Jen Crawford – Associate Partner, Business Development, Syska Hennessy Group

Jen Crawford is an associate partner and has worked in the AEC industry for most of her career. Her experience includes marketing and business development for architects, MEP engineers, civil engineers, planners, and surveyors. Jen is a key leader in the development of pursuit strategies positioning Syska to win work. A true dot-connector, she brings teams together with a focus on the user experience.

Since joining Syska Hennessy in 2003, Jen has led pursuit teams leading to notable projects wins in aviation, healthcare, higher education, justice, and government/public works. These include some of the firm’s biggest projects in central utility plants, airport terminals, healthcare, and higher education.

Jen is a sought-after speaker and moderator. She has presented at numerous AEC industry conferences including several AIA National conferences, DBIA Western Region conferences, and Women in Construction West conferences.

Jen has served as a mentor and board member of the SMPS San Diego Chapter and is active in the Society of College and University Planners (SCUP), and the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) both in regional and national roles. Prior to her work in the AEC industry, Jen’s experience included market research, marketing communications, software and product marketing, and as a professor of Public Relations courses at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She has also been a debate and speech coach at both the college and high school levels.

Suzanne Clemmer – Associate Principal/Business Development, DCI Engineers

Suzanne Clemmer has been an active member of the A/E/C industry for over 20 years. Originally based in DCI Engineers’ (DCI) San Diego office, she moved to Los Angeles in 2015 to help get a new office up and running. She currently manages the business development efforts for all four of DCI’s California offices. Through the years, she has always enjoyed giving back to the local community through her involvement with various professional and non-profit organizations. Suzanne spent 15 years on the board of the San Diego Architectural Foundation, including two years when she co-Chaired the Orchids & Onions Awards. She is currently a member of the Urban Land Institute, where she is involved with ULI NEXT and the Leadership Product Council. She is also active in the Society for College and University Planning, the Los Angeles Headquarters Association, and the Society for Marketing Professional Services.

Brooke Walbuck – Senior Director, Business Development, WEBCOR

Brooke leads business development at Webcor Los Angeles, bringing a unique combination of real estate and design experience into construction. Throughout her 15-year career in Los Angeles business development, she has led successful client engagement and new business acquisition strategies spanning contract furniture, architecture and now general construction. Strongly engaged within the LA business community, Brooke serves on multiple councils within ULI as well as the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Business Council, where she has served on the Architectural Awards Planning Committee since 2012 and currently Co-Chairs the Programs and Membership Committee. She has been an invited guest lecturer and workshop leader at SCI-Arc, UC Berkeley and Woodbury University, sharing AEC business development insight with graduate students.

Webcor, a premier provider of commercial construction services, is known for its innovative and efficient approach, wide range of experience, cost-effective design-build methodology, skill in concrete construction, and expertise in building landmark projects.

Karen Compton – Principal/Owner, A3K Consulting,Inc.

Karen Compton is Principal of A3K Consulting, Inc., a business management consultancy specializing in the AEC environment. Ms. Compton has more than 20 years, Ms. Compton and her team focus on the development of transformative business strategies and solutions.

A nationally featured speaker for several organizations including the AIA Knowledge Practice Community, American Institute of Architects, the Society of Design Administration, the American Society of Landscape Architects and PSMJ Resources, Ms. Compton was a contributing author to Wiley Publications 15th Edition of the Architects Handbook on the subject of networking and business development. Additionally, she served as the Executive Producer and co-host of Breaking the Silence of Design with her lauded friend, Gabrielle Bullock, FAIA—to bring light to the issues of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in the design and construction profession.

Ms. Compton holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Mount St. Mary’s University in Chemistry where she formerly served as a member of the Board of Regents. She also holds an Advanced Management Certificate from the University of Southern California and serves on the Board of Directors for DKS Associates, in Oregon; and HMC Architects in California.

Lori Healey – Senior Vice President, Executive Project Officer, Obama Presidential Center, Obama Foundation

Since December 2020, Lori Healey has served as Senior Vice President and Executive Project Officer at the Obama Foundation. She is leading the work to build and operate The Obama Presidential Center, the 19.3-acre campus within Jackson Park, that includes a Presidential Museum, Auditorium, Restaurant, retail store, Fruit & Vegetable Garden, playground, lush parkland and green space, and a new branch of the Chicago Public Library.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Lori Healey served as President of Clayco’s Chicago Business Unit where she led enterprise activity for development, design, and construction related activities in the greater Chicago area and surrounding region. Previously she was the Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), the owner of McCormick Place and the 1,258-room Hyatt Regency McCormick Place where she oversaw the development and construction of the 10,000-seat Wintrust Arena and the 1,205-room Marriott Marquis Chicago. She coordinated the organizational and planning activities for the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago, acting as Executive Director of the NATO Host Committee. In 2009, Lori was appointed as President of Chicago 2016, where she was responsible for co-leading Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Games. She held several senior leadership positions for the City of Chicago including her role as Mayor Daley’s Chief of Staff and Commissioner of the City’s Dept. of Planning and Development. She was also a principal at Perkins + Will, and Deputy Director for Business Development of the (then) Illinois Dept. of Commerce & Community Affairs. Ms. Healey began her career as a policy aide to former Governor John Carlin of Kansas in 1983.

