Leslie Sydnor, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP 
AIA|LA President, Cumming Corp

Leslie is a director at Cumming; currently working as a design manager for Los Angeles City College. She has over 25 years of experience in the design of education, aviation, industrial, and low-income housing projects. Leslie is past co-chair of the Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) committee. She teaches Architectural Project Management at Cal Poly Pomona, is on the Woodbury University Construction Management Program Advisory Board and mentors emerging professionals. Leslie has a B.A. in Architecture from Yale and an M.Arch from UCLA.

Co-Chair

Kristen Fraumeni, AIA
Vice President & Senior Designer, HKS Inc.
Kristen is a Vice-President and Senior Designer at HKS Inc in Los Angeles, CA. Since joining the firm in 2020 she has practiced commercial mixed use and multi-family residential architecture. Her previous 10+ years in the industry were spent specializing in hospitality architecture at Gensler, designing projects with a broad global reach. Kristen’s creativity is embedded in a pursuit to create buildings and spaces that elevate and enrich the human experience. She believes utility in architecture is not its sole purpose: aesthetics and the production of beauty are paramount in her work. She is a licensed Architect in California and a LEED GA with an M Arch I from SCI-Arc and a B.S in Architectural Engineering. She thrives in a collaborative atmosphere and embraces evolutions in digital design. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with others, lending professional advice to students through her role as a mentor in the USC Architecture mentorship program. Kristen also serves on the Los Angeles Design Fellowship at HKS. In her current position Kristen champions all aspects of project design and delivery, guiding the client and working closely with team members and consultants along the project journey.

Co-Chair

Monica Rodriguez, AIA
Senior Associate, KFA Architecture
Monica recently celebrated her fifteenth year with KFA. She loves the fulfillment of working on affordable multi-family projects that are part of the solution to the housing crisis in LA. As a native Angeleno and second generation Mexican-American, she is especially proud of her work on Hollenbeck Terrace Apartments (Linda Vista Hospital), a low-income housing for seniors project in Boyle Heights. These days her efforts are focused on affordable housing projects including two ARO projects at the West LA VA, which will provide low-income homes for unhoused American vets. Community involvement is important to Monica; she is the newly appointed Board Architect of the Jefferson Park HPOZ. In 2021 she co-developed the new 8-week Architecture Program at the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club, in the hopes to inspire BIPOC kids to be LA’s future architects. She enjoys exploring other forms of creative expression outside of work including stand-up comedy.

Co-Vice Chair

Alexandria Hoevel, AIA
Director of Los Angeles, Lowney Architecture

A life-long resident of Los Angeles, Alexandria has been practicing Architecture and Urban Design for almost 20 years. With a deeper focus on a project’s relationship to its urban context and the neighborhood surrounding it, she’s worked extensively on multi-family and mixed used developments both regionally and in other parts of the US. Since graduating from Cal Poly Pomona, Alexandria has had the opportunity to be a part of a handful of well-respected and eclectic firms in the region, and has recently joined Lowney Architecture as their Director of Los Angeles. Outside of the office, Alexandria devotes her free time to her community, mentorship, and to supporting equality within the field of Architecture. She’s also an active member of ULI and AWA+D.

Co-Vice Chair

Sarah Jacobson, AIA
President, The Lamar Johnson Collaborative

As a founding member of the Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC), Sarah was integral in growing the architectural design firm from a start-up of six people to almost forty in a year and a half.   When LJC was acquired by Clayco in 2019, she served as a core member of the transition team leading the merger between LJC and Clayco’s existing design-build practice, Bates Forum.  LJC is now a full-service architecture, interiors, landscape, planning and engineering firm of nearly 300 professionals in five cities.  In 2021, she relocated to Los Angeles in order to establish and lead LJC’s west coast office in Culver City.  Recognizing her past success, in 2022 Sarah was named the first female President of LJC and one of the leaders of the Clayco California office.  As part of an integrated design-build firm, Sarah works closely with her Clayco colleagues, leveraging the knowledge and capabilities of her development and construction partners for the benefits of her clients.  With a background in both construction management and design, Sarah has distinguished herself as a strong, capable leader on a  wide range of developments including office buildings, hotels, high-rises, mixed-use, civic and institutional facilities.  A licensed project architect in multiple states, she has been involved in all aspects of project delivery from conceptual design through construction administration.  She has been named an ENR Top 40 under 40 and her projects have won numerous design awards such as ULI Global Award for Excellence and AIA Merit Awards.  In her role as President, she will continue to provide exceptional service to clients as she also takes on the responsibility for the overall leadership of the firm, including staff development, revenue growth, and profitability.  Sarah also leverages her leadership position to help increase the diversity of the architectural practice, at multiple levels – introducing high school students of color to the profession through mentorship and internships, looking for ways to partner with MBE and WBE firms in the community for skill sharing and skill growing opportunities, and working with industry women’s leadership initiatives to increase the number of female leaders at the table. She is passionate about making sure that the field of architecture better reflects the community it serves.

