What does the path to principal look like? What does the path to principal look like for a woman architect? Making it to principal (partner, or firm owner) at a firm is to be celebrated and shared with others so others are inspired to do the same. In continuation of 2023’s overall arching theme of “Shining Your Light”, this next Women In Architecture event will be a panel of successful women principals (partners and owners too) sharing their own personal journeys in their careers. When women share their story we are able to learn from their experiences. We are inspired and motivated to take action, to try something new, or perhaps step out and do something that we’ve been thinking about doing. Our very own co-vice chair, Sarah Jacobson, President at Lamar Johnson Collaborative, will moderate what is promising to be an amazing evening of successful strong women from diverse backgrounds and diverse experiences sharing the challenges, adversities and accomplishments of their own personal path to principal. Join us on Thursday evening, April 27th at HED Offices. Be inspired. Be motivated. Make connections. Make strides in your personal journey to principal.

AGENDA

5:30pm – Event doors open (networking, snacks and beverages)

5:55pm – Welcome by WiA Chairs Kristen and Monica

6:00pm – Personal Journey & Introductions by Sarah Jacobson

6:15pm – Q&A with Panelist & Sarah

7:00pm – Questions from the audience

7:15pm – Wrap-up, audience sharing, networking

7:30pm – End of Event

Path to Principal (and Partnership) Panelists

Sarah Jacobson, AIA, LEED AP – President, 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.

Lucia Bartholomew, Principal, Electric Bowery, Ltd

Lucia Bartholomew founded Electric Bowery along with Cayley Lambur in 2013, and together they have overseen all of the firm’s body of work. The studio has completed a range of award-winning projects including restaurants, hotels, creative office, single family and multi-family residences. Lucia began her career at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP in New York, working on the redevelopment of the World Trade Center Master Plan and Tower One, as well as Moynihan Station, prior to attending graduate school at the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Upon graduation, she worked with Studio PCH on the ground-up construction of Nobu & The Little Beach House in Malibu, and at Gehry Partners on the Guggenheim in Dubai. With a desire to return to more intimately scaled projects, she worked with Griffin Enright Architects to hone her skill at residential design. Her design interests have always been focused on a holistic approach, providing a foundation for Electric Bowery’s integrated approach to Architecture and Interior Design.

Patricia Centeno, Principal, BAR Architects & Interiors

Patricia Centeno, AIA, LEED AP, NOMA, is a Principal with BAR Architects & Interiors, a 75-person architectural, interior design and planning firm, with offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles, California. For Patricia creation of multifamily and affordable housing has been the primary focus of her career for over 20 years. A San Francisco based, licensed architect in California, she has been instrumental in helping successfully realize numerous award-winning housing communities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area that residents and the broader community embrace. A purposeful leader driven by team collaboration and integrated project management, Patricia has found that “bringing diverse voices to the table results in stronger, more inclusive and resilient design solutions”. She is an Executive Board Member and mentor for Arquitina, helping raise the 1% of licensed Latina architects. She is an AIA SF Latinx in Architecture (LiA) steering committee member and served on the AIA San Francisco Board of Directors in 2020-2022. Patricia received her Bachelor of Art in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. She has two young adult sons and when not focused on architecture, she enjoys reading, cooking and spending time with family.

Kim Patten, Partner. Steinberg Hart

Kim Patten is a passionate academic planner, process and sustainable strategy education leader in the Los Angeles office. As Steinberg Hart’s Higher Education Practice Leader, Kim helps clients navigate complex problems with strategic research, skillful design and planning solutions to achieve direction and clarity. Working with academic institutions across the country, her partnership approach creates an environment to collaborate, plan and discover paths unique to that client.

Michelle Stevenson, Principal, HKS