Diana Darling

CEO & Creative Director

The Architect’s Newspaper

Darling is CEO, creative director, and co-founder of The Architect’s Newspaper, celebrating its 20th year. The A|N media company consists of print and digital publications covering architecture and design news, as well as the Facades+ and TECH+ conferences. As A|N’s publisher, Darling won the AIA National Collaboration Award, Grassroots Preservation Award, and ASLA NY’s President’s Award. She began her publishing career as director of print production for The Gap’s European markets. She holds a BS from The University of Texas at Austin.

Vaki Mawema

Principal and Co-Managing Director

Gensler

As Co-Managing Director of Gensler Baltimore, Vaki has created a team-based design culture that embodies creative passion, innovation, and rigor. His work focuses on experiential, branded environments for retail centers, mixed-use, and hospitality projects, showcasing his technical acumen and commitment to design excellence from project visioning all the way through construction administration. Vaki is well-known within the commercial real estate industry as an expert and thought leader in design as well as business leadership. Vaki’s leadership extends through his role as co-Chair of Gensler’s Global Race and Diversity Committee and being named a Leader in Diversity by the Baltimore Business Journal in 2021. Vaki has a bachelor’s degree in architecture from NewSchool of Architecture and Design.

JJ Rivers

Principal and Studio Director

Gensler

JJ Rivers is a Principal, Studio Director, and Mixed Use & Retail Centers Leader for the Southeast region based in Gensler’s Washington, D.C. office. A multi-award-winning architect, he is sought after in the market for his versatile project expertise spanning mixed-use development, sports & entertainment, master planning, and retail. JJ manages over 50 talented professionals, with his leadership inspiring his colleagues who share a mission to create a sustainable future by designing diverse experiences. His immense impact on advancing resilient design and development can be seen throughout his portfolio leading multiple net-zero designs on some of the largest projects in the nation. He holds a Master of Architecture and Master of Real Estate Development from the University of Maryland.

Robert Blabolil

Senior Associate

Gensler

Robert (Bobby) Blabolil is an accomplished architect at Gensler, known for his innovative approach and keen attention to detail. With expertise spanning design, documentation, and construction administration, he excels at navigating complex projects from inception to completion. Bobby has led a wide variety of high-profile projects across sectors like commercial office, mixed-use, residential, and repositioning. Passionate about sustainable design and smart technologies, Bobby frequently contributes to industry discussions, shaping the future of architecture and urban development. Bobby earned his bachelor’s degree in architecture, master’s degree in architecture, and master’s degree in sustainable design from the Catholic University of America.

Kathy Blessington

VP of Real Estate

Under Armour

With over three decades of leadership in corporate real estate, Kathy has shaped real estate strategies for some of the world’s most respected organizations, including Fidelity Investments, The Coca-Cola Company, and now Under Armour, where she serves as Head of Global Corporate Real Estate. In this role, Kathy leads a global team focused on developing strategies that align real estate with broader business goals—driving value through clear strategic management of data and analytics, facilities and operations management, thoughtful design and project delivery, and financial portfolio oversight. Throughout her career, her passion has been turning real estate from a cost center into a strategic asset—leveraging data-driven insights and operational excellence to fuel enterprise growth and transformation.

Jeffrey Kenoff

Principal

KPF

With 30 years of experience, Jeff is a guiding figure in the practice of blending architecture with urban design. His portfolio includes a wide range of program types, informing his expertise in large-scale, mixed-use developments. In his role as a Design Principal, Jeff’s dedicated approach to his projects has furthered the firm’s and the industry’s understanding of the importance of urban connectivity and vertical urbanism.

Jeff views each project as an opportunity to better connect the city, as he believes the integration of buildings with their surrounding urban fabric is pivotal to success. Driven by his commitment to creating spaces that positively contribute to the greater community, Jeff led the designs of Huamu Lot 10 – The Summit in Shanghai, which features cultural programming activated by a central plaza; T. Rowe Price Headquarters in Baltimore, which reimagines a brownfield site into a pedestrian haven on the waterfront; and Sequis Centre Tower in Jakarta, one of the first LEED-certified buildings in the city.

