C. Horne is President for Advisory Services for CBRE’s Greater Los Angeles, Orange County and Inland Empire region.
In this role, Mr. Horne leads the strategic direction and performance of the firm’s Advisory Services business, which includes Advisory & Transaction Services, Asset Services, Capital Markets, Local Project Management and Valuations.
Mr. Horne is passionate about collaboration and actively promotes the integration of multiple disciplines to ensure well-conceived, strategic solutions for complex client assignments. This passion led him to becoming an early adopter and champion for workplace transformation, including Workplace Strategy, Experience Consulting, Change Management and Occupancy Management.
Mr. Horne is an active and well-respected leader in the Greater Los Angeles community, regularly lending his voice, experience, and time to help create meaningful solutions for a wide variety of business and social issues, including the complex challenges regarding the homelessness crisis.
Prior to his current role, Mr. Horne held a variety of leadership positions at the company after his start as an industrial brokerage professional in 1984 and successfully growing his career at CBRE for more than 40 years.
David P. Waite – Partner, Cox Castle Nicholson, LLP
David Waite has substantial real estate transactional and project development expertise providing strategic counsel to public entity, developer, and corporate clients at the local, state and federal level on land use, environmental and regulatory matters. David’s practice broadly encompasses regulatory and administrative compliance proceedings, including navigating complex land use approvals and environmental clearances under the California Environmental Quality Act. David’s land use practice includes development agreements, annexations, discretionary land use permits, infrastructure agreements, public-private partnerships, subdivisions, variances, zoning, environmental, regulatory compliance, and legislative matters.
Representative projects include multifamily development, affordable and market-rate housing, master-planned communities, regional shopping centers, industrial, high-rise development, transit-oriented mixed-use development, senior housing, assisted living, hospitals, medical office buildings, cemeteries and mortuaries, concert venues, schools, golf courses, hotels, resorts, Brownfields redevelopment, and solid waste facilities.
David is a member of an accomplished team of real estate, land use and environmental attorneys, each with unique areas of specialized expertise. David is a collaborative lawyer often coordinating and working side by side on complex projects with a team of professionals including architects, transactional attorneys, engineers, land planners, environmental and community relations specialists. Throughout his practice, David is actively engaged with community representatives, business leaders, elected officials, public planning officials, and building officials.
David has a substantial land use and environmental litigation practice. He has litigated numerous environmental and land use disputes to final judgment throughout the California trial courts and the Court of Appeal. David’s litigation practice includes disputes and challenges under the California Environmental Quality Act, the Planning and Zoning Law, and the initiative provisions of the California Elections Code. He has litigated many environmental cleanup, remediation and cost recovery disputes involving contaminated real property. He negotiates complex settlements on numerous environmental and land use disputes.
Clare De Briere – Founder, C+C Ventures
Clare De Briere is a native Angeleno and has spent her career creating special places for the citizens and visitors of Los Angeles.
Clare joined The Ratkovich Company as a summer intern in 1991 after graduating from UCLA and worked her way through property management, leasing, construction, financing and development management while earning her graduate degree at USC’s prestigious Lusk Center for Real Estate. In her career with the company, she has overseen the acquisition, entitlement, planning, development and/or disposition of millions of square feet from The Wiltern Theatre, 5900 Wilshire, 800 Wilshire, The Alhambra, The Hercules Campus in Playa Vista and The Bloc in downtown Los Angeles. Clare retired from the Company after 26 years, the last decade of which she spent as its Chief Operating Office and Executive Vice President. Clare is currently the Executive Vice President and Regional Manager in Los Angeles at Skanska for Skanska USA Commercial Development and C+C Ventures, a Los Angeles-based experience company that develops places that inspire creativity, curiosity and delight whether through a wonderful neighborhood restaurant or a fantastic renovated work or living space.
Clare is an active member of the Urban Land Institute serving on the National Advisory Committee for Building Healthy Places and Building Healthy Corridors, and on the Los Angeles District Council’s Executive Committee and Advisory Board. She has served on a ULI Advisory Panel in the City of Denver and on a local Technical Assistance Panel for the Huntington Hospital and Cal Poly Pomona. She has been named on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Women Making a Difference list and has been on the Real Estate – Southern California’s Women of Influence list every year since 2003. Clare is also on the Advisory Board of the UCLA History Department; and served on the Executive Committee of the Board of the Los Angeles Conservancy.
