LEADERSHIP

Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program

Offered by select AIA chapters, the Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program (CKLDP) is a program dedicated to fostering the next generation of leaders in the community. The scholars selected for the program are emerging professionals who have demonstrated commitment to the design profession and are within ten years of their first licensure. Monthly sessions are hosted by scholars, with session topics ranging from entrepreneurship, equity, current design trends, negotiation, and beyond. By organizing these sessions for their fellow colleagues, scholars have the opportunity to speak with community leaders, fundraise with vendors, visit important sites in the locale, and broaden their worldview.

Former CKLDP scholar, Norgerie Rivas, describes a pivotal moment at a session where the group participated in a focusing exercise called “Pass the Clap.”

“We participated in an activity that asked everyone to send signals by clapping. As the exercise progressed and became more complex, there were claps from every direction, and we all became overwhelmed. The coordinator leading the activity reminded us that in life we are bombarded with situations, but we have to focus on the task at hand instead of being distracted by everything around us. After that metaphor, we succeeded in listening and finishing the activity together. Since the program, I have seen a difference in my coordination and management of projects and how I mentor others by putting that lesson into practice.”

Examination and Licensure

There are many different certification, accreditation and professional exams in the design world that evaluate one’s proficiency in a practice area. In all 50 states of the U.S., the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) is currently one required component to obtain one’s license to practice architecture. Although there are several study guides and preparation material readily available for the exams, finding a support group of aspiring architects, whether online or in-person, can ease the licensure process. Several AIA chapters organize study sessions and provide resources to help with the examination process.

Sarah Killingsworth, chair of the AIA Houston Emerging Professionals Committee, speaks about licensure as a group effort:

Supplementary Skills

With a variety of resources available online, you can learn a multitude of skills. You can innovate with artificial intelligence, write about your passions, or even fabricate products. These skills can translate into freelancing opportunities or aid creatively in your primary job function.

“Emerging professionals as a membership category experience more frequent transitions in their professional path, which means their needs and values tend to be the most varied. We sought feedback from emerging professionals to focus on what our members found most valuable. Since licensure pursuit was one of those areas, we actively support licensure candidates through various rotating programs, including our study group nights and pub quiz formats that engage employers to host us at firms around Houston and group ARE candidates together for peer mentoring. We strongly believe that licensure is a community pursuit, and that sharing knowledge and studying together benefits us all.”

Get Involved Early and Often

After taking on roles within various organizations like the AIA and United States Green Building Council, Colley Hodges discusses the importance of participating in different organizations:

“Volunteering early in your career is really valuable. It gave me access to mentors outside my firm and wider knowledge networks, and it helped me cultivate skills that most firms just aren’t set up to help develop. Don’t let imposter syndrome or your youth stop you from stepping into leadership roles early. These are great environments to grow with organizational safeguards to keep you from falling flat. Volunteering can also expand your network outside of traditional architecture, which can help you find synergies with other fields or even develop your career outside of traditional practice.”

Leadership is not just about influence. It’s about working with others to achieve a common goal. Everyone has unique skillsets and ambitions, and an effective leader is one who highlights each individual’s strengths for the benefit of the group.

The more you actively get involved, the better you are positioned to understand your own values and skyrocket your journey accordingly. If you have a cause you are passionate about, don’t be afraid to bring those ideas into the limelight. You may even find yourself in leadership roles outside of a structured organization by advocating for what you believe in.

Lead with Your Passions

As a founding member of Latinos in Architecture (LiA), Ricardo Martinez explores how his interest for bringing diversity to the forefront has impacted him and the community at-large:

Get involved and skyrocket your journey!

A Leader is a Team Player

Benjamin Peace recounts being the chair for Gulf Coast Green Conference as a rewarding, collective experience:

“The committee supported me throughout the process and allowed me to lean on their experience. What was incredible, though, was when we were focusing on speakers for the conference, different committee members offered to put me into contact with industry leaders that I would otherwise have no opportunity to meet with, like senior leaders of a local hospital, as well as the head of sustainability for a global developer. The best part was, when you share a common goal, like sustainability, the discussions are organic and natural.”

