Architect, real estate developer, educator, and former NOMA national president Kimberly Dowdell has been elected as AIA’s 2023 First VP/2024 President-elect. She will be the 100th President of AIA and the first Black woman to sit in the role. Dowdell is joined by Britt Lindberg who was elected as the 2023-2024 AIA Secretary, and Illya Azaroff as the 2023-2025 At-large Director.
Dowdell has been an AIA member since 2007. She received her Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University in 2006, which was followed by a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University in 2015. A Detroit native, Dowdell’s career has been driven by her mission to revitalize cities using design.
She currently works as the marketing principal in HOK’s Chicago office. Dowdell’s work with AIA includes participating on the Equity and the Future of Architecture Committee, the New Urban Agenda Task Force, the AIA New York Nominating Committee, and the AIA Chicago EVP Search Committee. She was also a Young Architects Awards Recipient in 2020.
Dowdell’s platform as AIA President will be to ensure there is space for minority architects at every level of AIA. It also includes initiatives to support the business of design, making architecture more accessible, meeting AIA’s obligation to address climate change, and envisioning the future of design work. “As the 295th living Black woman to earn an architectural license in the U.S., I am keen to help young women and people of color,” said Dowdell.
Dowdell’s candidacy was challenged by fellow NOMA member Evelyn Lee, an architect, design strategist, and Senior Experience Designer at Slack. She also served as AIA’s 2020-2021 Treasurer and is the founder of Practice of Architecture, an organization dedicated to evolving architectural practice.
Congratulations to Kimberly Dowdell (@knd7), for being elected as the 2024 President of the AIA!
There can only be one elected, yet we are all victors. It’s not often enough the case where this profession can say “may the best woman win.” pic.twitter.com/Spo1WLmR3k
— Evelyn Lee, FAIA, NOMA (@evelynmlee) June 15, 2022
1 Comment
An acceptable number of drunks, definitely one too many Nazis (I'm looking at you, LEED-certified formerly red-haired California woman I think is named Heather or maybe Molly or possibly Emily?), and the bonus of TWO Obamas speaking at the National Conference!!!
Also congratulations to Kimberly Dowdell!
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