Dr. Dana Cuff – Professor, Architecture and Urban Design, & Director, cityLAB – UCLA
Dr. Cuff engages spatial justice and cultural studies of architecture as a teacher, scholar, practitioner, and activist. Her leadership in urban innovation is widely recognized both in the U.S. and abroad. In 2006, Cuff founded cityLAB, a research and design center that initiates experimental projects to explore metropolitan possibilities. In 2019, cityLAB expanded its social and political engagement by creating coLAB in the Westlake/MacArthur Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, in long-term partnership with community organizations. cityLAB represented the United States at the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale, was featured on CNN and in Newsweek magazine, and was named one of the top four urban think tanks in the country by Architect Magazine. The lab’s “housing first” research demonstrates that affordable, well-designed housing and neighborhoods are attainable foundations of equitable cities. cityLAB has developed sustainable, high-performance, low-cost housing prototypes for infill sites ranging from backyards to schoolyards. In 2017, after a decade of research that included a full-scale demonstration house built on the UCLA campus, Cuff co-authored California State legislation, effectively opening 8.1M single-family lots for secondary rental units.
Since 2013, Cuff has led a cross-disciplinary team at UCLA with a substantial multi-year award from The Mellon Foundation for the “Urban Humanities Initiative.” UHI offers students from architecture, urban studies, and the humanities a radical platform for crossdisciplinary, impactful, urban scholarship and action. Cuff co-authored a book about this effort entitled Urban Humanities: New Practices for Reimagining the City (MIT Press, 2020). This is the most recent of numerous books, including Architects’ People (with W.R. Ellis; 1989), Architecture: The Story of Practice (1989), The Provisional City (2000), and Fast Forward Urbanism (edited with R. Sherman, 2011). Dana Cuff publishes and lectures extensively about the modern American metropolis, architectural agency, affordable housing, and architecture’s potential for creating more just cities. Dr. Cuff recently received three prestigious awards that describe her career: Women in Architecture Activist of the Year (2019, Architectural Record), an international prize for Researcher of the Year (2019, Architectural Research Centers Consortium), and Educator of the Year (2020, American Institute of Architects Los Angeles).
Karen Mack – Founder & Executive Director, Leimert Park-based LA Commons
Karen Mack is a passionate, visionary leader in Los Angeles focused on leveraging the power of arts and culture to empower individuals, build connections and develop communities. Twenty years ago, she founded LA Commons, a South LA based nonprofit implementing artistic and cultural programs reflecting the unique character of diverse neighborhoods to foster interaction, dialogue and a shared understanding of Los Angeles. Through grassroots art projects, festivals and tours in partnership with communities across Los Angeles, LA Commons plays a unique role facilitating local engagement in arts and culture as well as in other important issues – health, transportation and education to name a few, giving residents and particularly young people, a voice and an onramp to making positive change. Prior to work with LA Commons, she served as Public Service Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where she researched the role of culture in community building and Vice President at Community Partners, responsible for Program Planning and Development. She holds an MPA from Harvard University and an MBA from the John Anderson School of Management at UCLA. She has served as the President of the City’s Board of Neighborhood Commissioners and of the nonprofit Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative and is currently a mayoral appointee to the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission (Equity Subcommittee Chair). She also recently complete service as co-chair of the Los Angeles County Cultural and Inclusion Initiative.
Since that time, she and her team have worked in neighborhoods across the city, implementing artistic programs that foster interaction, dialogue and collaboration for a better Los Angeles. LA Commons plays a unique role as a facilitator of local engagement in arts and culture as well as in other important issues – health, transportation and education to name a few, giving residents and particularly young people, a voice and an onramp to making positive change. Prior to work with LA Commons, she served as a Public Service Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where she researched the role of culture in community building She is currently a mayoral appointee to the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission (Equity Chair) and supervisorial appointee and Co-Chair of LA County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative. LA Commons has been a long time partner with NOCD-NY as exemplified by the collaborative national initiative “Creative Placemaking from the Community Up.”
Kyle Winston – City Planner, Los Angeles City Planning & President, Black Planners of Los Angeles (BPLA)
Born and raised in South Central LA, Kyle received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Howard University in 2010, followed by his Master’s in Construction Management from Drexel University in 2014. Kyle worked in several different architecture and planning firms in Los Angeles before starting with the City of Los Angeles Planning Department in 2018.
