
With the A'22 Conference on Architecture scheduled from June 22 to 25, elections for The American Institute of Architects new board leadership are upon us. From June 10 to 14, accredited AIA delegates will cast their votes for the Institute's national level leadership and, in the event of a runoff, a second round will take place from June 15 to 17. These delegates, each selected by their local chapters, must be AIA members—architect, emeritus, associate, or international associate—in good standing.
As is tradition, ARCHITECT asked each candidate running for elective office about their qualifications, platform, and outlook on the profession. Below, you will meet Britt Lindberg, FAIA, and Thomas A. Liebel, FAIA, the two candidates running for the role of 2023-2024 secretary. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity. You can also find videos of the candidates presenting their platforms at the end of this article.
Britt Lindberg

Title: Technical Director, Gensler
Local AIA component: AIA Silicon Valley
Leadership Roles: (AIA National) Board At-Large Director (2020-2022); Board Knowledge Committee, Member (2020) Chair (2021); Collaborative Achievement Awards, Jury Chair (2020); Covid Business Task Force (2020); Author, ‘Supporting Emerging Professionals’ Resolution 2018-6". (AIA California) President (2018); Board of Directors (2013-2018); VP Communications/Public Affairs (2015-16); Planning & Finance Committee (2013-2014, 2017). AIA Silicon Valley President (2014); Board of Directors (2011-2015); Women In Architecture Committee founding member (2015); Chair, Urban Village Charrette with San Jose Planning Department (2013-15); Emerging Professionals Committee (2010-2015)
Why do you want to hold this leadership position at AIA?
As a current at-large director on the board, I’ve seen how the secretary is crucial to leading AIA’s execution and achievement toward strategic plan goals and imperatives for equity, justice, climate action, a strong pipeline, and better public understanding of the importance of design in all our everyday lives. Members and leaders are often unaware of this important, behind-the-scenes work. I seek not only to strengthen AIA’s governing documents to help urgently achieve strategic plan goals, but also to do so in a more open, collaborative, and engaging way with all AIA leaders and members.
How have your experiences prepared you for this role?
In all my AIA service roles for over 10 years, I have brought a culture of listening, trust, engagement, collaboration, innovation, and communication that prepares me for the secretary role. From joining my local chapter’s Emerging Professionals Committee in 2010, to serving as local and state chapter presidents, to now hosting frequent Leadership Exchange calls with over 100 AIA leaders in several states, as all at-large directors do, I have increased awareness, communication, and opportunities for leader and member engagement that recently were the core of my being recognized with AIA fellowship.
I also have broad work experience at small firms focused on residential and retail, and now at Gensler focused on large scale commercial projects. While I live in the Bay Area in California, I grew up in a small suburban town in Massachusetts, and went to undergraduate school in upstate New York. This all helps me appreciate the importance of diverse perspectives in collaboratively developing the best solutions for then taking action.
What key issues do you hope to address in this role?
Building on the above, as secretary I’ll pro-actively advance supporting diverse leaders; strengthening policy statements; innovating educational tools; updating governing documents; and more, to urgently achieve equity and climate imperatives. Some simple specifics include codifying emerging professionals and allied public members to having seats on diverse leadership groups and committees. The next secretary will also be key to implementing the recent honors and awards equity assessment recommendations, and current Members’ Voice Task Force work, both of which I can hit the ground running due to my current role on the Board.
What are the greatest challenges facing architects today? How can AIA respond to them?
Climate, justice, pipeline, burnout, impact, influence.. AIA is already working on these crucial issues at every level, providing important programming, research, education, and outreach. COVID-19 accelerated our transition to a hybrid organization, and increased public awareness on the importance of design for health. There is strong opportunity for AIA to embrace new technologies, research, partners, and processes, strengthening our relevance, prosperity, and forward-looking success.
As a proven innovative thinker, collaborator, and communicator through ongoing AIA service, I would be honored to serve as AIA’s next secretary.
