The American Institute of Architects has elected Evelyn Lee as the 2025 President-elect. During the AIA annual meeting, Lee has been selected to take the position of 2024 First VP President-Elect, and afterward to become president in 2025. AIA has also elected Heather Philip-O'Neal to serve as Treasurer between 2024-2025, and Latoya N. Kamdang as the elected At-large Director.
Evelyn Lee is the Global Head of Workplace Strategy and Innovation at Slack Technologies, Founder of the Practice of Architecture, and Co-Host of the Podcast Practice Disrupted. She is also a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). From 2020 to 2021, she served as the first female Treasurer to the AIA National Board. She is also widely published, having managed a monthly column for Contract magazine, in addition to various other online publications, where she developed recurring content on the business of architecture. Additionally, Evelyn Lee has been featured as a speaker, panelist, and moderator at national design and architecture conferences, including AIA National Convention, Dwell on Design, and Women in Green.
Lee’s campaign is focused on three main areas, as she describes on her campaign website: ‘[Re]Thinking How We Practice Architecture’ to strengthen the business of architecture and make it more welcoming for future generations; ‘[Re]Designing How We Collaborate as a Profession’ to encourage the sharing of research and work across state components; and ‘[Re]Envisioning How We Create Value Beyond Practice’ to find ways to re-engage those who have chosen other career paths as advocates for architects and architecture. Lee also mentions that she understands her campaign as a continuation of that of Kimberly Dowdell, the current President of AIA.
We have the training our society so desperately needs to solve its most pressing challenges. I decided to run again because “the desire for transformation in our industry is so great, and I believe I’m the right leader to empower our members to meet the moment. - Evelyn Lee
After the onset of the pandemic, Evelyn Lee discussed in an exclusive ArchDaily Interview her perspective on the future of working together and the need to rethink traditional office structures to encourage collaboration around he world.
Last year, Kimberly Dowdell was chosen as the 100th president of the American Institute of Architects, becoming the first Black woman to hold the position in AIA’s 165-year history. She ran a campaign focused on supporting architects in practice, creating a sense of belonging and ensuring access to the architectural profession and education.
News via AIA.
