AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS RHODE ISLAND - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Member of the Officers Team
• Treasurer

Job Titles:

• Member of the Officers Team
• Secretary
• Senior Associate and Architect at SMMA

Anne Fontaine is a Senior Associate and Architect at SMMA in Providence, RI. She has worked on projects of varying complexity and design goals, including corporate headquarters, high-end condominiums, higher education facilities, and K-12 schools. Her work includes new construction, additions, and extensive renovation projects. While applying her expertise in building envelope systems, exterior design, interior detailing, and spatial planning, Anne works closely with her peers and consultants to achieve the client's project vision. Anne attended Roger Williams University and graduated with a Bachelors of Architecture and a minor in Art and Architectural History. She is a LEED accredited professional and considers sustainable design essential to her work as an architect, in particular the broad goals of adaptive reuse and resiliency in buildings. Anne's background in visual art remains a favorite hobby as well as an influence on her work. Her abstract paintings focus on color and composition. She spends most of her free time with her husband, Eric, and their two young sons, Grant and Harris, in their home in Mansfield, MA.

Job Titles:

• Director

Bryan has been working in the Rhode Island market for over 12-years. Having worked with 4 firms, he considers himself very familiar with the struggles we face as an industry. In his role as a Project Architect, and Director of Business Development at Signal Works Architecture, he is focused more on the business side of the studio operations and securing new business, which continues to support his growth as a leader in our discipline. He has been involved with the AIA Board for the past 6 years, first as a committee volunteer and the last 2 terms as a member of the board.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Officers Team
• Architect and Strategist

Frank Mruk is an architect and strategist. He is a founder and executive director of the Center for Strategic Innovation and the Center for Smart Building Technology. He was educated at Pratt Institute, Pace University and at the University of Oxford. He has taught Architecture at the School of Visual Arts, the Rhode Island School of Design, Roger Williams University, the Parsons School of Design, New York University, and at the New York Institute of Technology where he served as associate dean for the School of Architecture and Design and has been a visiting critic at the WE School, the United Nations, Oxford Brooks University, the University of Chile, the Fashion Institute of Technology, Columbia University and at Yale University. Frank worked for Cuban cinematographer Nestor Almendros during the filming of Heartburn with Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson. He spent 10 years working on Wall Street for American International Group and Morgan Stanley, and in professional practice for the Aga Kahn AKAA winning Architect Emre Arolat and William Breger, past Dean of the New York School of Interior Design. He has consulted for the Rhode Island Office of Innovation with Apple Computer and Goldman Sachs. He has served on the board of the American Institute of Architects, the Association for Strategic Planning, RIBA USA and Habitats for Music. Frank was elevated to Fellowship in both the Strategic Planning Society and the American Institute of Architects.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Officers Team
• President

Mr. Rios started his career as an architectural draftsman for George Pearson Architects in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Under his tutelage Mr. Pearson encourage Mr. Rios to obtain his architectural degree at an accredited institution.Roger Williams University Architectural program provided a unique learning environment as well as the opportunity to work for some local offices during

Job Titles:

• Director
• Member of the
• Principal at LLB Architects

Jonathan is a Principal at LLB Architects in Pawtucket RI. He also is the firm's Director of Design Implementation. He is licensed to practice architecture in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, is NCARB certified, and is LEED accredited. Current projects include the Creative Class in Fall River, MA, and several renovations/additions of existing buildings at Brown University and Bryant University. He has over 20 years of extensive experience in planning for governmental and institutional clients, including courthouses, office buildings, and academic facilities. He is a successful coordinator of both small and large scale, complex projects and programs, managing them through construction contract administration until completion, close-out and occupancy. Jonathan graduated from Syracuse University with a BArch, and a minor in architecture history. While at Syracuse, he was actively engaged in the University Senate, Student Government, and was a founding member of the Syracuse Community Design Center. Jonathan worked for George Hodosh Architects (New City, New York) while at Syracuse, and Gorman Richardson Architects (Hopkinton, Massachusetts), the immediate year after graduation. Prior to joining LLB Architects, Jonathan practiced in Boston at Goody Clancy. Clients included: Babson College, Bridgewater State College, Georgetown University, Harvard University, Yale University, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the General Services Administration. Federal projects with the G.S.A. included work on the St. Elizabeths Campus for U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, and most notably a seven-year role managing the award-winning $160 million-dollar renovation/restoration of Cram and Ferguson's 1932 John W. McCormack (POCH) Building, Boston. Federal tenants of the POCH included U.S. Dept. of Education, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Bankruptcy Courts. Jonathan has been a member of the AIA since 2000, and an active member at the chapter level, through both the Boston Society of Architects/AIA, and AIA Rhode Island, and at the regional and national levels in numerous roles. He is an inaugural recipient of the AIA Associates Award (2008), and was awarded Richard Upjohn Fellowship (2012) for service on the AIA Board of Directors. He joined the AIA Rhode Island Board in 2014 as a Director, was the 2017-2018 Secretary, 2019 Vice-President, and 2019-2020 President. Jonathan is also active with the Syracuse University Alumni Association, and SU Student Association/Government alumni group. He and his wife Kelly L. Swan Taylor, Esq. reside in Providence, with their spoiled cats: Otto & Kona.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Public Director