During his tenure with the Department, Kyle has overseen 5 community plan areas, 7 Specific plans, and 2 CPIOs with cases ranging from tenant improvements and single-family ADUs to office towers and high-density residential developments. Kyle is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated and serves as a youth mentor through his fraternity in his spare time.
A member of the Black Planners of Los Angeles since 2020, Kyle was elected as the first BPLA President in fall 2023 and works with his dedicated colleagues and fellow board members to advance workforce challenges for Black employees and dismantle racist land use policies while working towards equity and community wealth building for Black Angelenos. Kyle is an Associate AIA and APA Member.
Terri Osborne – Planning Deputy, Council District 8 & Vice President, BPLA
Terri Osborne is the Planning Deputy for Council District 8, which encompasses the South Los Angeles and Southeast Los Angeles neighborhoods. She is a third-generation Southeast LA native who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Planning from California State University at Northridge. In 2019, she joined the City of Los Angeles Planning Department as a Planning Assistant, where she worked in short-range planning and policy planning.
In 2024, Terri accepted a position with the Los Angeles City Council office as the Planning Deputy for President Marqueece Harris-Dawson of the Eighth District. In her current role, she oversees all land use and development projects in the district, meets regularly with community stakeholders, and advocates for better quality affordable housing development. Terri currently serves as the Vice President of Black Planners of Los Angeles, winners of the 2024 APA CA & APA LA Award of Excellence in the Advancing Diversity and Social Change in Honor of Paul Davidoff, and volunteers during the summer months at the Southern California National Organization of Minority Architects (SoCal NOMA) summer camp.
Hakeem Parke-Davis – Planning Deputy, Council District 10 & Director At Large, BPLA
Hakeem Parke-Davis serves as Deputy for Planning and Economic Development. He previously served as a project planner in the City of Los Angeles’ Planning Department and is passionate about improving the built environment to facilitate a more livable and equitable city. Hakeem received his Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and City Planning from Cal State University-Northridge.
Ryan Johnson – Interim CEO, Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA)
Ryan W. Johnson brings over 15 years of leadership in affordable housing, real estate finance, and public-private partnerships to his role as interim CEO of LACAHSA. Throughout his career, Ryan has helped communities unlock billions in public and private investment to build and preserve affordable homes, especially for families facing the highest barriers to housing.
At LACAHSA, Ryan leads with a deep understanding of what it takes to move complex housing initiatives from idea to impact. He’s driving efforts to scale innovative financing tools—like LACAHSA’s Social Mortgage Bonds—and working with cities, Councils of Government, and community partners to speed up housing production, support renters, and strengthen preservation efforts across Los Angeles County.
Before joining LACAHSA, Ryan served in executive roles at organizations across the country, including the Greenville Housing Fund, Community Housing Opportunity Corporation, and LISC Strategic Investments. He has structured groundbreaking joint ventures, secured nine-figure funding streams, and helped cities turn underused assets into community anchors. His work has resulted in the development and preservation of thousands of affordable and workforce housing units, and he’s known for pushing systems to move faster and more equitably.
A native of Rhode Island and now a proud Angeleno, Ryan holds dual master’s degrees in Business Administration (Georgetown University) and Public Administration (Suffolk University), as well as undergraduate degrees in Economics and Political Science. He has taught real estate finance at Georgetown and Fordham Universities and sits on the advisory board of the Multifamily Impact Investing Council.
Ryan is committed to making LACAHSA a national model for how public agencies can deliver bold, effective solutions.
Greg Kochanowski, AIA, ASLA – Design Principal, Practice
Greg is a licensed architect, landscape designer, and educator in California with over 26 years of experience. His work weaves together architecture, landscape, and urbanism to create sustainable, equitable, and innovative environments that honor and enhance the unique qualities of place. Building on this foundation, Greg’s research emphasizes holistic design processes that foster resilience and harmony between natural systems, culture, infrastructure, and development, addressing the complex challenges posed by climate change.
Greg’s work has been featured in venues such as the Venice and Rotterdam Biennales and has received recognition, including the Architectural League of New York’s Young Architects Forum Award and honors from the AIALA, AIAPF, ASLA, and AIACA. He has presented at ASLA and AIA National Conventions, sharing insights on Southern California’s Wildland-Urban Interface and its recurring fire, flood, and debris flow cycles, exploring broader climate impacts across the Western U.S. and globally.