Tania Van Herle, FAIA, LEED AP
CEO Operations, HED

Tania Van Herle is the CEO of Operations for HED, where she is responsible for driving operational results and driving the firm’s strategic direction. With her extensive experience in architecture, Tania has been involved in all aspects of the practice, including project management, business development, technical leadership, operations, office management, and corporate governance.  As an effective leader and driven businessperson, Tania collaborates with internal stakeholders to foster company growth, establish key operational procedures, develop new processes, and ensure adherence to HED’s mission of creating positive impact through responsive, innovative, and sustainable design solutions. Her leadership extends to her role on the Board, where she has served since 2006.  Throughout her career, Tania has been a staunch advocate for equity, inclusivity, and diversity. She has played a pivotal role in developing policies and programs that promote these values and actively serves as a model for change within her firm, the architectural profession, and her local community.  Tania’s educational background includes training in both architecture and engineering, with multiple degrees earned at UCLA in Civil Engineering and Architecture. She has made significant contributions to the architectural community, particularly through her involvement as the founding chair of the Women in Architecture Committee of AIA-LA. In 2018, she served as the President of the AIA-LA Chapter, further demonstrating her commitment to advancing the profession. Currently, Tania is serving her second term on the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, supporting the development of young girls- building their courage, confidence, and character.

Michel Dory, Associate IIDA
Tenant Improvement/Construction Project Manager, Crystal Stairs

Michel Dory is a Project Manager for a childcare services agency with 17 Head Start centers in multiple South Los Angeles municipalities. She manages federally funded construction and tenant improvement projects for Head Start centers and corporate office complex renovations.  After moving to Southern California, Michel changed careers and pursued an Interior Design certificate at UCLA Extension. She later earned a Master of Interior Architecture degree from Cal Poly Pomona and a Construction Project Management certificate from California State University Dominguez Hills. Michel has worked across various sectors in construction, design, and facilities. Past projects include a private-public airline hangar at Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA), luxury residential interior renovations, and design and facilities work for a multi-site, non-profit, community healthcare services provider.  Michel’s identity is deeply rooted in community engagement and involvement. She currently serves as Board of Directors Co-Chairperson for Venice Community Housing, an affordable housing developer and service provider with developments in West and South Los Angeles. She has led committees and served on several boards, including the Association for Women in Architecture + Design (AWA+D), National Association of Women in Construction, Los Angeles Chapter (NAWIC LA), National Organization of Minority Architects, Southern California Chapter (SoCalNOMA) and American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), UCLA Extension chapter.

Allyson Gipson
Executive Director, Facilities Planning & Management, University of Southern California

Allyson Gipson is Executive Director, Facilities Planning and Management, with the University of Southern California, overseeing the delivery of hundreds of building projects each year at the University Park campus. Allyson is a construction industry executive with more than 35 years of experience managing building programs for school districts, colleges, and universities. Her construction portfolio of completed work over her career is in excess of $2 billion. A California licensed attorney and certified mediator, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law.

