NOMA's commitment to supporting and mentoring architects continues as new leadership transitions for 2021. Jason Pugh will begin his new position in the organization as he follows former President Kimberly Dowdell's work and energy. Pugh will be supported by Pascale Sablan, who was voted President-Elect for the 2023-2024 term. Like the presidents and leaders before them, each newly appointed president has helped shape NOMA into the organization it has become today.
Pugh shares, "One of the main goals for the next two years is to build upon the great work and progress NOMA has accomplished during the last impactful administration, led by NOMA past-President Kimberly Dowdell." In response to her appointment, Sablan wrote to the community sharing her matched enthusiasm in her new role. "I'm extremely proud to share that during the NOMA 48th National Conference, I was voted to be President-Elect to support Jason E. Pugh during his presidency. In this role, I will have the honor of getting to know the various NOMA chapters and engaging members to understand the support they need to continue their great work."
Sablan also shared that she will be NOMA's 35th President and the 5th woman president in the organization's 50-year history.
"Together, Kim and I have worked in lockstep over the last year to ensure the new programs will continue on and be expanded in creative ways to meet the needs of our valued members and reinforce the value in being a part of NOMA. We want to find ways to bolster the programs and initiatives launched by both the National Executive Board and our local NOMA chapters to date and ensure it dovetails with our expanded platform to educate, elevate, and empower our membership base and chapters across the country."
The organization has continuously worked towards educating, elevating, and empowering minority architects and young professionals. In addition to its latest leadership transition, NOMA will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. To honor its progress and accomplishments, they plan for their NOMA Homecoming Annual Conference to be held in Detroit on Oct. 20-23, 2021.
In a moving video announcing their Homecoming celebration, poet Jessica Care Moore recites a powerful piece highlighting the organization's history and its ties to Detroit. A wonderful visual narrative that embodies the organization's spirit and passion for its community, its people, and their future, she recites, "we are NOMA, celebrating 50 years strong, disrupting the status quo...the front line of architecture begins here."
Through continued partnerships with organizations like the AIA, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), and groups like Black Spectacles, resources that support increased licensure works alongside NOMA's 50 x 50 Challenge. The challenge seeks to achieve 50 newly licensed architects by October's conference. Recently the number of Black female architects increased to 500 licensed architects in November 2020.
NOMA's newly appointed Executive Director, Tiffany Brown, MBA, NOMA, Assoc. AIA and founder of 400 Forward shares, "We want to work with our profession and NOMA members to increase our licensure numbers as we commemorate our 50th year and imagine the future we need [...] The time is now for us to use our platforms to speak up and end systemic injustices, and that voice includes increased numbers of Black architects."
While the year is just beginning, Pugh shares his hopes and the goals he during his term. "The voices of Black and Minority architects were greatly amplified in 2020 as the nation looked inward at years of systemic racism. The profession needs to represent the people it serves. My hope for the New Year is that this movement represents a real change in the way we attract, mentor, and support the next generation of minority architects and designers. Real change in the way firms recruit, retain, and elevate their black and brown professionals. Lastly, real change in the way we engage, partner and support our clients to collectively serve marginalized and underserved communities."
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