Chair: Teri Coates, AIA, NCARB, Teri is the founder and owner of CANVAS, an architecture and development company focused on enhancing urban communities through mixed-use and multi-family development.

Her practice of architecture includes a variety of project types in over twenty cities across the nation. Experience working within multiple firms has informed her approach to both design and the business of architecture. In each area, she believes success is found where process and innovation collide.

Teri’s love for architecture is rooted in how the built environment influences people. Exposure to the diverse ways in which people live constantly challenges her design approach. She is passionate about design for active living and views every project as an opportunity to confront global health issues head-on.

Teri holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design from Texas A&M University and a Master of Architecture from the University of Oklahoma. Highlights about her path to becoming a licensed architect and starting her own firm are featured on the AIAS Ask an Architect and Young Architect podcasts.  She engages as a guest juror for architecture schools in the D.M.V., participated in the 2017 YAF Practice Innovation Lab, serves on the Emerging Architects Committee for AIA|DC, was a 2017-2018 Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program scholar and is the 2018-2019 Chair of the Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program.

Co-Founder: Sean Stadler, AIA, LEED AP, is a Design Principal and partner of WDG where he focuses on elevating the firm’s stature in design, with particular emphasis on enhancing the civic realm.  Mr. Stadler takes a strong leadership role and his commitment to design excellence and innovative thinking influences the projects he is involved with.  He believes that design is a process and that this process begins not with a brief, program, or even a charette, but rather with the people from which ideas flow.  His example shows that leadership is a two-way street; it involves the ability to influence others and be receptive to the needs of those you lead.  In his worldview, design excellence is not the application of certain techniques or the realization of inborn talent, so much as the development of a latent understanding for the negotiations that are at the heart of architecture; negotiations between site and program, client and designer, architect and engineer.

Mr. Stadler has been honored with an AIA President’s Award for his service to the profession and was recognized as one of the “rising stars of the AEC industry” by Building Design + Construction Magazine in 2009.  He is the recipient of the 2011 AIA Young Architects award where the jury noted that “he is a unique individual of outstanding talent and clear commitment.”

Co-Founder: Ryan McEnroe, AIA, ASLA, LEED AP, as both an architect and landscape architect, Ryan is a diverse and accomplished professional. Through his family background in organic farming, he recognizes the need to address land, food, and water resources and is a passionate advocate for sustainable strategies. He finds true value in a collaborative team approach that imparts a variety of perspectives into successful designs that stand the test of time and are as sustainable as possible. Ryan is an ardent volunteer to professional associations and forums promoting leadership, educational, and development opportunities for emerging professionals. As a past board member on the National Architectural Accrediting Board, he actively serves on visiting teams annually and is the youngest member to Chair such visits. Ryan is the Co-Founder of the AIA|DC Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program, and currently serves the AIA Young Architects Forum as the Knowledge Director. He has received numerous design awards for both building and landscape architecture, and in 2014 was recognized with the prestigious AIA|DC Emerging Architect Award.

Past Chair: Kate Renner, AIA, EDAC, LEAN-SIX SIGMA CE, LEED AP BD+C, an architect, medical planner and researcher at HKS, specializes in healthcare with experience working with several of the top healthcare systems in the United States and abroad.  She has worked to develop solutions to the many complex challenges encountered in the healthcare environment and create a healing space for patients, staff and the community.

Kate has also worked extensively with the HKS research team, developing a post-occupancy evaluation methodology, as well as conducting nurse efficiency and behavior mapping studies.  Most recently, she has developed a research fellowship program to expand research beyond the boundaries of the HKS research team to all project teams.  A scholar in the 2016 Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program Class, Kate is passionate about taking initiative, learning from experts and mentoring future generations.  Kate earned her Masters in Architecture with a specialization in Healthcare Design from the University of Kansas and her Masters in Art from the Universitat Stuttgart (via the University of Kansas).