Gabrielle Bullock, FAIA
Director if Global Diversity, Principal, Perkins & Will

Gabrielle’s main motivation to enter the profession was a desire to positively impact the lives of African Americans and people of color in her community. As one of the .5% of licensed female African American architects in the country, she was the first African American and first woman to rise to the position of Managing Director at Perkins&Will. As Perkins&Will’s Director of Global Diversity since 2013, Gabrielle’s main focus has been to: elevate and broaden Perkins and Will’s culture of diversity and inclusion; lead the design profession toward more equitable practices; expand the pipeline for underrepresented groups within the profession; and influence broader society by tackling issues of equity and inclusion through impactful work. Gabrielle has been a key player in Perkins&Will’s success for over three decades in their New York and Los Angeles studios. Over the course of her career, she has led numerous complex and high-profile projects, most recently Destination Crenshaw, a project that combines all the elements that Gabrielle believes makes for a successful groundbreaking project. Gabrielle graduated in 1984 from the Rhode Island School of Design with degrees in fine arts and architecture. In 2014, she was elected by her peers as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and served on the AIA’s Equity in Architecture Commission. She is a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), a past board member of the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, the Center for Architecture and Urban Design Los Angeles, USC Architecture Guild, and the International Interior Design Association. She served as the 2018-2019 President of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). Gabrielle is a trustee of the Rhode Island School of Design and Chair of it’s the Social Equity & Inclusion Committee. Gabrielle is the recipient of the 2019 AIA LA Robert Kennard Diversity Award, and the 2020 AIA Whitney Young Jr award for her commitment to advancing diversity in the architecture profession. She is also the recipient of the 2022 AIA Los Angeles Gold Medal.

Nina Briggs
Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, Cal Poly Pomona

Nina Briggs is the founding principal of THE FABRIC in Pasadena, California, cultivating new and renovation residential projects since 1987. Ms. Briggs received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Southern California, and has taught architecture, interior architecture and landscape architecture at Cal Poly Pomona, California State University Northridge, The University of California Los Angeles Extension ARCID, The Art Institute of Los Angeles, Woodbury University, and College of the Canyons. Her collaborative approach to designing spaces for people, holistically incorporates sensitive listening and informed observation of human behavior within the layers of their cultural operating systems. THE FABRIC seeks to elevate and redefine place-making to positively affect inhabitants psychologically, while solving spatial problems. We strive to translate clients’ desires and spatial needs into architectural authenticity.

Stephanie Reich, AIA, LEED AP
Urban Designer/ Design and Historic Preservation Planner, City of Santa Monica

Stephanie Reich, AIA, LEED AP is the Design and Historic Preservation Planner (formerly Urban Designer) for the City of Santa Monica. Prior to joining the City of Santa Monica, she had similar roles for the cities of Glendale, West Hollywood, Long Beach. Stephanie has also practiced architecture and urban design more traditionally for almost 20 years with a variety of high-profile architecture firms in Los Angeles and New York. Stephanie earned her Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University, and her Master of Architecture from Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and has taught design and other topics at design and architecture schools in both LA and NY. She moved to Los Angeles from New York City to be a part of building a great city. Stephanie is active in the local AIA chapter, serving as Chair of the AIA/LA Urban Design Committee (UDC) from 2001 to 2011, and has served on the AIA/LA Board of Directors. She has also 

Silvia Kuhle, AIA
Partner, Standard Architecture | Design

Silvia Kuhle,a licensed architect and founding principal of Standard, received her Diploma in architecture from the Technische Universität in Darmstadt, Germany and her Master of Architecture from Columbia University in New York. Ms. Kuhle worked with Morphosis Architects for more than ten years. As Project Manager and Principal, she managed a broad range of award winning projects. In 2006 she led the firm’s competition winning design for the Phare Tower in Paris, a 300 meter commercial office building that aims to set new benchmarks for sustainable design while providing an iconic landmark in the Parisian skyline. Ms. Kuhle led many of the firm’s most celebrated projects, including the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters in Los Angeles and the New Academic Building for the Cooper Union in New York City. Ms. Kuhle’s work has been published in A+U, Architectural Record, SOMA, Columbia University Abstract, and SD. Ms. Kuhle taught design studios at UCLA, as well as lectured and juried reviews at SciArc, UCLA, USC and Cornell University. 