Lori Healey holds a B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Public Administration from Kansas State University. She serves on the Boards of Civic Consulting Alliance, the Chicago Urban League, the City Club of Chicago, the Chicago Sports Commission, the Chicago Fire Department Foundation and the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. She is an advisory board member of the Loyola University Health System and the Civic Federation. Ms. Healey is also a member of the Economics Club of Chicago and the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Fiona Lyons – Director, Business Development

Fiona Lyons brings over a decade of expertise in Commercial Real Estate (CRE), marked by impactful contributions across various sectors of urban development and sustainability. Her career began at the San Diego County Water Authority, where she contributed to their inaugural Climate Action Plan. Progressing to roles at the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in Tampa Bay and later at the San Diego-Tijuana binational district council, Fiona focused on research, advisory services, and community outreach that significantly influenced urban policy and practice.

At Agora Partners, a local real estate consulting, investment, and development firm, Fiona gained invaluable experience in project development and placemaking strategies tailored for urban environments. Most recently, Fiona served as a Director of the Southwest Region at Cumming Group, where she spearheaded strategic initiatives to drive growth and capitalize on market opportunities nationwide.

Educationally, Fiona holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Environmental Studies from the University of Florida complemented by a Master of Arts in Global Sustainability from the University of South Florida. During her academic career, Fiona specialized in climate adaptation policy, conducting research at the International Water Association in The Hague, Netherlands.

Fiona remains deeply engaged with ULI, holding influential roles both locally and nationally. She serves as ULI Los Angeles NEXT Co-Chair and is a member of the ULI NEXT Americas Leadership Steering Committee and on the National Product Council – Urban Revitalization Council. Fiona is also a founding member of the Greater Los Angeles International Institute of Sustainable Laboratories Chapter.

Alexandria Hoevel, AIA, Principal + Founder, Studio A – architecture + urban design

A life-long resident of Los Angeles, Alexandria has been practicing Architecture and Urban Design for over 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 is the Founder and Principal of Studio A architecture & urban design in West Hollywood. Outside of the office, Alexandria devotes her free time to her community, mentorship, and to supporting equality within the field of Architecture. She’s the current co-chair for the AIA Los Angeles Women in Architecture committee, and is also an active member of ULI.

Carol Ross Barney, FAIA – Founder and Design Principal, Ross Barney Architects

Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, HASLA, the 2023 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal recipient, is an architect, urbanist, mentor, and educator, and has relentlessly advocated that excellent design is a right, not a privilege. Dedicated to design of public buildings and places her exploration into the power of how the built environment can improve our daily lives has produced distinctive structures and places that have become cultural icons.

Notable projects include design of the new Oklahoma City Federal Building replacing the bombed Murrah Federal Building for the GSA; Chicago Riverwalk; McDonald’s Chicago and Disney World Flagship Restaurants; Searle Visitor Center at the Lincoln Park Zoo; JRC Synagogue; CTA Cermak and Morgan Street Stations; UMD Civil Engineering Building; Multi-Modal Terminal at O’Hare International Airport; NASA Aerospace Communications Facility; Railyard Park in Rogers, AR and Chicago’s new DuSable Park.

Honors include over 200 major design awards, including the Cooper Hewitt, National Design Award; fourteen National American Institute of Architects Honor Awards for Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Urban Planning and Design; two AIA Committee on the Environment, Top Ten Project Awards for sustainably designed buildings and over 45 AIA Chicago Awards.

Carol is a graduate of the University of Illinois and served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica planning national parks. She has taught an advanced Design Studio at the Illinois Institute of Technology for over thirty years.

Karin Liljegren, FAIA – Principal + Founder, Omgivning Architecture/Interiors

Karin Liljegren, FAIA, has dedicated her career to community building, sustainability, and advocacy by embracing adaptive reuse as a powerful means to revitalize our cities. For over 24 years, Karin has focused on adaptive reuse projects and advocates for policy reform to make the repurposing of older buildings more financially viable and cornerstones of their communities.

Karin founded the architecture and interior design firm Omgivning in 2009. Today, she and her staff have touched over 700 buildings, drawing on a rich existing landscape to create programmatically and technically complex hotels, multifamily housing, restaurants, bars, creative offices, and theaters, often with custom furniture to match.

Karin is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and active with the AIA Los Angeles Chapter. Through Urban Land Institute, she serves on the National Redevelopment and Reuse Council and the Local Innovation and Housing Councils. Karin also sits on the board of the Los Angeles Conservancy and chairs the Advocacy Committee and is involved with advocacy organizations such as the Central City Association as an adaptive reuse leader.

Ashley Gitlin – Director of Business Development, BNBuilders

Strategic leader and productivity driver for several real estate companies. More than 15 years of progressive achievement successful in scaling operations and building powerful brand awareness. Energized and proactive manager, passionate about delivering game-changing solutions to bolster competitiveness and drive bottom-line profitability in complex real estate markets.

Michelle Baba – Director of Client Development, Gensler

Michelle Baba has been working in the AEC industry for over 16 years. As the Director of Client Development at Gensler, she cultivates and fosters professional partnerships with clients and industry collaborators to support the Los Angeles office. Prior to rejoining Gensler in April 2024, Michelle spent 5 years at RIOS focusing on business development and strategic growth into new markets across the US and internationally. Her previous tenure at Gensler spanned 11 years, during which she co-led the marketing team and helped establish and grow the media practice area.

Currently Michelle co-chairs ULI Los Angeles’ Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) to continue to promote the advancement of women in the real estate industry. She has also been an active member of ULI NEXT since its inception in 2022.