Tom Liebel

Title: Vice-President, Moseley Architects
Local AIA component: AIA Baltimore
Leadership Roles: (National) Member, AIA National Strategic Council (2018-2020); AIA National Council Moderator (2020); Member, AIA National Secretary’s Advisory Committee (2019-2020, 2022); Member, AIA Regions Task Force (2020) Member, AIA Elections Credentials Committee (2020); Member, AIA Focus Framework Work Group (2018-Present); AIA Representative to NAAB Visiting Team Pool (2017-present); College of Fellows, American Institute of Architects; Bethune Fellow, AIA (2020); Member, AIA International Green Construction Code Task Force (2011-2012); Team Leader, AIA Sustainable Design Assessment Team (2018, 2015, 2013, 2012, and 2011); Member, AIA, Continuing Education Quality Assurance Panel, Sustainability Curriculum Committee (2007-2008); Subject Matter Advisor, 100 Resilient Cities Network (2017-2020); LEED Fellow, Green Building Certification Institute; Delegate, Remaking Cities Congress, Pittsburgh (October 2013); Resource Team Member, American Architectural Foundation Sustainable Cities Design Academy for Bethlehem, Pa., (July 2012); Member, NTHP Thought Leadership Group on Sustainability (2009). (Regional) Director, Maryland Chapter, AIA (2005-2011, 2013); Grassroots Leadership Network Coordinator (2007-2010); AIA 150 Champion (2006); Maryland Green Building Council Member (2011- 2019) Chair (2011-2014); Member, Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission (2010-2011); Member, Maryland Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (2012-Present); Member, Green Building Task Force, State of Maryland (2007). (Local) Architect Member, Baltimore Chapter of American Institute of Architects, President (2014); President-Elect (2013); Secretary (2012); Director (2010-2011); Baltimore AIA Committee on the Environment Chair of COTE Committee (2004-2009); Co-Chair, Fellows Committee (2021-Present); Baltimore Architecture Foundation Director (2015-Present); Co-Chair, AIA Baltimore Fellows Scholarship Dinner (2019-Present); Baltimore City Commission on Historic and Architectural Preservation Chair (2012-2022), Commissioner (2010-2012); Subject Matter Expert, Baltimore Mayor’s Taskforce on Safe Artist Spaces (2017); Member, Urban Land Institute, Baltimore Chapter; Member, Revitalization, and Reuse Council (2019-present); Co-Chair, ULI/NTHP Partnership for Building Reuse study for Baltimore (2014)
Why do you want to hold this leadership position at AIA?
As I have mentioned in many of the discussions I have had with component executives and chapter leadership over the past several months, I am not just running for a chance to sit on AIA’s Board of Directors. I am running for the position of secretary, recognizing the roles, responsibilities, and significant work associated with the position. Having served on the Strategic Council for three years, I had an opportunity to closely observe the functions and activities of AIA’s Board of Directors, and the roles that each position on the board played. I found that the activities of the secretary’s align with my interests and that the secretary’s role is similar to other positions where I have served successfully. It is while serving on the secretary’s Advisory Committee for two years that I really developed both a sense for the position as well as a keen interest in stepping into the role of secretary by contributing to the deliberations and actions that supported the secretary and the Board of Directors.
How have your experiences prepared you for this role?
There are many experiences that have prepared me for the role of secretary. Most recently, my role as 2020 moderator of the Strategic Council gave me a much better understanding of the workings of AIA at multiple levels, as well as the connection between the Board of Directors and the Strategic Council. As I was invited to observe board meetings, representing the Strategic Council, I was also able to observe board activities and the way various board members and board committees interacted. I have also already served two terms on the Secretary’s Advisory Committee, where I learned firsthand the responsibilities of the secretary and took part in many of the actions and deliberations of the SAC. However, I have also served in local and state component leadership as well, and from these experiences I have developed an understanding of the strengths and challenges that each level of AIA faces, and how a collaborative process of deliberation involving members, leaders and component executives leads to the best results.
What key issues do you hope to address in this role?
The specific role of the secretary is often underappreciated. In addition to serving as a member of the Board of Directors, the secretary is also responsible for making sure that the policies and initiatives articulated by the board can be implemented by reviewing, and revising when necessary, the rules, bylaws and other documents that guide the actions of AIA and its members.
In addition to serving as a member of the board and supporting AIA’s Strategic Plan and all the initiatives that spring from that document, I identified five issues that I would like to address in my initial candidate statement:
- Elevating conversation: creating methods for members to interact with national leadership in ways that don’t require a resolution.
- Words matter: We need to ensure that our governing documents are aligned to help create a more agile and effective AIA, allowing us to operate more effectively and transparently. It is imperative that all of our governing documents are in alignment with our goals and the strategic plan. There is too much going on the be able to afford to get in our own way.
- Leadership:develop more ways for members to participate in leadership opportunities by creating additional development paths to encourage more members to volunteer as leaders of the organization.
- How we engage: We are no longer compelled to meet in person to be effective, yet at times we are still tied to a model that requires physical presence to participate. How can in-person, hybrid, and virtual interactions be coordinated?
Better defining roles: the Strategic Council’s role is somewhat loosely defined in our current bylaws. By providing greater clarity we can further develop the Strategic Council as a voice for all our members, advisors to the board, and visionary thinkers to identify future opportunities and challenges that our profession faces.
What are the greatest challenges facing architects today? How can AIA respond to them?
I think the greatest challenge is that there is no single challenge facing the profession today. Climate change; addressing concerns around equity, diversity and inclusion issues; and addressing long-term institutional inequities, challenging economics, recruitment and mentorship of emerging professionals, and continuous pressure from multiple directions to erode the role and position of the architect are all occurring simultaneously. We must make sure that AIA and its governance structure is lithe, agile, and coherently focused so that we can swiftly respond to both existing and future events quickly and effectively. By tapping into the collective knowledge and passion of all our members, we can cooperatively address the challenges that are facing our profession.