“In the short span of four years, LiA has allowed me to interject myself to champion for the transformation of the architectural profession to acknowledge the importance of diversity and inclusivity. LiA has provided me a place on the platform of Latino architects and design professionals to collaborate and foster a supportive community for all its’ members. As current Co-Chair, I’ve cultivated leadership skills, provided mentorship opportunities through the scholarship and outreach subcommittee, and provided a stage to present my culture to the architectural community through TertuLiAs and COLORES events.”

Networking in the Digital Age

Building connections in the industry can lead to incidental collaborations. Online platforms, especially in the post-pandemic era, have faciliated networking. However, remote options can hinder active engagement. Whether you connect with others online or in-person, be present to get the most out of your interactions.

While these examples are meant to encourage young professionals to broaden their horizons, they only provide a small glimpse of the plethora of education and professional development opportunities available. In order to make progress in your journey, you need to shed your inhibitions. Become a champion of design, take on that leadership role, and reach out to people in the industry. You will find that if you traverse with zeal, others will be receptive and willing to connect you with the right resources. To conclude, we share snippets of our journey to highlight how some of the avenues presented here have impacted our growth.

Seeking diverse learning experiences like interning in different countries, collaborating on research with the United Nations, and volunteering with various organizations, has shaped my professional growth. During my internship in Vietnam, the language barrier between myself and my co-workers meant that I directly worked with a firm director who was bilingual. Understanding his design philosophy and being able to communicate my own design ideas with him reinforced my passion for sustainable design, which resulted in my pursuit of a Master's Degree in Building Performance. Post-graduation, I volunteer with organizations like the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE), International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA), and the Gulf Coast Green Committee. These opportunities have helped me network and collaborate with like-minded sustainability design professionals.

- Navaz Bilimoria

I had known I wanted to be an architect since middle school. The goal was clear, but the path to it was not always straightforward, for I was unaware of resources that I could consult. However, when I entered high school, I found the Michael G. Meyers Competition which set the foundation for my design career. This event alone enabled me to obtain a scholarship, the opportunity to attend a summer design program, and land an internship. After enrolling in architecture school, I was able to intern at several firms throughout the years with the help of my network of friends and colleagues. Graduating amidst the pandemic, however, caused a bit of a disconnect for me. Post-graduation job opportunities slipped away from me, and I was left to study for the AREs in an isolated and uncertain future. Slowly, I was able to transition into the professional world by balancing the “new normal” of online and in-person engagements. Today, not only do I volunteer with programs like the MGMC, but I work alongside the same professionals who had mentored me during my high school days. It takes only one event to start a domino effect, and I hope to be able to contribute to someone else’s “full circle” moment.

- Tanvi Solanki

Contributors

Eric Ventura, LEED Green Associate is a Project Designer at Kirksey Architecture in Houston, Texas.

Ariana Flick is a Project Designer at Kirksey Architecture in Houston, Texas.

Brian Thompson is an Associate and Project Coordinator at Kirksey Architecture in Houston, Texas.

Camille Vigil is a Project Coordinator at GFF in Dallas, Texas.

Rinika Prince is an Architectural Designer at Sasaki in Boston, Massachusetts.

Tian Tian, LEED Green Associate is a Sustainability Designer at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture in Chicago, Illinois.

Alicia Chen is an Architectural Designer at STG in Austin, Texas.

Sarah Killingsworth, AIA, NCARB is a Project Manager at Goree Architects in Houston, Texas.

Norgerie Rivas, AIA, NCARB is an Architect and Project Manager at eStudio Architecture in Houston, Texas. She is the creator and host of She Builds Podcast.

Colley Hodges, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, SITES AP is the Sustainability Manager at the Houston Zoo.

Benjamin Peace, AIA, NCARB is an architect and Associate at Gensler in Houston, Texas.

Ricardo Martinez, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C is the President at Martinez Architects in Houston, Texas.

Navaz Bilimoria, WELL AP, LEED Green Associate

Bilimoria is a Building Performance and Sustainability Specialist and an Associate at Kirksey Architecture in Houston, Texas.

Tanvi Solanki, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, SITES AP

Solanki is an architect and an Associate at Kirksey Architecture in Houston, Texas.