A Southern California native, Michelle went to UCLA and graduated with a B.A. in Design + Media Arts. In her downtime, you can find her honing her culinary skills and traveling with her family.

Magdalena Glen-Schieneman, AIA, AWA+D – Principal Architect and Founder, MGS architecture

Magdalena Glen-Schieneman, AIA, LEED AP, AWA+D, is an architect, artist, founder, and principal of MGS Architecture. She established her firm in 2003 in Los Angeles, California. Hers is a diverse practice focusing on design, art, and sustainability. The firm is known for developing a contemporary style with warmth on the human scale. MGS Architecture strives to exceed its clients’ expectations in the areas of overall design, comfort, originality, and sustainability.
MGS Architecture’s projects encompass commercial, hospitality and modern residential architecture where innovation, collaboration, technical expertise, and creative design are equally important. Magdalena has varied professional experiences from small scale residential projects to large scale resorts; she is an accomplished artist in collage and acrylics incorporating her art into many of firm’s projects.
She earned her masters degree in Poland and has practiced architecture in Poland, France, and the United States. Through the AIA, she is an active member of the Committee on Design and a participant in domestic and international conferences focused on design. At AWA+D she served as a board member and a Co-Director of Programs. At present she is a Design Isegoria Chair focusing on professional advancement of women and interdisciplinary collaboration. In her spare time…oops-she has almost no spare time! She lives in Los Angeles with a husband and three children.

Sharon Johnston, FAIA – Founder & Partner, Johnston Marklee

Sharon Johnston, FAIA, is a founding partner of Johnston Marklee, based in Los Angeles. Since its establishment in 1998, Johnston Marklee has been recognized nationally and internationally with over 50 major awards. In 2022, Johnston Marklee was recognized by the American Academy of Arts & Letters with the Arts and Letters Award in Architecture, and in 2023, the Johnston Marklee-designed Menil Drawing Institute was named a finalist by the Mies Hall Crown Americas Prize. A book on the work of the firm, entitled, HOUSE IS A HOUSE IS A HOUSE IS A HOUSE IS A HOUSE, was published by Birkhauser in 2016. Monographs include: 2G N. 67, El Croquis N. 198, and A+U N. 614.

Sharon is Professor in Practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Design; has taught at Princeton University and the University of California, Los Angeles; and has held the Cullinan Chair at Rice University and the Frank Gehry International Chair at the University of Toronto. In 2019, Sharon was named Architectural Record’s Women in Architecture: New Generation Leader.

Projects undertaken by Johnston Marklee are diverse in scale and type, spanning fourteen countries throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Recent projects include the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University; the new, permanent home for the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Independent Study Program (ISP) at Roy Lichtenstein Studio in New York’s Greenwich Village; the UCLA Graduate Art Studios campus in Culver City, California; the Menil Drawing Institute in Houston, Texas; a renovation of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago; and the design of the Dropbox global headquarters in San Francisco. Current projects include a renovation of the UCLA Reverend James Lawson Jr. Worker Justice Center in Los Angeles; two residential towers, Ray Nashville, in Tennessee, and Ray Phoenix, in Arizona; and the interior architecture and museology within the Kunstmuseum Hauptbau in Basel, Switzerland, in collaboration with Christ & Gantenbein.

From their earliest houses to the current arts and educational buildings, the firm’s work has established new precedents for fundamental architectural challenges and has advanced important historical types with site-specific buildings, which sustainably address local ecologies and embrace adaptive reuse, as central to their practice.

The firm’s work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Menil Collection, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Architecture Museum of TU Munich. Together with partner Mark Lee, Sharon was the Artistic Director of the 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial.

Dr. Paula Raymond Stamp – CEO & Principal, Geaux Consulting Group

Dr. Paula Stamp brings a rich background and a proven track record of success with professional services firms such as those in the architecture, construction, engineering, financial services, distribution, and legal sectors. With extensive experience in building and leading high-performing teams and complex project pursuits, Dr. Stamp is known for her exceptional leadership skills and ability to foster a culture of collaboration and excellence. Her strong client relationships and commitment to delivering value-driven solutions has earned her a reputation as a trusted advisor and partner.

Dr. Stamp earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola University (New Orleans), Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Marketing from Azusa Pacific University and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Higher Education from Azusa Pacific University. She is a Certified Professional Services Marketer and a Certified Life Coach.

Leigh Christy, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C – Principal, Perkins & Will, Los Angeles Studio

Leigh Christy, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a Principal in the Perkins&Will Los Angeles studio, where she leads public and private projects that focus on benefiting communities, ecosystems, and occupants. She is the global firm’s Co-Director of Research, sits on its Technology Council, and leads its Innovation Incubator micro-grant program. Leigh also co-leads the ULI LA Innovation Council, supporting ULI’s net zero carbon goals locally and exploring new methods to do so. Working at the interface of architecture and urban design, she collaborates with clients and teams to reach beyond what seems achievable.

Growing up in northeast Ohio, Leigh knew that she wanted to positively influence her community at large. She graduated with degrees in architecture from the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley and continues to believe that an architect’s influence doesn’t stop at the property line. For us to lay a better foundation for the future, we must learn from our projects, expose opportunities for innovation, and share the knowledge we gain.

Clare De Briere – Founder, C+C Ventures

Clare De Briere a native Angeleno and has spent her career creating special places for the citizens and visitors of Los Angeles.