He is the author of The Wild and the upcoming Wildlands in the Expanded Field: Designing in the Pyrocene (Routledge Press, 2026). In connection with issues of wildfire and climate, Greg’s research also delves into affordable housing strategies aimed at addressing pressing social and environmental challenges. This includes innovative ownership models and housing solutions for vulnerable populations, emphasizing equitable, resilient, and sustainable communities.
As Partner and Director of Design at Practice in Pasadena, CA, and Founder of The Wild: A Research Lab, a nonprofit addressing urban climate issues, he advances design research and advocacy by bridging innovative practice with critical research. He currently serves on the Board of Community Design Group and previously served as Co-President of the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design.
Toni Lewis, AIA, LEED AP – President-elect, AIA Los Angeles & Principal, Lewis | Schoeplein Architects
A third generation Los Angeles native, Toni is founding principal of Lewis/Schoeplein architects, a multi-disciplinary practice focused on sustainable community-based projects for institutions, government, non-profits and private developers. She has served as AIA/LA Treasurer (2022-present), as CFO of AWA+D (2019-2021), and on the Mulholland Scenic Corridor DRB (2012-2014). Her previous gigs included stints at Frank Gehry’s office, and at Gensler. Toni has a BA in Architecture from UC Berkeley and an M.Arch from UCLA. She lives in an empty nest in Los Angeles with partner/husband Marc Schoeplein, two chickens, and a clownish pit-bull.
Jasmine Shupper – Founder & President, Greenline Housing Foundation
Jasmin Shupper is the Founder and President of Greenline Housing Foundation. She is also the Founder and President of The Greenline Group, a community-minded real estate development and consulting company and a licensed real estate agent with Compass. Prior to starting Greenline, Jasmin worked as the Business Director at a large church for four years, where she managed an $8 million dollar budget. Jasmin also worked as a corporate credit risk underwriter and financial analyst for ten years.
She holds a B.S. in International Business from Pepperdine University as well as a California Real Estate Salesperson’s license and a Certificate in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California.
Jasmin serves on the Board of Directors of Harambee Ministries and Heritage Housing Partners in Pasadena, California. She was also appointed by the City of Pasadena to their 710 Reconnecting Communities Advisory Body. When she’s not busy trying to dismantle systemic injustice, she enjoys traveling with her husband and two girls, speaking French, hosting gatherings, cooking, and eating at new and exciting restaurants.
Brian Lane, FAIA, LEED AP – Principal, KoningEizenberg
Brian focuses on what it is to be a good neighbor to raise the bar for community architecture that promotes equity and sustainability. He blends practical design and construction knowledge with innovation, drawing on his planning and visualization skills to help agencies and cities streamline housing guidelines and regulations. Frequently sharing his expertise in community forums and programs, Brian wrote “Dear Mayor” in 2022 with the AIA LA Government Outreach committee, outlining 10 issues and fixes to boost affordable housing production. He currently serves on the AIA LA Board of Directors, AIA California Housing Steering Committee and the Hollywood Sign Board of Trustees.
Simon Ha, AIA, LEED AP – Founder & CEO, Simon Ha Housing Solutions
Simon Ha, founder of Simon Ha Housing Solutions (SHHS), has dedicated his career to transforming housing through innovative design and policy advocacy. With a master’s degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Simon’s expertise spans urban redevelopment, architecture, and community engagement. His leadership at SHHS is focused on addressing California’s housing crisis, aiming for high-quality, accessible housing solutions. Prior roles as a Managing Partner at Steinberg Hart and his involvement in innovative housing projects have underscored his commitment to enhancing living experiences.
Active in community and civic engagements, Simon has significantly contributed to the Downtown LA community, chaired key committees, and participated in housing policy development. His work with the Skid Row Housing Trust and on various planning and land-use committees highlights his deep commitment to housing equity and urban development. Through SHHS, Simon continues to champion the cause of affordable, sustainable housing, reflecting his passion for creating impactful, livable urban spaces.
Ryan Caldera, AIA – Senior Project Manager, Studio One Eleven
Ryan Caldera, AIA has over 20 years of architectural experience including work on large scale mixed-use developments, adaptive re-use projects and commercial-retail experiential environments. Currently in his role as senior associate with Studio One Eleven, he specializes in multi-family project typology leading teams on both market-rate and affordable multi-family housing developments ranging in scale from large multi-block masterplan developments to single building urban infill developments. He is passionate about creating places and spaces to transform the lives of others and is committed to fostering Studio One Eleven’s mission of creating housing for all.
