Illya Azaroff, AIA
The director of design for +LAB Architects in Brooklyn, N.Y., Azaroff was tapped by AIA New York to head the region’s recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy. He co-chaired the Design for Risk and Reconstruction Committee, which published the Post-Sandy Initiative Report last May. He also created a program that helped architects affected by the storm find spare office space in other firms. Azaroff holds an M.Arch. from Pratt Institute.
Thomas Bradley Benjamin, AIA
Benjamin is the president and CEO of Radium Architecture in Greenville, S.C., and a past chair of the AIA’s Young Architects Forum. He was president of AIA Greenville in 2009. Benjamin worked to establish regional chapters for Women in Architecture, Architecture for Humanity, and the ArchiLamp mentoring program. In 2007, he was awarded the AIA’s Associate Member of the Year Award. Benjamin has an M.Arch. from Clemson University.
Joshua Flowers, AIA
Flowers is legal counsel for Hnedak Bobo Group in Memphis, Tenn., and the 2013–2014 knowledge director for the AIA Young Architects Forum. He also was the 2012 president of AIA Memphis as well as the 2011–2012 Young Architect regional director for the Gulf States region. Flowers earned B.Arch. and J.D. degrees from the University of Tennessee.
Wyatt Frantom, AIA
An associate and architectural designer at Gensler in Los Angeles, Frantom is the 2013–2014 communications director for the Young Architects Forum and was the 2010–2011 Texas regional director for the Young Architects Forum. Frantom co-founded the nonprofit Houston Mod, which advocates for the preservation of modern architecture. The winner of AIA Houston’s Young Architect of the Year Award in 2007, he has an M.Arch. from Rice University.
Nathan Kalaher, AIA
Kalaher co-founded Plan Architecture, a Sioux City, Iowa–based firm. He has received numerous awards, including consecutive Design Excellence Awards from AIA Iowa in 2012 and 2013. In 2007, Kalaher was recognized as an Iowa Innovator by IABiz magazine, and in 2012 he was included in the publication’s “10 under 40” list. He is currently the president of AIA Iowa. Kalaher earned a B.S. in Community and Regional Planning as well as a B.Arch. from Iowa State University and an M.Arch. from Cornell University.
Evelyn M. Lee, AIA
A senior strategist at MKThink, Lee is the founder and chief curator of the website The Practice of Architecture. The 2014–15 public relations director for the Young Architects Forum Advisory Committee, she has also held multiple positions with the AIA California Council and received the 2005 AIA Associate Member of the Year award. Lee holds an M.Arch. from the Southern California Institute of Architecture and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Presidio Graduate School.
Timothy W. Maddox, AIA
Maddox is a founding principal of deMx Architecture (formerly Denoble Architecture), a Fayetteville, Ark.–based firm that has received numerous design awards from the AIA Arkansas chapter. He currently serves on the AIA Arkansas board of directors as the chapter’s secretary, and he also received the 2012 AIA Arkansas Emerging Professional Award. He is a member of the board of the group United Cerebral Palsy of Arkansas and chair of its northwest council. Maddox has a B.Arch. from the University of Arkansas.
Daniel Overbey, AIA
Overbey is the director of sustainable design practices at the Indianapolis-based landscape architecture firm Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects. He has taught environmental systems at several institutions, including Ball State University and Boston Architectural College. The winner of the 2012 AIA Indiana Young Architect Award, he has served on the boards of directors for the AIA Indianapolis chapter and the USGBC chapter of Indiana.
Mark Pasnik, AIA
Pasnik is the co-founder of Boston-based interdisciplinary firm Over, Under, and the co-founder of an independent design gallery, Pinkcomma. Pasnik also helped launch BSA Space, home to the Boston Society of Architects, and served as one of the first guest curators for the inaugural exhibition. He participated in the third annual Design Biennial Boston, in 2012, for which Over, Under curated works by previous biennial participants.
Michael Pfeffer, AIA
Pfeffer is a project manager and managing director at the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s Chicago office, where he worked on the development of the firm’s Intern Development Program Committee. He currently is a member of the board of directors for Windy City Habitat for Humanity and volunteers for Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago and the Retrofit Chicago Commercial Building Initiative. Pfeffer holds a B.Arch. from the University of Notre Dame.
Jason Dale Pierce, AIA
A project architect with St. Louis–based HOK, Pierce has served as the vice president of the Academy of Emerging Professionals for the AIA California Council and the regional director adviser for the Young Architects Forum. Pierce is also involved with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the Practice Management Knowledge Community Advisory Board. He serves on the board of directors for AIA St. Louis. Pierce holds a B.Arch. and B.A. in Theatre from Drury University.
Mark Schwamel, AIA
Schwamel is a project manager for Gensler and serves on the firm’s planning and urban design group. He is also the AIA Illinois regional associate director for the National Associates Committee and has served as associate director on the AIA Chicago board. In 2009, Schwamel founded the AIA Chicago Bridge program to provide experienced mentors for young architects and associate AIA members. He volunteers for the Rebuilding Together program for underprivileged families in Chicago.
Matt Slagle, AIA
A design architect for TowerPinkster who has been acclaimed for his expertise in sustainable school design, Slagle became eligible to take the Architect Registration Exam by his third year in his graduate program. He has served as the AIA Grand Rapids member services director and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and ArtPrize. He was named the 2013 Young Architect of the Year by AIA Grand Rapids. Slagle earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and an M.Arch. from the University of Colorado.
Christian Sottile, AIA
Sottile is the dean of the Savannah College of Art and Design’s School of Building Arts and founder and principal of Sottile & Sottile. He has received a National Honor Award for Urban Design from the AIA and a Charter Award from the Congress for the New Urbanism. He was named one of the top 100 academics working today by USA Today in 1998. Sottile holds an M.Arch. from the Savannah College of Art and Design and an M.Arch. II from Syracuse University.
Lorena Toffer, AIA
A project architect for the Dallas firm Corgan, Toffer has served as chair of the AIA Dallas Young Architects Forum, during which time she launched the Portfolio/Resume Workshop and the 10 Under Ten Exhibition. AIA Dallas recognized Toffer in 2011 as the Young Architect of the Year; in 2013, she served as director of networks for the chapter. Toffer has served on both the AIA Dallas Latinos in Architecture and Women in Architecture committees.
Brian Vitale, AIA
The design director for the Chicago office of Gensler, Vitale was the recipient of the 2010 AIA Illinois John Wellborn Root Award and received the AIA’s Scholastic Gold Medal and Certificate while pursuing his master’s degree at Washington University in St. Louis. He has served as an adjunct design professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Vitale has a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Karen Williams, AIA
Williams is an architect at HKS working for the commercial assembly and sports and entertainment group. She serves as the secretary for AIA Orlando and has chaired the organization’s Women in Architecture committee. Williams also works with the ACE mentorship program. She is the recipient of the Fred Pryor Young Architect Achievement Award. Williams earned an M.Arch. from Florida A&M University.
Jeff Yrazabal, AIA
A principal at SRG Partnership who is hailed for his efforts to create mentorship programs for young designers, Yrazabal is the AIA Portland president and AIA Northwest and Pacific Young Architect regional director. He co-chaired the AIA Portland Committee on the Environment and volunteers with Rebuilding Together and Architects in Schools. Yrazabal holds a B.Arch. and Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from Washington State University.