Clare De Briere began her development career in 1991 at The Ratkovich Company after graduating from UCLA, and earned her MRED degree at USC’s Lusk Center for Real Estate. She lead teams in development, property and construction management, leasing, financing and focusing on the company’s strategic planning. Over her 26-year career at the company, the last decade of which she spent as its Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, she oversaw the acquisition, entitlement, planning, development and/or disposition of millions of square feet from The Wiltern Theatre, 2600 Wilshire, 5900 Wilshire, 800 Wilshire, The million square foot Alhambra campus, The Hercules Campus in Playa Vista and the office/hotel/retail mixed use development, The Bloc, in downtown Los Angeles. Clare retired from the company at the end of 2016.

In 2018, Clare joined USA Skanska Commercial Development as Executive Vice President and Regional Manager in Los Angeles. In this role, Clare built and led the team expanding Skanska’s real estate development business into Los Angeles. She was responsible for land acquisition, the development and design of new projects, tenant leasing strategy and execution of future projects. Her focus was to invest in and develop customer-focused and highly sustainable office and multi-family properties. During Skanska’s time in Los Angeles, she oversaw the completion, leasing and disposition of 9000 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, voted “Coolest Office Building” by Business Insider, and the first new LEED Platinum certified building in the City of Beverly Hills, both Fitwell and Wired Scored certified. She also oversaw the planning and entitlements of two other office sites, 8633 Wilshire also in Beverly Hills and 1811 Sacramento Street in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles.

Clare sits on the UCLA Ziman Center Board, the USC Lusk Center Board, and serves as the Vice Chair of the Central City Association. She is an active member of the Urban Land Institute serving on the Global Board, as the immediate past Chair of the America’s Executive Committee, as a Global Governing Trustee, and as the former Los Angeles District Council Chair. She has served on the national Advisory Committee for Building Healthy Places and Building Healthy Corridors. 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. She has been named on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s LA500 list of the most influential leaders in the city. She has been named multiple times on the LABJ’s Women Making a Difference list and has been on the Real Estate – Southern California’s Women of Influence list almost every year since 2003.

Lina Lee – 1st Vice President of Development, CIM Group

Lina is a creative strategist and seasoned project executive, driven by a deep passion for urban development and design-driven ventures. Lina joined CIM Group in 2015 and is currently 1st Vice President of Development. She oversees both ground up and repositioned assets for the company, with responsibilities extending over land-use diligence and entitlements, design development, construction management, tenancy, marketing and branding. Prior to real estate development, her career began in investment banking and strategic planning for the consumer private equity sector, with exposure to fashion, retail and hospitality investments. An active member of ULI, Lina sits on the Advisory Board for Los Angeles and co-chairs its Programs Committee. She also serves on the Board of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust. Lina graduated from Yale University with degrees in Urban and International Studies.

Elizabeth Mahlow – Principal, Nous Engineering

Liz is a founding partner at Nous Engineering. Through her structural engineering practice, she has worked to strengthen collaboration and diversity among practitioners in order to create best possible solutions for the project and community. Projects include large hospital campuses and schools in Africa to affordable housing in her Los Angeles community, emphasizing seismic design and client education of building performance outcomes.

Kristen Fraumeni, AIA – Vice President, Studio Design Leader, Commercial/Mixed Use, HKS Inc.

Kristen Fraumeni is Vice-President and Senior Designer at HKS Inc. in Los Angeles, where she has been making a significant impact since joining in 2020. Kristen specializes in commercial mixed-use and multi-family residential architectural design, bringing years of expertise from her previous role at Gensler. At Gensler she spent over a decade focusing on hospitality architecture, leading projects with a global reach. Her portfolio includes award-winning projects such as the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Incheon, South Korea, the Westin Hotel at Denver International Airport, and a unique boutique hotel property in Albuquerque NM known as Hotel Chaco.

Kristen’s approach to architecture is rooted in the belief that spaces should inspire and uplift, transcending mere functionality. She views architecture as an art form where aesthetics and beauty play a central role.

She is a licensed architect in California, a LEED Green Associate, and holds a Master of Architecture from SCI-Arc, along with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Kristen values collaboration and innovation, staying current with digital technology trends to enhance her projects. She is also dedicated to mentoring the next generation of architects, participating in the USC Architecture Mentorship program and the HKS Los Angeles Design Fellowship.

In 2023, Kristen became a Co-Chair of the Women in Architecture committee, where she still plays a key role in planning and executing events aimed at empowering women in the architectural field. Her leadership reflects a commitment to fostering an inclusive environment and providing platforms for female professionals to thrive. At HKS, Kristen oversees design projects from concept to completion, building strong relationships with team members and clients to ensure successful outcomes.

Naeiri Petrosian, AIA – President, Glove

Naeiri is a Builder with over 15 years experience in both design and construction. As an architect she has worked on numerous international and domestic projects, many of which have been award winning from both design stand and impact in the community. She currently leads the Interior Construction of Habitat for Lendlease, one of the largest mixed use development projects in LA.

In her current role as a contractor, she has paved the way for female leadership in the commercial real estate industry as one who builds strong teams to elevate each individual to their fullest potential.

As someone with a diverse international background, being part of the design and built community is crucial to her identity. Due to her vast wealth of knowledge and desire to nurture the next generation of diverse leaders, Naeiri has been heavily involved with ULI as an Advisory Board member, past chair of the Leadership Council and is also the Vice President of the a+d museum in LA. She graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a degree in Architecture and MBA in Real property Development.