With a portfolio of urban planning, supertalls, and multi-building developments, Jeff maintains humanized designs through thoughtful materiality and massing scale. He was one of the Design Principals of One Vanderbilt, which draws inspiration from the neighboring Grand Central Terminal in the material selection for the building’s façade and lobby. Westlake 66, Riverside 66, and Spring City 66, three collaborations with one client, all explore a scale motif in varied forms.

Jeff is a recipient of the AIA Medal for Excellence in the Study of Architecture. He is an active advocate for urban architecture in communities such as AIA, ULI, and CTBUH. He has served as a visiting critic at Harvard University, MIT, Yale University, and Columbia University, and his design research has been published globally.

Greg Mell

Director

KPF

Greg Mell has worked on a variety of projects throughout North America, ranging from workplace and commercial buildings to academic and community centers. As a Director, Greg enriches KPF’s practice through the pursuit, conception, and execution of innovative work, such as the T. Rowe Price Headquarters in Baltimore, a sustainable office building that reinvigorates the city’s industrial waterfront, and Burrard Exchange in Vancouver, one of the tallest exposed hybrid mass timber office buildings on the continent.

Max Beatty

Director of Operations

Beatty Development

As the Director of Operations for Beatty Development, Max oversees the firm’s development activities from initial concept through completion. Max drives the design of each project, and his experience in retail and hospitality development puts the end-user at forefront of the process. Prior to joining Beatty Development, Max worked for JLL as an Associate Project Manager. Max graduated from Kenyan College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Arts and later earned his Master of Science degree in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Nat Madson

Design Principal

HGA

Nat Madson is a design principal at HGA with over 15 years of experience working on a range of arts, civic, and education projects.

Passionate about architecture’s transformative impact on the social life of the city, his recent projects include Capital One Hall in Tysons, VA, Mills Hall and the Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies at Bowdoin College in Maine, as well as the Blake Early Learning Center in Hopkins, MN. Nat is the recipient of the Rapson Traveling Fellowship, and holds a Master of Architecture from the university of Minnesota where he frequently teaches both graduate and undergraduate level design studios.

Alex Terzich

Associate Vice President

HGA

Alex Terzich is a registered architect specializing in custom facade design and detailing, and the development of high-performance technical solutions for complex projects. Alex is an Associate Vice President at HGA in Minneapolis, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Mike Augustine

Director of Architectural Promotion

SAFTI First

Mike Augustine has over 20 years of experience in the architectural glazing industry. As the Director of Architectural Promotion at SAFTI FIRST, he brings his extensive knowledge and expertise of fire rated glazing systems and fenestration in general when working closely with architects, specifiers, glazing contractors and code officials. Mike is a dynamic presenter and speaker who has been delivering the company’s AIA-registered presentation to various architecture firms, AIA local chapters, CSI local chapters, and at other architectural and glazing industry events.

Michelle Nichols

Business Development Manager

Longboard Architectural Prod

Driven by a passion for building materials and market development, Michelle has cultivated over a decade of expertise in the industry.  Currently, Michelle is focused on expanding Longboard’s presence throughout Florida, leveraging a deep understanding of industry trends, strategic initiatives and customer needs.  A Miami native, now residing in Merritt Island, Florida, Michelle combines professional expertise with a passion for travel and enjoying the coastal lifestyle.

Michelle Pearson

Sales Representative

YKK AP

Michelle Pearson is an Architectural Sales Representative for YKK AP America covering Maryland, DC and Northern Virginia. She has 20 years experience in the glass and glazing industry helping architects, general contractors and glazing contractors with their fenestration needs and challenges.

Aaron Alterman

Consultant Support Specialist – US & Canada

STI Specified Technologies

Aaron joined STI in 2015 as a Territory Manager in the Gulf South.  In 2018, he was promoted to the Curtain and Facades Specialist role, working with glaziers, fabricators, curtain wall consultants and perimeter fire containments contractors in the Midwest, Gulf Coast, Texas and Central Canada.   In 2024, Aaron became the Curtain Wall and Facades Consultant Support Specialist for North America, working with curtain wall consultants, architects, engineers and code officials.   

