Agenda

Dionne Darling

VP of Brand Partnerships

The Architect’s Newspaper

Dionne Darling has been with The A|N Media Group for over six years. As VP of Brand Partnerships and Associate Publisher, she manages A|N’s Texas headquarters and handles accounts in the West, Southwest and Europe territories. Dionne has over 28 years of direct B2B sales, management and business development experience.

Cory Dear

Vice President

Corgan

Studying architecture in both Italy and Portugal, Cory offers a diverse background and believes design should be sensitive to and inspired by place. “When we respond to obvious geographic circumstances, solutions can feel tired, cheesy, or pandering — my favorite contextual clues are typically found in the small details which can provoke surprising results and a chance to be fresh,” he explains.

In his more than sixteen years as an architect with Corgan, Cory has provided a unique perspective by collaborating on designs for multi-dimensional commercial projects including the Wells Fargo and Toyota Headquarters as well as the American Airlines Credit Union, winner of the Texas Society of Architects Design Award. His role as a leader is to propel Corgan’s design output, nurture our culture, and provide numerous platforms for our team members to contribute their valuable input. 

The following beliefs guide Cory’s design practices: 

– Artistic prompts invite non-standard responses. 

– Gray areas support life’s interesting moments (as opposed to black-and-white thinking). 

– Collaboration uncovers diverse design approaches. 

– Deadlines create momentum. 

Cory says the architect choreographs the user experience through sensing how people are constantly “on the move” and ever-growing and changing. “It’s exciting to be a small part of guiding a practice in motion rather than one that is ossified in place and afraid of change.” 

Ian Zapata

Principal, Director of Design

Corgan

RA, LEED AP

Ian Zapata is Corgan’s Director of Design, leading the growth and recognition of the firm’s design presence and guiding Corgan’s engagement with the design community. With over 25 years of experience, he is known for his ability to create compelling, transformative designs while building lasting client relationships. Ian believes every project—big or small—deserves the same level of attention and care. His thoughtful collaboration and passion for meaningful design make him a true mentor and leader.

He is inspired by the description of cities as “ships that ferry one generation to the next,” a concept that has fueled his love of travel to learn how people have, over time, solved the problems of daily life.  He’s learned that good design is the skillful solution to a problem, but great design goes further—it solves problems while forging meaningful connections with people. At its core, it’s about human experiences, and everything we create is built around that principle.

Ian’s experience spans planning and design for major airport, hotel, office and corporate headquarters projects. He’s led a global practice focused on building transformation and is devoted to advancing our understanding of how we can future-proof our cities, create work destinations that drive engagement, navigate the complexities of ESG, and build a carbon-neutral future. 

Ian earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University. He has served on the board of the Dallas Architecture Forum since 2012, where he has been President of the Board and chair of the Dallas Design Symposium.

Matt McDonald

Principal, Sector Leader, Office

Corgan

Matt has become a master at managing the scale and complexity of large corporate headquarters projects. His role leading the design of headquarters for Fortune 500 companies like Kubota—which earned LEED Gold certification—and Charles Schwab has contributed to his reputation as a leader who always goes the extra mile for clients. Matt is drawn to the psychological challenges inherent in architecture. His desire to create spaces where people want to be is coupled with the knowledge that this means different things to different people. Uncovering the psychological underpinnings of what makes people enjoy and draw inspiration from a space—these are the things that motivate him. Matt is responsible for the overall direction of commercial practice at Corgan—from new business to our strategic approach, execution, and growth markets—and leads his team through all phases of design, production, and construction.

Ron Stelmarski

Principal, Design Director

Perkins+Will

Stelmarski’s experience spans all disciplines, including architecture, interiors, brand experience, and urban design. In addition to management of large, multidisciplinary design teams, he is active in the academic and professional arena, lecturing, publishing articles, and serving on design juries, as well as editing the Perkins&Will publication, Ideas+Buildings. Sowing the seeds of inspiration from museums and book design to complex mixed-use projects and university designs, Stelmarski’s leadership signals the next step in the evolution of Perkins&Will from an architecture firm to an interdisciplinary design practice.

