March President's Message

While International Women's Day has been recognized by the UN since 1977, it feels like it's only in recent years that we've really started to celebrate it here in the States. This month, I've been absolutely inspired by the myriad events, social media buzz, articles, and media attention shining a spotlight on women globally.

On a local scale, I've had the privilege of participating in several impactful events, from sponsoring AIA Houston WiA's Equity Series "Just Design" to attending CREW Houston's March Luncheon featuring an all-women panel to being enlightened at Rice Business School's Fireside Chat with the highly respected CEO Janis Burke, to networking at Boyar Miller's Women's event with the fashion icon Elaine Turner, and even contributing as a panelist at CSI Houston's "The Women in the Workforce" event. It's been an honor to be in the company of many remarkable women who continuously inspire and push me forward.

Reflecting on my own journey, I remember being one of only six female students in a 30-person architectural class. Throughout my career in architectural design firms, I often noticed that women were significantly outnumbered. Female leadership within these firms was a rarity. Today, I'm heartened to see certain firms taking the lead in enacting meaningful changes and industry organizations stepping up to champion women in diverse ways.

While progress over the past 30 years has been encouraging, there's still a considerable journey ahead to achieve true equality.

I'm eagerly looking forward to a future with greater awareness and a concerted effort to uplift women in our industry. I'm committed to playing my part in driving this change, contributing to a movement that not only recognizes but also actively supports and empowers women across all professional fields.