With over 30 years in a variety of fields in construction, Aaron has become a critical partner for many of the top CW Consultants in North America.  With his knowledge and expertise of perimeter fire containment systems for all types of construction including Mass Timber, backpan or non-backpan glazing systems, precast, GFRC, and Steel Stud/EIFS assemblies, Aaron can assist from design conception to project close out while meeting critical life safety requirements for a better project outcome.

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Aaron is now a proud resident of the great city of New Orleans.

Andrew Pries

Director of Innovation + Technical Sales

Boston Valley Terra Cotta

Andrew Pries, Director of Innovation + Technical Sales at Boston Valley Terra Cotta, holds a BS in Architecture from the University at Buffalo and a Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan. With a focus on design development and leveraging diverse fabrication methods to expand the applications of terra cotta, he has played a pivotal role in high profile projects such as the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) and 120 Stockton. As one of the coordinators of the Architectural Ceramic Assemblies Workshop (ACAW), Pries spearheads design development with the workshop teams, as well as the fabrication and construction of successful mockup assemblies.

Rachel Traurig

Regional Sales Manager

Kingspan

Rachel Traurig is a Regional Sales Manager at Kingspan BENCHMARK, covering Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. She brings over a decade of experience in architectural building products within the commercial design and construction industry. Rachel specializes in architectural insulated metal panels for high-performance building systems and works closely with architects, contractors, and developers to bridge design intent, technical performance, and sustainability goals—delivering innovative, energy-efficient building envelopes. Go Green!

Jack Becker

Principal & Founder

BLDUS

Jack Becker is a principal and founder of BLDUS, a DC-based architecture and development practice that operates throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, making architecture that connects past with future, modernity with tradition, and humanity with nature. Jack is a fourth-generation licensed architect, with a B.Arch from Cornell University and a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard GSD. He has been honored with a 2023 AR Vanguard Award, a 2021 AIA Young Architect Award, and a 2019 Young Architect Award from The Architect’s Newspaper.

Katie MacDonald

Co-Founder

After Architecture

Katie MacDonald is a licensed architect in Virginia and Cofounder of After Architecture, an award-winning architecture studio which has completed projects for a wide range of clients including Landmark Columbus Foundation, the Washington D.C. Department of General Services, Lycoming College, Cornell University, and Marriott.

MacDonald is  Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Virginia where she is Director of the Before Building Laboratory, leading material research and development. MacDonald pioneers renewable, carbon-sequestering material assemblies. Current projects focus on rapidly renewable biomaterials, including wood, bamboo, grass, various invasive plant species, and hemp. In 2022, she co-curated the Biomaterial Building Exposition.

MacDonald’s accolades include the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects + Designers, Emerging Designer in the Virginia by Design Awards, Educator of the Year in Metropolis Magazine’s Planet Positive Awards, the Small Project Award from the American Institute of Architects National, ten honors from the Society of American Registered Architects, and four placements in The Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Awards.

Kyle Schumann

Co-Founder

After Architecture

Kyle Schumann is Cofounder of After Architecture, an award-winning architecture studio which has completed projects for a wide range of clients including Landmark Columbus Foundation, the Washington D.C. Department of General Services, Lycoming College, Cornell University, and Marriott.

Schumann is Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Virginia where he is Director of the Before Building Laboratory, leading robotic fabrication research and development. Schumann seeks to advance the accessibility of digital fabrication, leveraging democratized technologies as well as inventing and building low-cost ground-up fabrication and imaging systems. His work spans analog processes in woodworking, metalworking, casting, ceramics, and textile production, to advanced and novel digital fabrication technologies, robotics, and machine visioning systems. In 2022, he co-curated the Biomaterial Building Exposition.

Schumann’s accolades include the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects + Designers, Emerging Designer in the Virginia by Design Awards, the Timber Education Prize, the Design Build Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, the Small Project Award from the American Institute of Architects National, ten honors from the Society of American Registered Architects, and four placements in The Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Awards.

