flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, elected 2015 AIA President

Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, elected 2015 AIA President

James Easton Rains, Jr., FAIA, and Thomas V. Vonier, FAIA, elected AIA 2014-15 Vice Presidents; John P. Grounds, AIA, elected 2014-15 AIA Treasurer


By AIA | July 1, 2013
Delegates to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) national convention in Denver elected Elizabeth Chu Richter (AIA Corpus Christi) to serve as the 2014 AIA first vice president/president-elect and 2015 AIA president.  James Easton Rains, Jr., FAIA, and Thomas V. Vonier, FAIA, will each serve as vice president from 2014 through 2015; and James P. Grounds, AIA, as the Institute’s Treasurer from 2014 through 2015.
 
Currently a member of the AIA National Board of Directors representing Texas, Richter was president of the Texas Society of Architects in 2007. With the National AIA component, she has taken a strong interest in rewarding design excellence, serving on design juries, as chair of the AIA Gold Medal and Firm Award Advisory jury, a member of the AIA Regional and Urban Design Award jury, and multiple AIA component design awards juries. Her own design contributions were recognized in 2001, when she received an AIA Young Architects Award.
 
Richter is the CEO of Richter Architects in Corpus Christi, Texas. Her firm offers a wide variety of master planning, programming, design, interior design, construction documents, construction administration, and construction management services. Richter Architects received the 2011 Texas Society of Architects Firm Award.
 
“I’m hoping that my leadership will help bring the AIA into a more member-focused future, building greater public engagement and understanding, while also refining the Institute’s leadership structure and operation focus, said Richter. “More than ever, the repositioned AIA will be highly valued and globally relevant in its service to society in building a better world.”
 
James Easton Rains, Jr., FAIA Elected 2014-15 AIA Vice President
 
Mr. Rains Jr., FAIA, from AIA North Carolina, was elected 2014-2015 AIA Vice President at the AIA National Convention in Denver. Rains was the president of AIA Wilmington in 1996, president of AIA North Carolina in 2006, and became a member of the AIA National Board of Directors in 2010. In 2011, he helped lead the AIA’s national advocacy efforts by chairing the ArchiPAC Steering Committee, which guides the AIA’s bipartisan political action committee.
 
Thomas V. Vonier, FAIA Elected 2014-15 AIA Vice President
 
Mr. Vonier, FAIA, from AIA Continental Europe, was elected 2014-2015 AIA Vice President at the AIA National Convention in Denver. The founder and past president of AIA Continental Europe from 1994 to 1995, Vonier served on the AIA Board of Directors representing the AIA International Region from 2010-2012.
 
John P. Grounds, AIA, Elected 2014-15 AIA Treasurer
 
Grounds, AIA, from AIA D.C., was elected 2014-2015 AIA Treasurer at the AIA National Convention in Denver. Grounds began his involvement in AIA leadership in California, where he was AIA San Fernando Valley’s president in 2002. With AIA California Council, he became the co-chair for its planning and finance committee from 2006-2008, and eventually its president in 2009. After relocating to Washington, D.C., Grounds continued serving the Institute with financial management leadership as a member of the finance and audit committee from 2010 to 2012 while he was a regional director on the AIA National Board.
 
About The American Institute of Architects
Founded in 1857, members of the American Institute of Architects consistently work to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public well being.  Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders, and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.

Related Stories

Affordable Housing | Mar 11, 2024

Los Angeles’s streamlined approval policies leading to boom in affordable housing plans

Since December 2022, Los Angeles’s planning department has received plans for more than 13,770 affordable units. The number of units put in the approval pipeline in roughly one year is just below the total number of affordable units approved in Los Angeles in 2020, 2021, and 2022 combined.

BIM and Information Technology | Mar 11, 2024

BIM at LOD400: Why Level of Development 400 matters for design and virtual construction

As construction projects grow more complex, producing a building information model at Level of Development 400 (LOD400) can accelerate schedules, increase savings, and reduce risk, writes Stephen E. Blumenbaum, PE, SE, Walter P Moore's Director of Construction Engineering.

AEC Tech | Mar 9, 2024

9 steps for implementing digital transformation in your AEC business

Regardless of a businesses size and type, digital solutions like workflow automation software, AI-based analytics, and integrations can significantly enhance efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness.

Office Buildings | Mar 8, 2024

Conference room design for the hybrid era

Sam Griesgraber, Senior Interior Designer, BWBR, shares considerations for conference room design in the era of hybrid work.

Architects | Mar 8, 2024

98 architects elevated to AIA's College of Fellows in 2024

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is elevating 96 member-architects and 2 non-member-architects to its College of Fellows, an honor awarded to architects who have made significant contributions to the profession. The fellowship program was developed to elevate architects who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level. 

Sports and Recreational Facilities | Mar 7, 2024

Bjarke Ingels’ design for the Oakland A’s new Las Vegas ballpark resembles ‘a spherical armadillo’

Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) in collaboration with HNTB, the new ballpark for the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team will be located on the Las Vegas Strip and offer panoramic views of the city skyline. The 33,000-capacity covered, climate-controlled stadium will sit on nine acres on Las Vegas Boulevard. 

Adaptive Reuse | Mar 7, 2024

3 key considerations when converting a warehouse to a laboratory

Does your warehouse facility fit the profile for a successful laboratory conversion that can demand higher rents and lower vacancy rates? Here are three important considerations to factor before proceeding. 

Shopping Centers | Mar 7, 2024

How shopping centers can foster strong community connections

In today's retail landscape, shopping centers are evolving beyond mere shopping destinations to become vibrant hubs of community life. Here are three strategies from Nadel Architecture + Planning for creating strong local connections. 

Market Data | Mar 6, 2024

Nonresidential construction spending slips 0.4% in January

National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.4% in January, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.190 trillion.

MFPRO+ Research | Mar 6, 2024

Top 10 trends in senior living facilities for 2024

The 65-and-over population is growing faster than any other age group. Architects, engineers, and contractors are coming up with creative senior housing solutions to better serve this burgeoning cohort. 

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category


Mass Timber

Bjarke Ingels Group designs a mass timber cube structure for the University of Kansas

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and executive architect BNIM have unveiled their design for a new mass timber cube structure called the Makers’ KUbe for the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design. A six-story, 50,000-sf building for learning and collaboration, the light-filled KUbe will house studio and teaching space, 3D-printing and robotic labs, and a ground-level cafe, all organized around a central core.



halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021