Sarah Jacobsen, AIA
President, LJC

As a founding member of the Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC), Sarah was integral in growing the architectural design firm from a start-up of six people to almost forty in a year and a half. In 2022 Sarah was named the first female President of LJC and one of the leaders of the Clayco California office. As part of an integrated design-build firm, Sarah works closely with her Clayco colleagues, leveraging the knowledge and capabilities of her development and construction partners for the benefits of her clients. With a background in both construction management and design, Sarah has distinguished herself as a strong, capable leader on a wide range of developments including office buildings, hotels, high-rises, mixed-use, civic and institutional facilities. A licensed project architect in multiple states, she has been involved in all aspects of project delivery from conceptual design through construction administration. She has been named an ENR Top 40 under 40 and her projects have won numerous design awards such as ULI Global Award for Excellence and AIA Merit Awards. In her role as President, she continues to provide exceptional service to clients in addition to being responsible for the overall leadership of the firm, including staff development, long term strategy, and profitability.

Patricia Rhee, FAIA, DBIA
Partner: Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects

Patricia Rhee is an AIA Fellow and Partner at Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects, where she has practiced for 20+ years. She is a Founding Co-Chair of the AIA Los Angeles Women in Architecture committee, and in 2015 her firm received the national AIA Firm Award – one of the industry’s highest honors. Patricia has served as Partner in Charge and Lead Designer for several of the firm’s most notable projects including Ivy Station, The Culver Steps, John M. Roll United States Courthouse and The Press Adaptive Re-Use Campus. Her project experience ranges from civic to institutional and creative developments of all scales and with multiple delivery methods, including design-build.

Pooja Bhagat, AIA
Architect & Designer; Principal, Pooja Bhagat Architects & Planners

Pooja Bhagat leads her design practice pooja bhagat architects+planners with a goal to make design accessible for all that transforms spaces and places for people for the greater good. The design practice is based on more than 20 years of experience on a diverse scale of environmentally sustainable projects. The growing studio is currently working on a range of projects including single family, multifamily residential, institutional and interior design projects. Pooja’s desire to shape community has manifested in many projects locally and internationally such as the SEED LA Public Charter Boarding High School and the Ocean Avenue South mixed-use master plan and housing in Santa Monica which provides equal affordable and market rate housing. These projects have resulted in the creation of self-sustaining communities that have positively shaped the urban fabric. She has designed, detailed and managed multiple building types and master plans with complex client & consultant teams and lead projects in difficult entitlement climates through EIR, development agreements, feasibility analysis, concept design through construction documents and construction administration. Pooja is founding co-chair of the Women in Architecture Committee of the AIA Los Angeles Chapter. She co-led the planning of the 2016 & 2017 Powerful Conference – a platform which attracts over 500 local women architects and designers to empower women to be assertive, lead, and to further the mission of Gender Equity in architecture. She has served on the board of the AIA LA Chapter and currently serves as the Land-use Chair for the Del-Rey Neighborhood Council and on the board of Architecture for Communities Los Angeles (ACLA). Pooja has a Master of Architecture degree from SCI-Arc and an undergraduate degree from Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Gurgaon, India. She is a registered architect in the State of California and a L.E.E.D. accredited professional. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.

Mia Lehrer
President, Studio-MLA

Mia Lehrer, FASLA is president and founder of Studio-MLA, an international landscape architecture, planning, and urban design practice based in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Drawing insight from ecological systems, Mia is recognized for a research-based design process that advocates for resilient and just relationships between individuals, communities, and nature. She has led ambitious public and private projects including Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium and associated public parks, Dallas’s Fair Park Community Park, San Francisco’s Levi’s Plaza, the Public Gardens at the LA County Natural History Museum, and many urban river-related planning projects including the Rio Tietê in São Paulo, the LA River Taylor Yard G2 Park, and the Upper LA River & Tributaries Revitalization Plan. Educated at Tufts University and the Harvard University GSD, she is the recipient of the Cooper Hewitt/Smithsonian Design Museum’s 2021 National Design Award for Landscape Architecture, Commissioner on the LA Department of Water & Power, and served on President Obama’s U.S. Commission of Fine Arts from 2014-2018.  

