Board of Directors Nominations 2025-26
AIA Seattle is a member-led organization that depends on volunteer leadership and initiative. We are deeply grateful for the enormous energy and effort our board members and other volunteer leaders devote to our organization. Please place your vote by July 12!
AIA Seattle’s Board Nominating Committee is pleased to present this slate of accomplished members to fill open seats for three-year terms on our Board of Directors or current board members moving to one-year officer positions beginning September 1, 2025. All AIA and Associate AIA members are eligible to vote. Votes are yes or no for each nominee, and write-in votes are allowed. Voting by at least 10% of the membership is required to validate an election, so please use the vote button below to make sure your voice is heard.
In addition to the vote, you will find our annual survey within the vote form — the AIA Seattle- JE:DI Assessment developed by the Justice and Equity for Diversity and Inclusion Council. Your responses to these questions will be anonymous and will help us understand the current state of J.E.D.I. principles and initiatives within our profession and practices, track progress, and inform programs and shared resources.
Voting will close on Saturday, July 12, by midnight.
Vote Now!
Melissa Falcetti AIA – (President) 2025-2026
Melissa grew up in a logging town of just 250 people in the Cascade Mountains. When she was young, her uncle taught her to use power tools, sparking a lifelong interest in the building industry. She went on to earn two BA degrees from Scripps College and a Master of Architecture degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Melissa is now a licensed Architect in Washington, an AIA member, a Certified Construction Specifier, and has passed the CSI’s CDT exam. She has worked in a variety of roles and companies from a small construction defects/owner’s representative firm to one of the largest design firms in the world.
Kirsten Dahlquist AIA – (President-Elect) 2025-2026
Kirsten Lee Dahlquist, an Associate at Rice Fergus Miller, brings 17 years of architectural expertise to her role as a Design Architect. Founding the firm’s internal justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion committee, Kirsten champions inclusivity in design, guided by her firm’s B Corp Certification.
Her diverse portfolio includes community-centric projects like food banks, tribal wellness facilities, and cultural gathering centers. Outside her practice, Kirsten serves as Vice Chair of the Bremerton Design Review Board and Council Member of the Kitsap County Council for Human Rights, advocating for equitable treatment. With a background spanning from Florida to the Puget Sound, Kirsten’s journey exemplifies her commitment to creating inclusive spaces for tribal, rural, and suburban populations. As she joins AIA Seattle, Kirsten seeks to bring alternative perspectives from suburban and rural practice, empowering practitioners beyond the urban center to foster a more inclusive design community.
Laura Ovsak AIA – (Treasurer) 2025-2026
A native of upstate New York, Laura is an Architect working as a Project Manager with GLY Construction. She has a combined 11 years of experience in architecture/design and construction management. The transition from design to construction management happened organically from wanting to spend more time in the field interacting with subtrades observing onsite work. She’s most passionate about building meaningful relationships and advancing the knowledge of the greater group. Laura holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Philadelphia University (now Thomas Jefferson University) and has been living in the Seattle region for 10 years. Outside of work, she is active within the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and ACE Mentoring.
Sarah Burk AIA – (Secretary) 2025-2026
With a career dedicated to enhancing communal spaces, I am an architect specializing in library and community design. For the entirety of my career, I have been privileged to contribute to the architectural landscape of the PNW, infusing my projects with creativity, functionality, and a deep understanding of community/client needs.
My commitment to excellence extends beyond professional endeavors. As a firm believer in giving back to the industry, I devote my time to volunteer work with the American Institute of Architects and Seattle Design Festival. Through this involvement, I collaborate with fellow architects, share insights, and actively contribute to the advancement of our field.
Furthermore, I hold a certification in Safety Assessment Program, underscoring my dedication to ensuring the safety and resilience of the built environment. This certification equips me with the knowledge and skills to assess structures in the aftermath of disasters, reaffirming my commitment to creating spaces that prioritize both aesthetics and safety.
Driven by a passion for architecture and connection to my PNW community, I am poised to continue making impactful contributions to the built environment, one project at a time.
Liz Pisciotta AIA – (Director, Public Policy) 2025-28
Liz Pisciotta, AIA, is a licensed architect and partner at Neiman Taber Architects. Her interdisciplinary approach, which blends anthropology, art, urban and interior design with architecture, informs her diverse project portfolio, including retail, commercial, and institutional work, alongside NTA’s award-winning residential designs.