Emerging Architects Committee Liaison: Douglas Crawford is an architect at Perkins+Will in Washington, DC where he focuses on a variety of project types including civic, commercial, and cultural spaces. Currently he is AIA|DC’s Emerging Architects Committee liaison to the Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program and in 2018 will serve as the chair of the Emerging Architects Committee. This year his appointment to the national ArchiPAC Emerging Professionals Committee has further developed his voice in advocating for emerging professionals and the greater whole of the architectural profession. Locally he assists those working to become licensed architects by acting as an NCARB Licensing Advisor and continuous to serve nationally on select NCARB committees. In 2018, he will begin serving on the AIA|DC Board of Directors as a Director at Large.

Advisory Committee

Communications Adviser: Alison Pavilonis, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, an architect at Gensler and the current vice chair for AIA|DC’s Emerging Architects Committee. At Gensler, Alison is a part of the District Ambassadors who work to engage with other emerging professionals outside of the building industry. As the former communications adviser for the EAC and current vice chair, she is responsible for the outreach and communications efforts for the entire committee and its 20+ annual events, helping to lead teams in program planning efforts to mentor and connect emerging architects. She was a scholar in the 2017-18 class of the Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program and is the current communications adviser to the program.

Website Adviser: Derek Roberts, AICP, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, is a Smithsonian Institution employee stationed at the National Air and Space Museum where he represents the museum in the coordination of the upcoming Revitalization of the building and Transformation of all 22 galleries. In this role, he spearheaded the introduction of virtual reality into the design review process. He also established and leads a team of visualization experts focused on enhancing coordination with better access, understanding and analysis of the vast amounts of data generated and archived at the museum. Derek was recently elected by museum staff for a two-year term as president of the Museum’s social events team of six who are responsible for surveying, planning, funding and hosting a wide array of events across all five National Air and Space facilities.

Derek previously served as Associate Director on the AIA Detroit Board; founder and chair of the AIA Detroit Emerging Professionals Committee; National Associate Director on the AIA Michigan Board, and as Communications Director for the National Associates Committee. His most recent involvement in AIA was as a 2017-18 Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program scholar and he will be serving the 2018-19 class as the website adviser to the program.

Sponsorship Adviser: Claire Dickey, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a Senior Associate and Project Manager at Perkins Eastman with seventeen years of experience in the design industry. The last six years of her career have been spent focusing on design for senior living environments, with projects ranging in scale from minor interior renovations to multi-building campus repositionings in excess of 650,000 SF. Prior to joining Perkins Eastman, Claire worked in a number of different practice areas, including single family residential, commercial, and multi-family. For two years she was a sole practitioner with her own residential design firm, but ultimately she returned to private practice to learn more about how larger firms are operated and managed. With a growing interest in research and writing, Claire is beginning to be recognized as a thought-leader in the industry. She has spoken at conferences on topics ranging from designing healthier buildings for seniors to intergenerational communities of the future, and within Perkins Eastman she has been tapped as a next generation practice area and firm leader. Claire earned her Masters of Architecture from the University of Maryland and her Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia, where she also minored in Architectural History.

When not working, Claire enjoys cooking, wine tasting, gardening, and furniture making. She is married with four children, ages 16, 8 and twin 4-year-olds.

Graphics Adviser: Mike Johnson II, AIA, IIDA, LEED ID+C, a Senior Associate at Perkins+Will, is a Washington, DC native that studied architecture and planning at Howard University and recently completed the AIA 2018 Christopher Kelley Leadership Development program. He consistently volunteers his time to various architecture programs in the region as a professional resource and critic, and has raised over $20,000 in student scholarships for his Alma mater.

With a license as both an architect and interior designer combined with 16 years of experience, his work has focused on providing innovative and creative solutions for high-end commercial interior spaces, trade floor facilities and building repositioning throughout the country while also incorporating the latest research and trends in workplace design. His work has received numerous awards for design, innovative project solutions and environmental excellence from organizations such as AIA, IIDA and USGBC.