Kristi Paulson, AIA
Partner, Behnisch Architekten

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Kristi spent time in the San Juan Islands, the Gulf Islands in British Columbia and in the cities of Seattle and Vancouver, which instilled in her a love and deep appreciation for nature and the cultivated world. Growing up in a culturally Scandinavian American family and with a mother who was an Interior Designer, she understood early on the importance of architectural space; how it shapes daylight, provides access to views and to the outdoors and defining an inviting and comfortable environment. In 2007, Kristi moved to Los Angeles and has been happily living in the chaotic beauty of a sprawling metropolis bound by water and wilderness. For over 20 years, Kristi has been a design leader in the industry bringing thoughtful, unique and unconventional designs to every new challenge. She has cultivated the design and led diverse teams on projects such as the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at the California Science Center, Google Spruce Goose in Playa Vista, the Maximino Martinez Commons at UC Berkeley and SC Workplace among many others. She joined Behnisch Architekten in 2007, leading local and international projects and competitions. In 2019, she re-established the International practice of Behnisch Architekten in Los Angeles to build a design studio focused on meaningful projects that consider society’s most pressing issues; climate change, human connection, wellness and equity. Kristi creates an open environment for her collaborators and clients that promotes listening, questioning and producing, bringing creative concepts into reality. Kristi received her Bachelor of Arts in Architecture at the University of Washington and her Master of Architecture from the University of British Columbia. During her professional career she has lectured internationally and has been a juror for Architecture design studios at USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UBC and the University of Arkansas.

Karen Compton
Principal, A3K Consulting, LLC

Karen Compton is Principal of A3K Consulting, LLC a business development and strategic planning firm that specializes in the AEC industry. Ms. Compton has more than 20 years’ experience in the optimization of organizations through business planning, strategic planning, and corporate social responsibility. Among her many contributions to the profession, Ms. Compton covets a series of difficult conversations around race and the profession with her colleague, Gabrielle Bullock, FAIA. The vodcast, “Breaking the Silence of Design” that explored the issues of equity and inclusion and has served as a resource through several AIA components. In addition to a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Mount St. Mary’s University, Ms. Compton has a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University and has served as a Regent for Mount St. Mary’s University and is member of the board of directors for a national engineering firm.

Julia Gamolina, Assoc AIA
Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Madame Architect

Julia Gamolina is dedicated to the built environment and to celebrating the extraordinary women who shape it. She is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Madame Architect, a digital magazine and media start-up where she has interviewed the likes of Tatiana Bilbao, Deborah Berke, Neri Oxman, and Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara. Trained as an architect herself and with a decade of experience across all aspects of design and business development, Julia stays engaged in professional practice as an Associate Principal at Ennead Architects and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Pratt Institute. In 2023, Julia was listed in the Wallpaper* USA 300, a list of the people defining America’s creative landscape. She was also named one of Apartment Therapy’s Design Changemakers and one of Commercial Observer’s Top Young Professionals. Julia received the Special Citation from AIANY for her work with Madame Architect. Her writing has been featured in Fast Company, Metropolis Magazine, and the Architect’s Newspaper. Julia has lectured nationally and internationally, including at Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Pratt, and the IE School of Architecture and Design, as well as at NeueHouse, the Architecture & Design Film Festival in New York City, and the Women, Architecture and Sustainability Congress in Bogota, Colombia. Julia was the opening keynote speaker at AIA ‘22 in Chicago, interviewing AIA’s new CEO, Lakisha Woods. She has served as a guest critic for design reviews at Cornell AAP, Columbia GSAPP, and the School of Visual Arts (SVA), and serves on various design juries including the Architizer A+ awards. Julia received her Bachelor of Architecture at Cornell University, graduating with the Charles Goodwin Sands Memorial Medal for exceptional merit in the thesis of architecture. Julia was born in Siberia, raised in Toronto, and is based in New York City. 