Kaitwan Jackson – Program Manager, Partnerships, LA Commons
Kaitwan Jackson is a native of Washington, DC, where he began his love for dance and devotion to creating and leading programs that increase community access to arts and culture. Kaitwan holds a B.S. in Public Policy with a concentration in Philanthropy, Nonprofits, and Social Innovation from the University of Southern California. He currently serves as Partnerships Program Manager with LA Commons, where he oversees place-keeping projects, such as the Historic South Los Angeles Black Cultural District (BCD). Additionally, he performs professionally with Backhausdance and other Los Angeles-based companies and choreographers.
Yvonne Farrow – Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles
Yvonne Farrow, Arts Manager II, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) currently serves as Project Manager overseeing the construction of the historic Vision Theatre from its renovation through its grand re-opening. Transitioning from project management to venue management, she will serve as the Co-Director of the (rebranded) Vision Theatre Performing Arts Center (VISPAC). Other Performing Arts Division (PERF) assignments include Program Manager for PERF’s Leimert Park Cultural Hub, its Performing Arts Alliance, DCA’s Outreach and Community Engagement Initiative, and as her division’s marketing liaison. Farrow represents DCA as Chief Department Sustainability Officer (DCSO) in the Mayor’s Office, and is a member of the Black Planners of Los Angeles (BPLA). Dubbed a cultural planner, Farrow serves as a core planning partner on Senator Smallwood’s Black Cultural District planning committee.
Originally from Taiwan, Ariel has lived and studied in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles, where she was immersed in diverse cultural, linguistic, and educational settings. This multicultural upbringing has shaped her sensitivity to context, communication, and community, informing a cross-cultural perspective in both architectural education and practice.
Xen Pei Hoi
Xen is a graduating student at UCLA, interested in civic architecture, adaptive reuse, and the design of resilient, inclusive environments. Their work explores how architecture can transform existing spaces to address evolving social, cultural, and environmental needs. Through a research-driven and community-centered approach, they aim to create thoughtful, enduring places that foster adaptability, equity, and connection within contemporary urban life.
Spencer Young
Spencer is Junior Architect, Designer, and Creator. A recent graduate of UCLA’s M.Arch 1 program as a Graduate Fellow. Interested and actively working in the intersection of contemporary technology and architecture.
I am an architectural designer with a background in economics, which is the root of my interest in the intersections between design, urban planning, and equity. I am motivated by architecture’s capacity to expand community access to housing, education, and social spaces, which I have been fortunate to explore in my role as a graduate student researcher at UCLA’s cityLAB.
John is a Master of Architecture candidate at UCLA and holds a B.A. in Architecture from UC Berkeley. He previously worked at DAUL Architect in Seoul, contributing to national-scale projects including an atomic research facility and various public competition proposals. After graduation, he will join Corgan Los Angeles.
Zezeng (Jerry) is a Master of Architecture candidate at UCLA (Graduating June 2025) with internship experience at MAD Architects and SLSD in the U.S. and China. Skilled in 3D modeling, BIM integration, and sustainable design strategies. Recognized for competition-winning work and academic excellence. His work is dedicated to contributing innovative, human-centered solutions in a collaborative design environment.
Mengru is an architectural designer with a Master of Architecture from UCLA. Her work explores adaptive reuse, community resilience, and sustainable design strategies. She is particularly interested in how architecture can respond to environmental and social challenges through thoughtful spatial transformation.
I am Ecuadorian-American designer with a Master of Architecture from UCLA and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. I explore architecture as a container of life—socially and environmentally sustainable, atemporal, and integrated into the evolving urban fabric.
Soe is a Master of Architecture candidate at UCLA whose work explores spatial complexity through curvaceous circulation and minimal materials. His designs aim to foster social interaction and human awareness using overlapping sightlines, ambiguous exteriors, and inventive detailing of ordinary materials. Focused on community and sustainability, Soe creates layered environments that enrich daily life and strengthen connections.”
Portuguese designer with a Master of Architecture from UCLA. I approach architecture as a dialogue between innovation, beauty, and the rhythms of human life—crafting spaces that honor both the natural environment and the evolving needs of the built world.