Sunny Palmer, AIA – Planner, Steinberg Hart

Sunny is a designer and higher education planner skilled in research, quantitative and qualitative analysis, program development, and placemaking. In addition to her higher education planning and programming experience, Sunny has a background in building design and developing construction documents, offering her the ability to provide a holistic approach to each project’s scope. Over the last few years, Sunny has developed an explicit focus within the higher education community, responding to the continuously evolving pedagogies, space needs, and campus framework to cultivate successful and cohesive college campuses.

Allison Gander, AIA – Managing Principal, House & Robertson Architects, Inc.

Allison Gander, AIA, an Architect with House & Robertson Architects, Inc. (an exclusive Executive Architecture practice located in Culver City, San Francisco and Houston), began at HRA in the mid-2000s, upon graduation with a Masters from Georgia Tech. While at HRA, Allison began her California Architectural career working on a For Lease Multi-Family high rise development in Orange County, with a Multi-Family developer in the Los Angeles area. Since those early years, she has continued working on development projects with HRA, spanning along the West Coast as well as other parts of the US. Some of the development projects she has been involved in include Speculative and Build-To-Suit Office Building projects, Amenity projects including a movie theater, large screening rooms, commissary programs, hospitality projects that include new hotel programming, shared amenity spaces for hotel and residents, and high-end shared lobbies. Beyond the California market, HRA’s unique practice has grown to include mixed-use development projects in the Mid West and southern regions. Allison’s most recent development project is under construction in Hollywood with aspects stretching between entertainment, office and hospitality programming, all compiled on the same site. Our Team at HRA is working in the production phase of the next generation of its kind, a development also located in Hollywood. As Executive Architects, our focus is Team-oriented collaboration, bringing minds together from Our Client Partner’s perspective, Our Builder Partner’s perspective, and our Design Partners’ perspective. We have a solid track record of built work spanning nearly three decades, with examples of complex programs and unique challenges meeting our Developer Clients’ needs.

Stephanie Reich, AIA – Urban Designer, 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. She has also managed design review and historic preservation systems for the cities of Glendale, Long Beach and West Hollywood, improving processes to enable architects to realize their best work.

Stephanie is a licensed architect and prior to 2003, she practiced architecture and urban design for almost 20 years with a variety of notable firms including Morphosis, Studio Libeskind, AECOM and NBBJ. 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.

As part of her commitment to the broader design community, Stephanie has a long-term involvement with AIA Los Angeles, AIA California (AIACA) and Association for Women in Architecture and Design (AWA+D). Stephanie she has also served as a founding member of the AIACA Resilient Design Committee where she aims to advance resilience and social justice in architectural practice.

Kerenza Harris – Associate Principal Director of Design Technology, Morphosis Architects

Kerenza Harris is the Director of Advanced Technology and Associate Principal at Morphosis. She oversees advanced computational design and simulation for all projects. Her team focuses on the research, development, documentation and integration of real-time technologies from early concept phases through the construction process. She also leads the design, optimization, and construction of exterior envelopes with special focus on complex systems and complex geometry. She developed the terracotta façade for the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa, CA, as well as the main GFRP façade of the Kolon One & Only Tower in Seoul, South Korea.

Kerenza is also faculty at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), where her teaching focuses on digital design tools and integrated project delivery. She is a frequent speaker on design computation and its impact on the making of architecture.

Annija Gaskell, AIA – Associate Architect, Stantec

Annija Gaskell, AIA, LEED GA is an Associate Architect at Stantec. As a project architect and project manager with Stantec she has worked on a variety of transit related project throughout California. Annija earned her Bachelor of Design-Architecture from the University of Florida and Master of Architecture from Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc).

Annija’s philanthropic values to give back to the community have lead her to become an ACE mentor for the past 4 years and volunteer for AAaE events and NOMAS summer camp. Annija is an active member of the DTLA Stantec employee resource groups who help to cultivate the Stantec employee experience. She also started the DTLA Women@Stantec chapter and has been co-chair of this group since the chapter’s inception.

Estefanne Michel, Assoc. AIA – Designer, KGM LIGHTING

Estefanne Michel is a lighting designer at KGM.

Summer Vaughn – Architect and Mental Fitness Coach for Scattered Creative Professionals, Scattered Creatives

Summer Vaughn is an Architect, Marketing Professional and Mental Fitness Coach. She spent the first 20+ years of her career as an architect with ADHD, ten of those learning to how to successfully work with that. Now a certified ADHD & life coach, she helps other “scattered creative” professionals build their mental and emotional “muscles,” understand how they are uniquely wired, gain self-acceptance, and develop tools for digging out of creative rabbit holes.

Kristi Paulson, AIA – Founding Principal, PAULSON POEI Projects

Kristi Paulson is an impactful leader, principal, and founder of PAULSON POEI PROJECTS and was formerly the founding partner of the Los Angeles studio of Behnisch Architekten. She focuses on today’s most urgent challenges: addressing ecological design, fostering human connection, promoting wellness, and championing equity.

Her expertise is honed by over two decades of experience delivering exceptional architecture that maximizes impact by seamlessly integrating visionary design and advanced sustainability strategies. She balances building performance, ecological responsibility, and design excellence to create enduring spaces that are inviting and accessible for everyone.

Kristi’s leadership coupled with her imaginative and insightful ideas have led to a variety of award-winning projects at the forefront of design and innovation including SC Workplace, Google Spruce Goose in Playa Vista, Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center that will proudly exhibit a vertically stacked Space Shuttle Endeavour, UC Berkeley’s Maximino Martinez Commons and Santa Monica’s Parking Structure 6.

