Legislators look to their constituents to bring information to their attention and to let them know how they want to be represented. Architects can play a key role in public policy debates and decisions on issues important to the built environment. Architects are both respected by policymakers and are looked to for technical knowledge on issues integral to the future livability of our cities.
When you are passionate about an issue and ready to take action, it’s important to understand the legislative process, key players and how to be strategic in the relationships you develop and tools you utilize to effectively communicate your position. Use this guide to help familiarize yourself with the methods of engagement at each level of government. Decide which issue(s) you’d like to advocate for, determine which officials you’d like to contact and decide how you want to engage. Public officials take your input seriously – it’s their job to represent you.
Click on the links below to learn more about engaging in advocacy through AIA and on your own at each level of government.
If you’d like help, contact Manager of Advocacy Kirsten Smith by email or phone at 206-488-4938 x401. If you’d like to join AIA’s efforts on a particularly policy topic, let Kirsten know. Your voice is integral to our advocacy efforts and we’d love to have you join us.
Note: members represent themselves only, not the AIA, unless expressly invited to do so.
Shirley Blumberg CM, OAA, FRAIC, AIA is a founding partner of KPMB Architects and a Member of the Order of Canada “for her contributions to architecture and for her commitment to creating spaces that foster a sense of community.” Recent projects include 20 Washington Road at Princeton, Fort York Public Library, the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre at UBC, the Global Centre for Pluralism for the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada, and the Centre for International Governance Innovation Campus, a winner of a Governor General’s Medal, an American Institute of Architects Honor Award, and a Royal Institute of British Architects International Award. Current projects include the Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan and the Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. Shirley is a member of the Toronto Community Housing Design Review Panel and established Building Equality in Architecture Toronto (BEAT), an independent initiative dedicated to the promotion of equality in the profession of Architecture.
J. Meejin Yoon AIA, FAAR (b. Seoul, Korea) is a Korean-American architect and designer. In 2014, Yoon was appointed Head of the Department of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Yoon is a registered architect and founder of MY Studio and Höweler + Yoon Architecture, LLP. Awarded the 2016 ACADIA Teaching Award, the 2013 Irwin Sizer award for Most Significant Improvement (and Innovation) to Education at MIT, the United States Artist Award in Architecture and Design in 2008, the Rome Prize in Design in 2005, and a Fulbright Fellowship in 1998, Yoon’s academic and professional work has been widely recognized for its innovative and interdisciplinary nature. She is the co-author of Expanded Practice: Projects by Höweler + Yoon and MY Studio (Princeton Architectural Press 2009), and Public Works: Unsolicited Small Projects for the Big Dig (MAP Book Publishers 2008). Yoon received a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University, a Masters of Architecture in Urban Design with Distinction from Harvard University in 1997.
Dr. Vikramāditya “Vikram” Prakāsh is an architect, an architectural historian and theorist. He works on issues of modernism, postcoloniality, global history, urban theory, and fashion & architecture. His books include Chandigarh’s Le Corbusier: The Struggle for Modernity in Postcolonial India, A Global History of Architecture (with Francis DK Ching & Mark Jarzombek), Colonial Modernities: Building, Dwelling and Architecture in British India and Ceylon (with Peter Scriver, co-eds), The Architecture of Shivdatt Sharma and Chandigarh: An Architectural Guide. A Global History is widely used as a textbook and being translated into five languages. He is currently working on Deruralization: The Modernist City in the Age of Globalization(Routledge: 2017). Vikram has served as Assocaite Dean and Chair at the University of Washington. His administrative experience includes capital campaigning, strategic planning, institutional networking, and mentoring. His public service includes terms on the Boards of the Seattle Center and the Seattle AIA. Currently, he is the Director of the Chandigarh Urban Lab, and founding board member of GAHTC – the Global Architectural History Teaching Collaborative. He is co-PI (with Mark M. Jarzombek, MIT) of a 2.5 million dollar Mellon Foundation grants to develop the teaching of global history in the academy. Vikram grew up in Chandigarh, India. He lives in Seattle with his wife and three children. He loves poetry, and is a modern dance and theater enthusiast. Fashion and architecture, or Body-Architecture, is his newest passion, a transdisciplinary reimagining of the architecture of design thinking.
