WOMEN IN ARCHITECTURE COMMITTEE 2022
COMMITTEE CHAIR BIOS
Chair
Kristin Akin-Zimmerman, AIA, NOMA
Associate, SOM
As an Associate at Skidmore Owings and Merrill, Kristin approaches each project with a unique design perspective. She collaborates on a variety of project types including civic projects, mixed-use developments, and SOM legacy project renovations. With all design opportunities, Kristin particularly focuses on improving the urban landscape and public space experiences. Since graduating Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Kristin has spent her free time contributing to a more equitable and diverse architectural profession by leading efforts like the SOM Women’s Initiative. In collaboration with NOMA, she devotes her energy to mentorship, outreach, and exposing architecture to future designers.
Chair
Yu-Ming Wei, AIA
Principal | Project Management Leader, HED
Yu-Ming Wei, AIA, is a Principal at HED where she serves as Operations Manager and Project Management Discipline Leader for their Los Angeles Office. She has extensive experience with large complex projects and client stakeholder groups and has garnered the relevant knowledge and skill set to successfully execute projects from inception through construction. She is well versed in the design process and teamwork necessary to drive projects from entitlement through construction. Over the course of her career, she has been involved in diverse project types ranging from residential high-rises, mixed-use commercial developments, K-12 classrooms, to higher education academic and student support facilities. It is her ability to steer collaboration and balance innovation with technical project requirements that has enables her to practice so broadly and achieve distinctive and relevant results for her clients. As a Project Manager, she focuses this experience on supporting and guiding her team members toward project success. As an Architect, she enjoys mentorship so others may discover their own paths forward in the multifaceted architectural profession.
Vice-Chair
Kristen Fraumeni, AIA
Vice President & Senior Designer, HKS Inc.
Kristen is a Vice-President and Senior Designer at HKS Inc in Los Angeles, CA. Since joining the firm in 2020 she has practiced commercial mixed use and multi-family residential architecture. Her previous 10+ years in the industry were spent specializing in hospitality architecture at Gensler, designing projects with a broad global reach. Kristen’s creativity is embedded in a pursuit to create buildings and spaces that elevate and enrich the human experience. She believes utility in architecture is not its sole purpose: aesthetics and the production of beauty are paramount in her work. She is a licensed Architect in California and a LEED GA with an M Arch I from SCI-Arc and a B.S in Architectural Engineering. She thrives in a collaborative atmosphere and embraces evolutions in digital design. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with others, lending professional advice to students through her role as a mentor in the USC Architecture mentorship program. Kristen also serves on the Los Angeles Design Fellowship at HKS. In her current position Kristen champions all aspects of project design and delivery, guiding the client and working closely with team members and consultants along the project journey.
Vice-Chair
Monica Rodriguez, AIA
Senior Associate, KFA Architecture
Monica recently celebrated her fifteenth year with KFA. She loves the fulfillment of working on affordable multi-family projects that are part of the solution to the housing crisis in LA. As a native Angeleno and second generation Mexican-American, she is especially proud of her work on Hollenbeck Terrace Apartments (Linda Vista Hospital), a low-income housing for seniors project in Boyle Heights. These days her efforts are focused on affordable housing projects including two ARO projects at the West LA VA, which will provide low-income homes for unhoused American vets. Community involvement is important to Monica; she is the newly appointed Board Architect of the Jefferson Park HPOZ. In 2021 she co-developed the new 8-week Architecture Program at the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club, in the hopes to inspire BIPOC kids to be LA’s future architects. She enjoys exploring other forms of creative expression outside of work including stand-up comedy.
Past Chair
Ashley Richardson, AIA
Ashley Richardson, AIA, LEED AP, a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, has been a key member of EYRC’s team as a seasoned project manager on large complex projects including the Pendry Hotel + Residences. Her ability to manage large teams to ensure seamless documentation and delivery, while building strong client relationships, has made her an indispensable part of the firm’s leadership team. She was elevated to Principal in 2019. Ashley is the former AIALA Design Awards Committee Chair and is currently the Co-Chair of the Women in Architecture Committee. In addition to her internal firm management responsibilities, Ashley is currently EYRC’s senior project manager working closely with design build team members Kitchell, HKS and SWA on the $491 million Theater District Living and Learning Neighborhood at UC San Diego.
Past Chair
Jennifer Noel Wong, AIA
Jennifer Noel Wong, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, has been with CO Architects since 2018 with the firm’s education group and brings a thoughtful and methodical approach to each project. She possesses unique skillset and a strong emotional intelligence, which has earned her the complete trust of her clients, team and consultants.
She has experience working on both renovations and new construction for a wide range of project types, including K-12 and higher education, civic and retail projects. In her free time, she teaches after-school design workshops in her community.
