Please join the WIA of the AIA Silicon Valley Chapter in a Panel Discussion moderated by Leopold Ray-Lynch.
How can we diversify the field of architecture? How can we better support people of diverse backgrounds in our profession?
The event will address strategies for creating support structures for people from minority groups on professional trajectories within Architecture and STEM careers.
MODERATOR: LEOPOLD RAY-LYNCH, AIA, NOMA
Leo is a principal at WLC Architects, Inc. with offices serving the greater San Francisco/Bay Area, Sacramento metropolitan areas, and the greater Los Angeles and San Diego area. WLC is a client-focused firm of 90 talented professionals, passionate about creating timeless designs that are inspiring, valuable assets to the community. For over 30 years his focus has been to provide, sustainable, innovative, adaptable and exciting spaces for his clients.
He is responsible for coordinating the activities of design team members and consultants. His job also consists of writing proposals, producing master plans, schematic design, design development and construction documents, budgeting, and coordinating the work of projects in development.
He was the Deputy Master Architect for the Bond Management team that was responsible for managing all of the West Contra Costa Unified School District’s Bond Program Measure D and Measure M Bond Funded projects (including elementary, middle and high schools) with an estimated project budget of $500 million dollars.
Prior to joining WLC Architects Inc., Mr. Ray-Lynch held various project and construction management positions at the Oakland Unified School District, the City of Oakland, the Haagen Development Corporation, and as a Principal of AEP and LR/Architecture design and planning firm. He has provided design, planning, and development services for a variety of educational, commercial, retail, civic, and housing projects throughout California.
PANELIST
PRESCOTT REAVIS, NOMA, LEED AP, SEED, NCARB
Prescott Reavis is an Oakland based Spatial Activist, architect, planner, and award-winning educator who has merged over 20 years of experience in architecture, planning, and education to develop and construct inclusive communities internationally with a focus on equitable design and planning justice. Prescott leads, Anomili Design + Planning, providing community engagement, planning, design and youth design education for non-profits, small business, and community-based organizations, projects include Planning, Design and Community Engagement for The Oakland Black Cultural Zone, Planning/Community Education for OakKanda, Community Planning/Education with The Center for Cities + Schools at UC Berkeley, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation.
PANELIST
MARIANA ALVAREZ-PARGA, AIA, LEED,
Mariana is a licensed Architect and LEED Accredited Professional who brings over nineteen years of architectural experience in the US, from design to occupancy. Her international background offers a unique perspective to bringing practical, user-focused solutions to all projects. She is a Principal at 19six Architects where she leads the San Jose and Sacramento offices, focusing on work environment and firm culture that has contributed to the firm’s rapid growth and expanded portfolio.
Mariana’s leadership extends into volunteer duties at AIA Silicon Valley as Founding Co-Chair of the Architectural Intelligence Conference, Co-Founder of the Architectural Practice Leadership Committee and member of Women in Architecture Committee.
PANELIST
STEVEN M. TUCKER, NOMA COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Steve is a multifaceted designer working between the realms of architecture, landscape architecture, and art. At Studios Architecture, he played a key role in designing LinkedIn’s new Mountain View campus and Santana West, a 900K square foot multi-tenant office campus, near Santana Row in San José. Steve stays active in guiding young aspiring designers by mentoring high school students and regularly sitting on design reviews within the Bay Area university network. His new mixed media piece called “Catalog of Light”, a 3-year 1000 photography sunrise series in Oakland that took inspiration from the philosophy of folding 1000 paper cranes.
Community Outreach activities include locating unused spaces and grants in alignment with community needs as well as sitting on the Cleveland Heights Neighborhood Council where he assists in coordinating community beautification projects and traffic improvements. Public works include designing Pavilion Shore Park, a shoreline park in Novi, Michigan and the new up and coming Francisco Park, a 4-acre viewing terrace park, in Russian Hill, San Francisco that is set to open during 2021.
PANELIST
SARAH CHESSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CORPORATE WORK STUDY PROGRAM, CRISTO REY SAN JOSE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL
Sarah spent her formative years in South Jersey public schools. She went on to earn her BA in Government and Psychology from the College of William & Mary, and, while teaching, earned her M.Ed from Loyola Marymount University.
Sarah joined the Corporate Work Study Program at CRSJ in the fall of 2015 and now manages a team that handles everything that can go right and wrong with sending 460 high school students to over 100 Silicon Valley companies each week. Prior to joining the CRSJ team, she managed innovative, strategic public school-private sector partnerships at a New York City education nonprofit; and a variety of programs related to workforce development, child abuse prevention and intervention and parent education at a Los Angeles-based social services agency. She has also supported the leadership team at UnitingWorld, an Australian NGO that developed international partnerships among faith-based communities; and taught middle school special education as a Teach for America Corps member and alumnus.