Passionate about equitable design, Liz believes everyone deserves to take pride in their spaces. She is particularly interested in third-places—social environments distinct from home and work.
Since 2021, Liz has been on the AIA Seattle Housing Design Forum Task Force. She also has led housing advocacy tours and is currently the Hawthorne Elementary playground design committee lead.
Zining Cheng AIA, LEED AP BD+C, LFA – (Director, Pro Practice) 2025-28
Zining is a medical planner and designer at NBBJ with a focus on healthcare design. She began her career at the Palace Museum in Beijing, where her interest in architecture was first sparked. Zining actively researches design solutions and innovations that improve health outcomes, user comfort, and operational efficiency in healthcare environments. Her work focuses on computational lighting design and analysis, as well as developing data-driven tools that support performance-based design. She holds a Master of Architecture and a Master of Science in Design Computing from the University of Washington and serves on the board of NOMA NW.
Lia Wollard AIA, CSI, CCS, NCIDQ, LEED LEGACY – (Director, Pro Practice) 2025-28
Lia defines what it means to be a “Life-long learner.” An Air Force veteran, she has sought self-improvement personally and professionally throughout her design career. She has honed her ability to collaborate with teams to coalesce big ideas into comprehensive construction documentation, guiding teams towards clarity and consensus with grace and ease.
Lia believes in the power of place and is ever-grateful to be a part of this profession. Raised in Iowa, she has worked in The Kingdom of Bahrain, South Korea, New Zealand, and Antarctica twice. Her business was born in Luxor, Egypt along the banks of the Nile.
Chris Colley AIA, LEED AP, Assoc. DBIA – (Advocate Director, WA Council) 2025-28
I started my career with LMN, Mahlum, and SRG, focusing on K-12 and community college projects delivered through design-bid-build. After collaborating with Forma Construction, I joined their team to gain the builder’s perspective—first as a project engineer, then as a project manager. That path led naturally to preconstruction, where I found the right balance of strategy and collaboration. Now at Graham, I focus on building integrated teams and aligning design, construction, and owner stakeholders to break down communication barriers and deliver successful projects.
Todd Smith AIA, NCARB – (Director, Membership Engagement) 2025-28
Born and raised in Leavenworth, WA. Todd graduated from Cascade High School in 1998 to then attend the University of Washington School of Architecture. Graduating in 2002 he went to immediately work with Johnston Architects for 8 years, leaving as a Principal in 2010 to prepare for a move back to Leavenworth. Todd and his family (2 children and wife) moved back in 2012 focusing on delivering site driven design to Central, Eastern and Western Washington. Now, an office of 9, Todd and his practice, Syndicate Smith, thrive aspiring to deliver life-changing design to clients statewide.
Ariel Birtley AIA, M.B.A. MEng. – (Director, Finance) 2025-28
Ariel, a Northwest Native and mother of five, is a public sector executive with over 20 years of experience in architecture, construction, and operations. She holds a BARCH, MBA, and MEng. At DES, Ariel serves on the leadership team for EAS, overseeing 35 project managers and $1 billion in capital projects, ensuring strong financial oversight and client satisfaction. Previously, as an Executive Operations Manager in higher education, she helped manage a $70 million budget and prioritized operations for 1,000 staff and 10,000 students. As Chair of the Bainbridge Island Planning Commission, Ariel champions thoughtful planning, financial stewardship, and community resilience.
Janet Stephenson, LEED AP – (Director, Development) 2025-28
A well-known AEC industry leader, Janet’s reputation is synonymous with innovation and sustainability. With experience spanning architecture, engineering, construction and manufacturing, she has championed energy efficiency, mass timber, and industrialized construction. Currently VP of Sales for Modwall, her career ranges from leading $1B pipeline of multifamily housing at Katerra, to conceiving the AIA+2030 program while at AIA Seattle. She has served on Seattle’s Design Review Board, USGBC’s Greenbuild Program Working Group, and helped launch USGBC-LA. Janet blends business acumen, advocacy and joy to realize bold ideas grounded in human needs, environmental urgency, design excellence, and real-world feasibility.