Aïda Ayuk

Sustainable Design Coordinator

Eskew Dumez Ripple

Aida Ayuk is the Sustainable Design Coordinator at EskewDumezRipple, where she leads sustainability efforts firmwide. Specializing in the integration of sustainable, healthy, and equitable design strategies, Aida coordinates pledge commitments, facilitates design charrettes, and identifies opportunities for impactful solutions. She collaborates closely with project teams to build internal capacity and ensure a shared foundation in sustainability, health, and equity across all design decisions. Building on her 2023-2024 Just|Change Fellowship and published Equity Guide and Mapping Equity book, Aida is dedicated to advancing equity practices within the firm. A native of the D.C. area, she holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and has diverse design and research experience in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Copenhagen, and New Orleans.

John W. Chapman

President | Principal

KCCT

A founding principal of KCCT, John Chapman is a leading authority on US diplomatic design worldwide, borne out through an extensive portfolio of secure, sustainable facilities for government, institutional, and private clients and diplomatic, military, intelligence, and transportation market sectors. He guides the firm’s overarching business strategy, planning, and development initiatives, while maintaining a lead design role on multiple national and international projects each year. Under his leadership, KCCT delivers three key components: thoughtful and innovative design, specialized experience founded in exploration and research into building types, and a rock-solid reputation of integrity and reliability.

Utilizing his design expertise to guide highly sensitive global projects in the diplomatic, military, intelligence, and transportation markets, John has overseen the delivery of 11 new embassy campuses, six new diplomatic office buildings, 20 major embassy renovations, and 15 historic building restorations, 10 of which were listed on the Secretary of State’s Register of Culturally Significant Properties. He has managed over 80 stand-alone projects and 200 task orders worldwide; additionally, he has managed design and construction of 35 diplomatic facilities overseas through design-build partnerships.

John has served on the AIA Federal Architecture Task Group and the US Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Industry Advisory Panel, leveraging perspective he gained from design efforts that date back to the early Inman program. An untiring advocate of design innovation, John routinely probes and tests underlying security assumptions that drive current embassy planning and design criteria. He has presented before the National Academy of Sciences, and his case study on the design of rapid transit systems is published in The Encyclopedia of Architecture.

John Jackson

Associate Principal

SGH

John Jackson applies his creative and technical skills to design and engineer innovative enclosure systems. With experience in diverse projects both domestically and abroad, he specializes in curtain walls, custom glazing systems, structural glass, and glass investigations. He has managed complex building enclosure design projects for governmental buildings, including the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC, and the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia. Beyond his work in building enclosure design, John leads SGH’s Glass and Glazing Systems practice area. He is also an active member of ASTM International Subcommittee E06.52 – Glass Use in Buildings and frequently delivers lectures on building enclosure design.

Earl Patrick

Director of Design

Enclos

Earl Patrick is Director of Design and oversees Enclos’ design efforts in new and prospective work.

With over 22 years of experience in the facades industry, including 9 with Enclos, he has worked on monumental projects across the United States. Throughout his career, he has assisted clients with refining design alternatives and worked diligently to help architects achieve their vision while helping project teams meet their budgets.

Notable projects with which he’s been involved at Enclos include The Golden State Warriors Arena Complex, Raiders Stadium, The Australian Embassy, 415 Natoma, San Diego Terminal 1, Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute, and the Sherwin Willams Headquarters.

Before facade work, his background included carpentry, cabinetry, welding, and residential construction. He’s also a musician and graduated from the Berklee College of Music with a degree in Classical Composition.

Diana Darling

CEO & Creative Director

The Architect’s Newspaper

Darling is CEO, creative director, and co-founder of The Architect’s Newspaper, celebrating its 20th year. The A|N media company consists of print and digital publications covering architecture and design news, as well as the Facades+ and TECH+ conferences. As A|N’s publisher, Darling won the AIA National Collaboration Award, Grassroots Preservation Award, and ASLA NY’s President’s Award. She began her publishing career as director of print production for The Gap’s European markets. She holds a BS from The University of Texas at Austin.