Crystal Wang – Project Manager, Morphosis

Crystal Wang is a licensed architect with over 18 years of experience in designing and delivering projects of varying scales and complexities, in Southern California and internationally. As a Senior Associate and Project Manager with Morphosis, Crystal plays a key role in guiding projects from concept through completion.

Crystal joined Morphosis in 2016 as the Project Architect for the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa, California, which opened in 2022. She ushered the project through the Design Development and Bidding phases, then led on-site Construction Administration efforts. Crystal has also played key roles in the project delivery of other significant projects, including the Crow Museum of Asian Art in Dallas, Texas and Vialia Estacion de Vigo, a high-speed rail station in Vigo, Spain.

Prior to joining Morphosis, Crystal worked with Marmol Radziner and Perkins+Will in Los Angeles, California. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture degree from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Steve Baule – Executive Officer, Mayor’s Office, City of Los Angeles

Steve Baule is currently the Executive Officer for the Los Angels Mayor’s Office of Energy and Sustainability where he coordinates the sustainability goals and priorities for the City of Los Angeles. Prior to the position, Steve was the Director of Sustainable Projects in the Office of External and Regulatory Affairs at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). In the position he managed LADWP’s La Kretz Innovation Campus that promotes innovation in cleantech, developed LADWP’s academic partnership program and assisted on energy and water policies and programs in the City of Los Angeles.

Kishani De Silva – Founder & Principal, 2A+D Management Services

Kishani De Silva has worked in the architecture and design industries for over twenty years in the project and major program management arenas. She is also the founder and principal of her own arts, architecture and design management consultancy, 2A+D Management Services.

Prior to forming her consultancy, Kishani worked as a Project Manager at Foster + Partners, London, managing large, complex contracts from inception to post contract. She was also a FUSE Corps Fellow with the LA County Development Authority advising their executive office on special projects and creating strategic partnerships to address housing and homelessness in Los Angeles.

At Woodbury, as lead faculty for the Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Build Challenge, she led a team to construct the first, permitted, 3D-printed dwelling in Los Angeles. A net zero, high performing, sustainably designed dwelling that leverages emerging technology, both addressing climate resilience and affordability. She was also instrumental in launching a brand-new Sustainable Construction Management program centered around sustainability and high performing building design as the program’s inaugural chair.

A former president and Board member of the Association for Women in Architecture + Design, Kishani spearheaded the “50:50 x 2020″ gender equity initiative to bring parity within firms in the L.A. area. She has also served on several other Boards involved with social, environmental, and economic justice.

Kishani has a MSc in Major Program Management from the University of Oxford, England, certifications in executive leadership from Cornell and Emerging Design and Technology from MIT’s Media Lab, and a BArch from Woodbury.

Her work relating to housing innovation, sustainability and the business of design have been published in Next City, 2019; Metropolis, 2016 and Design Intelligence, 2012.

Rachelle Habchi – Structural Engineer, Glotman Simpson

Rachelle is a project engineer and the Director of Sustainability at Glotman Simpson. A licensed engineer with 7 years of structural engineering experience in the Southern California area, she’s had the opportunity to work on a variety of structures, including: K-12, higher education, multi-family residential, mixed used development and high-rise construction. She is the Chair for the SEAOSC Sustainability Design Committee, Co-Lead for CLF-LA and a member of the AIA embodied carbon working group. She’s worked with jurisdictions and policymakers to help write local embodied carbon reach codes. Throughout her experience in the building industry, cross-collaboration with various engineering and sustainability disciplines, and the passage of landmark embodied carbon policy, the close collaboration required for the design of low-carbon structures has become an increasingly skill to possess. Her work on 843 N Spring Street, one of the first and largest mass timber buildings in Los Angeles and Park Habitat, a sustainability-focused tower in San Jose have highlighted the importance of teamwork, minimizing embodied carbon, and the strategic role structural engineers play in realizing our collective net-zero objectives.

America Bravo – Architect Student, Woodbury University

America Bravo is a fifth-year architecture student at Woodbury University, minoring in Business Management. Over the past year, she has been actively involved in the Solar House project under the guidance of professor Kishani de Silva. Her role has provided valuable hands-on experience and enhanced her understanding of sustainable building practices and high-performance building design. Her contributions helped bring the project to completion, including assistance with Low Impact Development (LID) compliance. This incorporated rainwater harvesting as part of the overall water conservation strategies for the project. America has also cultivated a passion for integrating sustainable practices in landscaping by researching and promoting the use of native vegetation at the solar house. She hopes to pursue these interests more fully in her graduate studies.

Ety Benichou – Founder, EB Structural Engineering

Ety Benichou launched EB Structural Engineering in 2024. Prior to starting her own firm, she had been working at Englekirk since 2001. She started as a younger engineer and continued to grow all the way to an Associate Partner by 2021. By then, Englekirk got acquired by a larger global entity, called WSP. She continued to service WSP as a Senior Vice President until 2024. Over the past couple decades, Etyhas successfully designed and completed constructions of a significant range of projects throughout California. Her versatile experience in different structural systems allowed her to excel in various sectors from institutional facilities like student centers, civic centers, and ever federal courthouse, to commercial projects, inclusive of residential, regional retail, office, mixed-use, hotels, and parking structures. On her first decade ` an engineer, Ety had the opportunity to work with top-ten Architects like Cesar Pelli, Tadao Ando, Richard Meier and Yasdani Studios on major landmark projects in California. For the past decade, Ety has expanded her focus volontarily on the housing sector in California, designing thousands of units both in affordable and market-rate sectors.