(coming soon!)
Alissa Rupp is a leader in the design of places for informal education and lifelong learning. She has focused her work on the creation of spaces where art, nature, culture and play intersect. As President and CEO of The Portico Group she led an international practice whose projects benefited people of all ages and origins, as well as cultural institutions of all scales. Dedicated to architecture as a force to improve and sustain public life, she has led the design of museums, gardens, zoos, and visitor centers. Most recently, she led the effort to merge The Portico Group with MIG, a multidisciplinary firm based in Berkeley, to further expand the combined firms’ reach in architecture, planning, landscape architecture and exhibit design on the west coast and beyond. She now serves as a Principal and Practice Leader in the new MIG | Portico, leading the firm’s work in creating innovative places for learning and discovery.
Tom Marseille is the Sustainability Director for WSP USA and Managing Director of the Seattle office. His passion is to deliver high performance, smart building solutions that are practical, resilient, maintainable, resource-responsible and consider the well being of the building occupants. An author and frequent speaker, Tom has served on the technical committee responsible for development of the first ANSI-accredited Green Building standard. He is a past Board member of the Cascadia Green Building Council and the Seattle Living Building Pilot Program TAG. Tom also served as moderator and presenter for the AIA+2030 Professional Series and AIA Getting to Zero Professional Series. He currently is a member of the AIA Strategic Advisory Council and Smart Building Task Force. Prior to being a consultant, Tom was a Senior Research Scientist for Pacific Northwest National Laboratories and Director for Honeywell’s Building Information Services business.
Bert Gregory FAIA has advanced architecture and urban design as a force in environmental stewardship. Realized in highly visible projects at Seattle-based Mithun, his work anticipates the future of public policy and the design professions. By consistently pushing design to the edges of knowledge, Gregory’s projects have become nationwide references for high performance, resilient design. His design leadership has resulted in four AIA COTE Top 10 Green Project awards, including REI’s Seattle Flagship and IslandWood, the AIA National Honor Award for Regional & Urban Design, two American Society of Landscape Architects National Honor Awards, the National Trust for Historic Preservation Honor Award, and the Urban Land Institute Award of Excellence. He has served as Board Chair of Forterra, AIA Seattle’s President, and in numerous local and national leadership roles. Under his 15 year leadership as Mithun’s CEO, the interdisciplinary firm was honored with over 165 design awards and was named to the top 15 of all design firms in the United States by Architect Magazine.
Marijana Cvenček AIA moved from Bosnia to Seattle in 2001 to become an architect. She earned BA in Architectural Studies from the UW in 2005. During 11 years at Baylis Architects, she progressed from an Intern Architect to an Associate. Cvenček is an active member of the AIA Diversity Roundtable (DRT), where she leads the Architects in Schools Program. The program expands awareness of architectural profession to children of diverse ethnic/racial backgrounds through the collaboration among DRT, St. Edward Elementary, and UW. Cvenček coordinates vendor-held courses, manages the firm’s AIA provider account, and creates in-office learning sessions. Cvenček serves as a vice-chair on the Wellspring Family Services’ inaugural Associate Board, helping with agency’s efforts to alleviate Seattle’s family homelessness crisis. As a member of Drina Folklore Group, Cvenček maintains a connection with her roots while sharing her background with the local community. Cvenček’s career continues at Schemata Workshop.
Rodger Benson has been active in the Pacific Northwest construction industry for over 40 years and has held various roles in project management, project development, and leadership with leading local building contractors. For the past 19 years Benson has been responsible for leading commercial construction projects throughout the Pacific Northwest for Mortenson Construction. The focal point of his efforts has involved building and nurturing strategic design partner, subcontractor and customer relationships to the mutual personal and professional benefit of all parties involved. He also works closely with Mortenson Development in identifying strategic partnerships and development opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. Benson received his Bachelor of Science degree in Building Construction from the University of Washington in 1975. He was the first chairman and 8 year member of the Washington State Project Review Committee, is a 16 year member of the NAIOP Community Enhancement Committee, and has served multiple years on the DBIA Legislative Committee. As an AIA Seattle board member for two terms he also served as chairman of the chapter’s Development Committee and as a member of the “in-kind” fund raising committee for the chapter’s new Center for Architecture and Design.
Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien Born and raised in the Seattle area, Mike has a deep appreciation for the beauty of the Puget Sound region and a deep respect for the progressive values and spirit of independence of the people who live in Seattle and make it such a great city. In his seven years on city council, Mike has been a champion for environmental and social justice causes including work to: ban plastic bags, create a public financing system for local elections, give Uber drivers the right to collective bargain, create stable living options for people living in vehicles and without shelter, find alternatives to incarcerating our kids, and prevent Shell Oil from establishing their Arctic drilling fleet in Seattle. Mike earned an economics degree from Duke University and an MBA from the University of Washington and then served for 10 years as the chief financial officer at the local law firm of Stokes Lawrence. Mike originally got involved in local politics through the Sierra Club, where he has been a volunteer for 15 years and is currently serving on the Board of Directors. Mike lives with his wife and two sons in Fremont.
Adam Stoeckle Assoc. AIA is a designer at Schacht Aslani Architects. His passion for community service was instilled at a young age, as he volunteered at a Pittsburgh food bank for his synagogue’s Mitzvah Day. Before graduate school, he volunteered with the Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders in Mississippi and served as an AmeriCorps volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in East King County. After completing the University of Washington’s M.Arch program, he joined the board of Architects Without Borders-Seattle (AWB-S) and served as co-chair of the AIA Seattle Young Architects Forum (YAF). While co-chair of the YAF, he worked with emerging professionals to expand resources for licensure, education, and mentorship. During his time on the board of AWB-S, he championed the organization’s involvement in the Seattle Design Festival by helping facilitate design competitions centered around little free libraries, mobile urban gardens, and earthquake preparedness. His current work at Schacht Aslani Architects is focused on creating meaningful spaces for education and community gathering.
4Culture As the cultural funding agency for King County, 4Culture works to make our region vibrant. Using Lodging Tax and 1% for Art funds, their team of grant-makers, cultural advocates, advisory committees, and volunteer review panelists support a diverse array of cultural endeavors. Their four program areas—arts, heritage, historic preservation, and public art—put public resources to use all over King County. They work to ensure access to cultural experiences for all, from museum collections to theater productions to renovating Historic buildings.
Garrett Nelli Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a designer at NAC Architecture in the process of completing licensure. His professional work includes medical facilities, K-12 educational facilities, residential and student housing. Nelli’s work focuses on articulating spaces that promote sustainability while encouraging rich community interaction. He believes architects have the potential and responsibility to address the broader issues of a global society through thoughtful design solutions. This passion and core ethos have manifested in the designs of an Infant Rescue Center in Burkina Faso, in collaboration with Architects Without Borders – Seattle, as well as a design-build led by the University of Tennessee addressing the lack of clean drinking water in rural Appalachia. During his studies, Nelli spent time abroad at the University of Arkansas Rome Center broadening his appreciation for the history and culture, which laid the foundation for his profession. He is currently working on Wing Luke Elementary, a new elementary school located in the diverse Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle.
Dave E. Miller, FAIA served in the Peace Corps after graduating from Washington State University in 1968. His focus on self-help housing in Brazil laid the foundation for his award-winning housing designs. Upon returning from the Peace Corps, Miller earned a Master’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1972. From 1972-1976, he worked with SOM, Arthur Erickson in Vancouver, B.C. and Rhone Iredale in Vancouver, B.C. In 1977, Miller and Robert Hull established The Miller Hull Partnership in Seattle, which went on to receive the AIA National Firm Award in 2003. Miller authored ‘Toward a New Regionalism’ (2005) which promotes environmental architecture. Miller has served on multiple design juries; lectured at universities throughout the U.S., as well as in Canada, Japan and Italy; and taught design studio as a visiting professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, and University of Oregon. In 2002, he was the KEA Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Maryland. Miller is a past chair of the University of Washington Department of Architecture, where he continues to teach as a tenured professor.
mw|works is a small, collaborative design studio based in Washington State. Their work is rooted in the region, informed by the unique character of this landscape and expressive of our region’s strong legacy of craft. mw|works commits themselves to finding innovative solutions to every project and providing the highest level of service to the people they work with, developing strong relationships with clients, builders and craftspeople. Formed during the recession, a collaborative approach that began as a necessary process to elevate even the smallest budget has become a cornerstone of how they approach innovation and flexibility on every project to carry out a strong design vision. Their work today remains committed to that standard, providing thoughtful and compelling design solutions to projects of all scopes and budgets.
