Media Inquiries:                                                                                                                       Stephanie Atlan, news@sciarc.edu, 213-356-5395

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Los Angeles, CA (May 7, 2019) – SCI-Arc is excited to announce the recent addition of Suzanne Boda to its Board of Trustees.

Suzanne Boda has been a driving force for diversity, inclusion, and equality in the field of aviation for over three decades. After beginning her career with Northwest Airlines in 1983 as a passenger service representative and Japanese interpreter in Minneapolis, her leadership abilities enabled her to ascend through the industry ranks.

Boda presently occupies the role of Senior Vice President for American Airlines, Los Angeles, where she is tasked with developing and achieving American’s strategic goals as it continues to strengthen its presence in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California. Prior to her current position, Boda served as American’s Senior Vice President of Hub and Gateway Operations, charged with overseeing American Airlines’ large domestic airports. She has also held the title of Senior Vice President of Asia, Canada, Europe, and Cargo Operations, and has previously served as Northwest Airlines’ Vice President, Inflight Services and Vice President, Customer Service Station Operations.

“Suzanne is a force of nature,” says SCI-Arc’s Director and CEO Hernan Diaz Alonso. “She is an innovator and a leader in her industry, and we are thrilled not only to have her on our board but for the possibilities that her vision and generosity will create for SCI-Arc."

In addition to her roles within the aviation industry, Boda works diligently to improve local communities. Along with SCI-Arc, she serves on the Boards of Directors at the Central City Association of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia, and Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, where she earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Asian Studies and in Spanish.

Throughout her career, Boda has strived for a more inclusive and equitable workplace as a strong advocate for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, women, and those with disabilities. Today she serves on the Board of Directors at the American Association of People with Disabilities, as executive co-sponsor of American Airlines' PRIDE Employee Business Resource Group, and recently served as executive sponsor of American's Women's Leadership Program.

"I am honored to join the board of such a preeminent institution in the Los Angeles community. As we at American Airlines aim to make the world a smaller, more inclusive place through flight, SCI-Arc is using the international language of architecture to connect and welcome those from around the world to Los Angeles,” Boda says. “I look forward to furthering our shared goals in the future." 

About SCI-Arc Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) is dedicated to educating architects who will imagine and shape the future. It is an independent, accredited degree-granting institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs in architecture. Located in a quarter-mile-long former freight depot in the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles, the school is distinguished by its vibrant studio culture and emphasis on process. SCI-Arc’s approximately 500 students and 80 faculty members, most of whom are practicing architects, work together to re-examine assumptions, create, explore and test the limits of architecture. SCI-Arc faculty and leadership have garnered more than 500 national and international design awards and recognitions, including Progressive Architecture awards, American Institute of Architects (AIA) awards, and the prestigious Jencks and Pritzker architecture prizes. U.S. DesignIntelligence recently ranked SCI-Arc #4 in Graduate Programs Most Admired by Deans and Chairs in its 2018 America’s Best Architecture Schools survey. SCI-Arc’s Undergraduate program ranked #8 in the DesignIntelligence 2018 survey. SCI-Arc is located at 960 E. 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013. www.sciarc.edu