Beyond her day-to-day production management role, Ety had been actively spear-heading the mass timber expansion team for through her collaboration with WSP’s International panel of Mass Timber experts; together they are able to bring that specialty to the West Coast. Ety is also an active member of ULI, SCANPH, AIA Powerful IX, LA BP&R and LCWA associations. In addition to her involvements, Ety has been providing lunch and learn seminars to inform architects, developers, and general contractors on the vast opportunities within Mass Timber systems, including introducing them to suppliers to help strategize pricing solutions.

During her history with Englekirk/WSP, Ety has developed extensive experience in the design of various types of structures including steel, prestressed concrete, and cast-in-place concrete with a particular specialization in wood structural systems. Utilizing her experience with mixed-use developments, Ety has incorporated that knowledge to integrate solutions to addressing affordable housing needs through wood over podium construction alternatives. She has been active in disseminating these advances through work sessions with framers and general contractors as well as other sectors of the industry including her peers, developers, and architectural colleagues.
She is a registered Civil and Structural Engineer in the State of California
23 Years at WSP USA Buildings Inc dba Englekirk Structural Engineers
California | C68500 California | S5263

Scientific Baccalaureate Degree with Honors, France, 1998

Matthew Melnyk – Principal, Nous Engineering

Matt is a founding partner of Nous Engineering. Matthew has been adjunct faculty at the Southern California Institute of Architecture for over 10 years and has focused his coursework on bridging the gap between architectural design and structural performance. He brings 20+ years of professional experience in the construction industry, focusing on long-span structures, structural dynamics, and advanced computation.

Colleen Peach – Senior Associate, LUMA Lighting Design

With almost two decades of experience in lighting design and architecture, Colleen has worked on a wide range of projects such as commercial offices, historic renovations, multi-family housing, and more. Her background in architecture contributes to a deep understanding of how to create beautiful and functional environments. Colleen is involved as a member of both AIA and IES, serving as a past president and committee member and remaining an active speaker at events and in classrooms. With a belief that design can change the world, she contributes strong leadership to every project team.

Dawn MacFadyen – Principal, PAE

Dawn has nearly 25 years of experience in electrical engineering along with project and market development. She aims to strengthen our leadership in sustainable design alongside the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering teams as well as the technology and lighting design teams. Dawn looks forward to being part of collaborative team with the shared vision to creatively deliver energy efficient, cost effective, reliable, and flexible systems for buildings. As a prominent engineer in downtown L.A., Dawn has mentored teams and managed notable technical projects such as NFL Media, Time Warner Cable Regional Sports Center, and NBC Universal City Broadcast Center.

Sarah Jacobson, 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.

Sara Pijuan, AIA – Project Architect, Associate, WiA Co-Vice Chair, KAA Design

Sara Pijuan spent most of her childhood growing up in the Chicagoland area. She completed her Bachelors of Science in Architectural Studies at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, in 2005. While attending U of I, Sara had the opportunity to spend an academic year in Versailles, France, where she was able to study and experience European architecture, lifestyle, and travel. Sara ventured to the West Coast to complete her Master of Architecture at University of Southern California in 2007. She was drawn to the outdoor lifestyle that affords a wide range of architectural styles and opportunities.

Sara joined KAA Design / Evens Architects in 2007, where she is a Project Architect and Associate. She is a licensed architect in the state of California and certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). While she has designed and managed a variety of projects, from modern to traditional, Sara has expanded her knowledge in classical architecture during her contributions on projects at Evens Architects.

Cheryl Chiu – Project Coordinator, HGA Architects and Engineers

Cheryl currently works as a project coordinator at HGA Architects and Engineers. She received her Masters in Architecture degree from USC in 2021, completed her bachelors in urban regional planning at Cornell University in 2017, and interned in other architecture-adjacent fields of landscape architecture and lighting design. Combined together, these experiences allowed Cheryl to appreciate that good design is always interdisciplinary. Collaboration between different disciplines requires good communication. Architects do so by asking the right questions, so consultants may place their most fitting piece of the puzzle into the larger design picture. As such, as an emerging professional, Cheryl is most passionate about finding effective tools that adapt to different project needs and bridging the communication gaps between different disciplines.

Patrick Wong – Senior Project Manager, Kimley-Horn

Patrick coordinates and manages transit, transportation and municipal projects with an emphasis on ensuring the right resources are assigned and milestones are met. He has over 30 years of experience and his skill set includes extensive knowledge of the design process conformance to standards and policies. In addition, he guides projects from conceptual design through the plan check approvals process and into construction with close out. Patrick has served as program manager for local transit and municipalities programs. He is assisting various local municipalities with their public works program. They include work with Metro, Foothill Transit, City of Norwalk, City of Malibu, City of Agoura Hills, City of Pico Rivera, and City of Artesia, and Southern California Gas Company. He’s managed a variety of services for various clients and project types at various project stages to provide solutions and strategy.

Oonagh Ryan, AIA – Principal, ORA

Oonagh Ryan is the founding principal of ORA. Born in Ireland, she moved to Los Angeles, gaining invaluable experience at notable architecture firms Frederick Fisher & Partners and Koning Eizenberg prior to beginning her multi-disciplinary practice in 2014.