Mona Zellers Assoc. AIA is a passionate leader within the Seattle design community who has advocated for the role that design can play in solving the complex issues facing our communities and cities. She is an Associate and Designer at LMN Architects in Seattle. Since joining the firm in 2012, Zellers has worked on a diverse range of commercial, academic and cultural projects. Zellers serves on the Board of Directors of both AIA Seattle and Design in Public. She co-chaired the Seattle AIA Honor Awards Committee in 2013-2014 and helped found the design collaborative Frankenstein Inc., which, along with LMN, won two AIA Seattle Honor Awards for their Seattle Design Festival projects. Zellers completed her masters in Architecture at the UW College of Built Environments, where she is now frequently a guest judge. She has a deep interest in digital fabrication and the potential it holds for the profession and has created a number of pieces and installations that explore this potential. She holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington’s College of Built Environments and a Bachelor of Arts from Colorado College and also studied architecture at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen.
Garrett Nelli Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a designer at NAC Architecture in the process of completing licensure. His professional work includes medical facilities, K-12 educational facilities, residential and student housing. Garrett’s work focuses on articulating spaces that promote sustainability while encouraging rich community interaction. He believes architects have the potential and responsibility to address the broader issues of a global society through thoughtful design solutions. This passion and core ethos have manifested in the designs of an Infant Rescue Center in Burkina Faso, in collaboration with Architects Without Borders – Seattle, as well as a design-build led by the University of Tennessee addressing the lack of clean drinking water in rural Appalachia. During his studies, Garrett spent time abroad at the University of Arkansas Rome Center broadening his appreciation for the history and culture, which laid the foundation for his profession. He is currently working on Wing Luke Elementary, a new elementary school located in the diverse Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle.
Richard Franko FAIA is a design partner and leads sustainability initiatives at Mithun, an integrated design firm with offices in Seattle and San Francisco. Through the integrated design of highly sustainable, experientially layered projects, Rich advances cultural heritage, environmental learning and sustainable design. His diverse body of work includes a new museum for the Wanapum band, the new Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle, IslandWood environmental education campus and Louisiana Children’s Museum in New Orleans City Park, and has been honored with national AIA and ASLA awards. Each of Rich’s designs define immersive environments that animate stories of diverse cultures, engage children and manifest natural systems. He has lectured and taught from Oslo to Adelaide, and serves on the board of Bioregional North America.
Alissa Rupp FAIA, LEED BD+C is a leader in the design of places for informal education and lifelong learning. She has focused her work on the creation of spaces where art, nature, culture and play intersect. As President and CEO of The Portico Group she led an international practice whose projects benefit people of all ages and origins and cultural institutions of all scales. Dedicated to architecture as a force to improve and sustain public life, she has led the design of museums, gardens and visitor centers, including the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center in Honolulu. Alissa is also a nationally recognized advocate for excellence in the design of children’s museums, which she recognizes as vibrant places that promote human health, development and welfare. As a member of the Board of Directors for AIA Seattle, Alissa is a strong voice for programs that enhance the public’s appreciation of architects and architecture. Most recently, she led the effort to merge The Portico Group with MIG – a multidisciplinary firm based in Berkeley – to further expand the combined firm’s reach in architecture, landscape architecture and exhibit design on the west coast. She will serve as a Principal and Practice Leader in the new MIG | Portico, leading the firm’s work in creating innovative places for learning and discovery.
Bruce Williams FAIA, LEED AP, is a partner at Mithun. As the firm’s chief operating officer for 15 years, he was instrumental in establishing Mithun’s national leadership in sustainable design and creating a collection of groundbreaking projects with continuing impact on integrated design practice nationally. Under Bruce’s leadership, the firm has been honored with more than 200 awards for excellence in planning and design, including five AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Green Project awards. An active member of the AIA Documents Committee, Bruce advances architectural practice throughout the nation through expert contributions to AIA documents supporting risk management in multifamily residential and mixed use projects, sustainability and design collaboration.