Jenna Hornstock, Hon AIA|LA
Deputy Mayor of Housing, Office of Mayor Karen Bass

In February 2023 Jenna Hornstock joined the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as the Deputy Mayor for Housing. She brings over 20 years leading local government teams in creative redevelopment strategies, with a focus on affordable housing, transit oriented development, land use and policy. Prior to joining Mayor Bass’ team, Jenna was the Deputy Director of Planning for Land Use at the Southern California Association of Governments where she led the development of $150M in grant programs that incentivize housing production, as well as special initiatives in inclusive economic development and sustainable development. Jenna spent 8 years at LA Metro as Executive Officer for Transit Oriented Communities where she oversaw the Joint Development program, station area urban design, first/last mile planning and activities related to the redevelopment of Union Station. She spent nearly 7 years at the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA), most recently as Chief of Strategic Planning and Economic Development. She prior worked for Mayor Hahn of Los Angeles and at the non-profit LA Family Housing. She was a Planning Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles from 2021 – 2023, serves as a Board member for the non-profit Community Health Councils and serves on the ULI/LA Advisory Board. Her work has been recognized with awards from the AIA/LA (Honorary AIA), APA/LA (John Chase Visionary Planner Award) and the non-profit Inclusive Action for the City (Unsung Heroes of Los Angeles). Jenna holds a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a BA in Rhetoric from UC Berkeley. She lives in Silverlake with her teenage son and her partner, and practices yoga and the Lindy Hop whenever possible.

Elena Manferdini
Principal, Atelier Manferdini

Elena Manferdini, principal and owner of Atelier Manferdini, has twenty years of professional experience in architecture, public art, design, and education. Elena currently teaches at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and is the Graduate Programs Chair. In 2019 Manferdini was honored with the ICON Award as part of the LA Design Festival, which is a prize that recognizes iconic women who have made an indelible mark on Los Angeles, culture, and society in general through their work, character, and creative leadership. With a body of work that spans art, architecture, and industrial design, her eponymous atelier has created work that uplifts the human spirit. Elena Manferdini loves creativity and technology, she deeply believes in the positive power of education and collaborations.

Audrey Handleman, AIA

Audrey is a Senior Associate and Studio Director at Gensler. She is experienced architect, designer, and leader on projects ranging from retail to hospitality to performing arts. Her strengths lie in being an inclusive leader, maintaining strong client and colleague relationships, and creating dynamic and relevant designs that are conscious of their impact on many scales – from the end user to the community to the environment. She is a California licensed architect and LEED BD+C accredited. She volunteers her time as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for foster youth as a volunteer and Board member. She is also a Board member of Coro SoCal, and was a finalist for the LA Business Journal’s Women in Leadership Award for Community Advocacy. In her free time, you’ll find Audrey rock climbing or horseback riding in Joshua Tree, CA.

Alice Kimm, FAIA
Co-Founder and Principal, John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects

Alice Kimm co-founded John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects (JFAK) in Los Angeles in 1996. JFAK’s work spans educational, institutional, and commercial ventures as well as housing, civic environments, and installations. Alice holds a B.A. in Economics from Cornell, an M.Arch from Harvard, and is a former Fulbright Scholar. A longtime educator, she directed Undergraduate Architecture at USC from 2010-2014. Alice was named a 2004 Emerging Voice by the Architectural League of New York and named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2010. In 2020, Alice with John Friedman and a group of collaborators formed Open Source Homelessness Initiative (OSHI), a nonprofit organization that uses centralized information, resources, and inspiration to advance education and accelerate innovation in eradicating homelessness. 

Annette Wu, AIA
Principal, NAC Architecture

Annette Wu, AIA is a Principal at NAC Architecture with over 28 years of experience as a designer, project manager, and architect. She received her BARCH from the University of Southern California and MARCH from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Working internationally in fast-paced environments, Annette developed strong conceptual design experience on projects including a new corporate headquarters building for BMW in Beijing and the joint-use offices of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects and Architects’ Registration Board. Due to the nature of project realization in short time frames, her focus upon returning to Los Angeles was learning from a firm dedicated to the execution of the work through attention to detail in both documentation and construction administration. Today, Annette brings both these emphases together in project types which transform and engage the lives of the greater community. Annette is a leader in the growth of NAC’s Higher Education and Community College practice. Firmwide, her focus is on best practices and the processes which ensure a holistic approach to design and execution. Award-winning projects include the 110,000sf PreK-12 Accelerated School of South-Central Los Angeles, the SMMUSD John Adams Middle School Measure BB Administration and Classroom Buildings, the LAUSD Crenshaw High School Performing Arts Center, the Los Angeles City College Life Science and Chemistry Building Modernization and a LEED Gold Certified Child Care Center in Glendale. Annette is a past Women in Architecture Committee chair and co-chaired the Powerful VI Conference. She has served on AIA LA’s Board as Treasurer and is currently VP/President Elect.