Brad Bell

Associate Professor, Architecture

The University of Texas at Arlington

Brad Bell is an Associate Professor at The University of Texas at Arlington. He also directs the Digital Architecture Research Consortium (DARC) at UT Arlington. His research interests include innovative material applications and the integration of advanced digital technologies into the architectural design process with a focus on the use of digital fabrication and cast materials.

Felicia Santiago

Architect

Gensler Dallas

Felicia Santiago’s career encompasses a range of project types including retail, churches, courthouses, data centers, and other mission critical and government facilities. Her passion for protecting and celebrating a community’s art, history, and culture for current and future generations guides a dedication to stewarding a building’s legacy, authenticity, and purpose. Passionate about the intricate and inherent interconnection of all building systems, communities, the past, present, and future; Felicia believes the impact of every project is far bigger than its footprint and is committed to ensuring the success of every project for the greater benefit of the community at large.

Felicia leads technical efforts of a project and participates actively in all phases to ensure design elements are expertly detailed, cost-effective, and responsibly executed. Her technical architectural proficiency in various project types is amplified by a steady patience, clear and direct communication, excellent organization skills, and talent for synthesizing complex information into succinct strategies. Felicia’s thorough knowledge of fusing old and new in resilient and environmentally conscious ways makes her an invaluable asset for the most complex design challenges. She is a collaborative leader and a point of contact amongst various stakeholders, keeping everyone on track to execute a client’s vision in a timely and responsible fashion.

Dionne Darling

VP of Brand Partnerships

The Architect’s Newspaper

Dionne Darling has been with The A|N Media Group for over six years. As VP of Brand Partnerships and Associate Publisher, she manages A|N’s Texas headquarters and handles accounts in the West, Southwest and Europe territories. Dionne has over 28 years of direct B2B sales, management and business development experience.

Cory Dear

Vice President

Corgan

Studying architecture in both Italy and Portugal, Cory offers a diverse background and believes design should be sensitive to and inspired by place. “When we respond to obvious geographic circumstances, solutions can feel tired, cheesy, or pandering — my favorite contextual clues are typically found in the small details which can provoke surprising results and a chance to be fresh,” he explains.

In his more than sixteen years as an architect with Corgan, Cory has provided a unique perspective by collaborating on designs for multi-dimensional commercial projects including the Wells Fargo and Toyota Headquarters as well as the American Airlines Credit Union, winner of the Texas Society of Architects Design Award. His role as a leader is to propel Corgan’s design output, nurture our culture, and provide numerous platforms for our team members to contribute their valuable input. 

The following beliefs guide Cory’s design practices: 

– Artistic prompts invite non-standard responses. 

– Gray areas support life’s interesting moments (as opposed to black-and-white thinking). 

– Collaboration uncovers diverse design approaches. 

– Deadlines create momentum. 

Cory says the architect choreographs the user experience through sensing how people are constantly “on the move” and ever-growing and changing. “It’s exciting to be a small part of guiding a practice in motion rather than one that is ossified in place and afraid of change.” 

Ian Zapata

Principal, Director of Design

Corgan

RA, LEED AP

Ian Zapata is Corgan’s Director of Design, leading the growth and recognition of the firm’s design presence and guiding Corgan’s engagement with the design community. With over 25 years of experience, he is known for his ability to create compelling, transformative designs while building lasting client relationships. Ian believes every project—big or small—deserves the same level of attention and care. His thoughtful collaboration and passion for meaningful design make him a true mentor and leader.

He is inspired by the description of cities as “ships that ferry one generation to the next,” a concept that has fueled his love of travel to learn how people have, over time, solved the problems of daily life.  He’s learned that good design is the skillful solution to a problem, but great design goes further—it solves problems while forging meaningful connections with people. At its core, it’s about human experiences, and everything we create is built around that principle.

Ian’s experience spans planning and design for major airport, hotel, office and corporate headquarters projects. He’s led a global practice focused on building transformation and is devoted to advancing our understanding of how we can future-proof our cities, create work destinations that drive engagement, navigate the complexities of ESG, and build a carbon-neutral future. 

Ian earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University. He has served on the board of the Dallas Architecture Forum since 2012, where he has been President of the Board and chair of the Dallas Design Symposium.