Oonagh’s thoughtful and holistic approach to design creatively marries architecture, interiors and lifestyle with function, craft and good stewardship. Under her eye, ORA delivers ambitious, diverse work that demonstrates a sense of intention and purpose. Oonagh leads a tight-knit team who share her dedication to creating environments that are a unique window into each client’s lifestyle, needs and ethos.

Oonagh is frequently called upon to share her design expertise on panels, juries and speaking engagements, and she currently serves on the board of Architecture + Advocacy. Her work has been widely recognized and published, most notably in 2021 when ORA was awarded the Presidential Honor for the Emerging Practice of the Year by the AIA-LA.

Diana Peterson-More – President & CEO, The Organizational Effectiveness Group, LLC

Bestselling author, Diana Peterson-More, a former practicing employment lawyer & HR head, left a Fortune 50 to launch The Organizational Effectiveness Group, LLC. Her company focuses on people strategies & organizational systems to support strategic workplace goals. Services and products include custom-designed training, team and individual coaching and strategic planning. She also conducts investigations and serves as an expert witness. Peterson-More is a blogger, guest columnist, a conference presenter, and keynote speaker. She has been featured in CEO Magazine, Association of Talent Development, TICE and HR.com online and print editions, and on leadership podcasts. Both her first book, Consequential Communication in Turbulent Times: a Practical Guide to Leadership, and her second book: “Can we all just get along?” Rodney King – Courageous Communication – A Return to Civility are Amazon #1 bestsellers. Peterson-More received a BA, from UCLA & JD, from Loyola Law School. Learn more at www.dianapetersonmore.com.

Kelly Becker, AIA – Principal, Sr. Project Manager, Tim Barber Architects

Kelly is a Principal and Sr. Project Manager at Tim Barber Architects designing new custom homes, renovations, and restorations. She leads some of their most complex projects with a focus on traditional design, integrated with healthy and sustainable features. As a leader in the firm with over 15 years of experience, she provides mentorship to her colleagues. Kelly is a licensed architect in California, holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Kelly believes there is strength in a collaborative approach, where the sum of collective skills far exceeds individual talent.

Deborah Richmond, AIA – Architect, Deborah Richmond, AIA

Deborah is an award-winning architect with over 25 years of experience with public, private and non-profit sector projects. She has worked steadily to refine a vision of architectural practice based on collaborative endeavors with partners, consultants and clients, having worked at a variety of scales including cultural and institutional landmarks as well as mixed-use and high-rise developments, from entitlement phases through construction. Her most recent projects have focused on film studio developments in Los Angeles, Canada and Europe.

Ben Stapleton – Executive Director, USGBC 

Ben Stapleton is a recognized sustainability leader with a focus on building teams and designing programs to deliver impactful results. As Executive Director for the U.S. Green Building Council California his work is based on coordinating an ecosystem leveraging the built environment as the entry point and connective fabric to help create a more sustainable society for all..

Before leading the effort to unify green building communities across California and in his time at the former USGBC-LA, he strengthened the foundation of this leading, membership based sustainability organization while developing and delivering a portfolio of community engagement and education focused programming centered on climate justice, high performance buildings, occupant health, corporate sustainability and regional resilience; establishing talent development and a people first philosophy as the pillars of the brand.

Previously, he launched and then managed the internationally-recognized, regional epicenter for sustainability, the La Kretz Innovation Campus in Downtown LA while leading operations, finance, and major program initiatives for the LA Cleantech Incubator (LACI).

His other work has included real estate advisory, energy efficiency consulting, facilities operations, site selection, and project management as well as business and strategy development for a wide range of companies and real estate investors. He serves on a number of boards where his talents and insight have proven invaluable in managing, negotiating, and executing on complex real estate projects while delivering technology startups and community engagement programs that exceed expectations.

He is a recipient of JLL’s distinctive Da Vinci Award for Innovation, the Los Angeles Business Council’s Community Impact Award, Stratiscope’s Impact Maker to Watch Award, and CoStar’s Power Broker designation in the Los Angeles market. Representing competing schools in Los Angeles, Stapleton holds a MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business as well as a Bachelors of Arts degree in Economics from UCLA. Ben is a LEED AP O+M, ENV SP, and WELL AP certified green building nerd driven by a connection to nature while being inspired by the people around him.

 

Annette Wu, AIA-LA President – Principal, NAC Architecture

Annette Wu has 27 years of experience as a designer and architect. She excels in listening to clients and translating organizational objectives into design vision. Annette leads with open lines of communication. She brings continuity and a consistency of approach to projects, sharing lessons learned and building efficiencies between our multiple project teams. Annette holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Southern California and a Master of Architecture degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

 

Chava Danielson, AIA-LA VP, President-Elect – Principal, DSH // architecture

Chava Danielson, AIA, is Principal of DSH // architecture with specialties in design, project advocacy, and serving non-profit organizations. She focuses on imparting beauty and sensitive programming to recharge underserved neighborhoods through educational, therapeutic and residential projects.

Danielson leads DSH’s civic and child-centered work, including early education centers in which alternatives to conventional practices are employed to spark curiosity and wonder in the minds of young children. Larchmont Charter High School at Lafayette Park, an inventive adaptive reuse of the former New York Life Insurance headquarters, catalyzed the neighborhood’s revitalization and continues DSH’s forward-looking approach to historic preservation.

Danielson is Adjunct Professor at the USC School of Architecture, and currently serves as Vice-President / President-elect of the AIA Los Angeles. She has taught design studios and urban history at the Otis College of Art + Design. Chava 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.