Justin Kordas served in the Marine Corps before starting his career in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. He is actively involved in the industry in general and intends to take an active leadership role in the industry's commitment to reducing embodied carbon in structural systems. He is a voting member of ACI Committee 377 - Performance-Based Structural Integrity & Resilience of Concrete Structures and an associate member of ACI Committees 355 - Anchorage to Concrete and 315 - Details of Concrete Reinforcement. He continuously works with various working groups in the Boston, MA, area to reduce embodied carbon in concrete. He also teaches the Analysis and Design of Steel Structures at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and volunteers his time mentoring undergraduate students in their Senior Design Projects through the lens of industry methods and standards. To date, Justin's work has been focused on high-rise concrete buildings in the Greater Boston Area during his time with McNamara Salvia in Boston, MA. These projects include the Encore Casino, Moxy Hotel, Residential Tower at Bulfinch Crossing, Omni Boston Seaport Hotel, Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel and Residences, St. Regis Residences, and South Station Air Rights Tower.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Architect at Vision 3 Architects

Rebecca grew up in Colorado with an early love of architecture and construction. With a passion for sustainability and history, she attended the University of Oregon, graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture with a minor in Historic Preservation in 2017. She then moved to Rhode Island to enjoy the New England landscapes while pursuing her architectural license, which she achieved in early 2021. Rebecca supports licensure candidates as a NCARB Licensing Advisor and continues to further her sustainability goals by becoming a LEED AP in Building Construction and Design. Rebecca is currently an Architect at Vision 3 Architects and serves on the AIAri Honor and Design Awards committee.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Executive Director
• Executive Director of AIA Rhode Island

As the Executive Director of AIA Rhode Island, Roni oversees the operations, financial health and implementation of the Chapter's programs, while seeking new opportunities for growth. Her diverse background includes working with out of school young adults and leading the GED Team at City Year. At the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University she was a member of the team that created and developed a program to provide earlier hands-on experience by pairing medical students with community-based physicians. Most recently, she led the Outreach Team at HealthSource RI, to inform all Rhode Islanders of the opportunities available through the Affordable Care Act. She also currently serves as the Executive Director of the RI Chapter of the American College of Physicians.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Officers Team
• President - Elect
• Vice - President
• Architect and Founder of Anderson Alexander Architects

Spencer Alexander is an Architect and founder of Anderson Alexander Architects. Anderson Alexander Architects, a boutique firm, focuses on creating site specific work, which takes on a critical regionalism approach to each project. The projects range from mid-rise 9-story buildings outside of New York City, high-end custom luxury waterfront homes in Rhode Island, public housing in Florida, to unique retreats in the mountains of upstate New York. The designs for each project are derived from their unique context, to achieve a harmonistic experience. Spencer Alexander holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester in Economics and Art History, and a Master's Degree from Illinois Institute of Technology in Architecture. Other honors include: Certificates in Construction Management from NYU SCPS, Deconstruction and Reuse from Yestermorrow Design School, Management Certificate in Public Health from the University of Rochester Simon School of Business and LEED professional certificate. Spencer Alexander started his career in finance at State Street Bank in Boston and transitioned to Construction Management with Northbrook Partners/ Blackrock Investments. After working on several major capital improvement buildings, Spencer decided to pursue a Master's Degree in Architecture and, upon graduating, worked on 520 West 28th Street, designed by Zaha Hadid/ILA. After becoming a Project Manager, Spencer continued to work on high-end residential, hospitality, and modular projects with firms in NYC, until the formation of Anderson Alexander Architects in 2019. Spencer strongly believes that there are many opportunities in the exploration of the local vernacular in Rhode Island. He is most passionate about the modern interpretation of historical architectural forms, specifically rooted in beautiful coastlines of New England. Architecture has such a powerful effect on our environment and day-to-day experiences, and should be carefully considered when looking at how the historic areas of Rhode Island are developed with new developments, and the ripple effects these projects have on the larger fabric of neighborhoods and communities.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Architect With Union Studio
• Young Architect Director

Taylor Hughes is currently an architect with Union Studio. Previously, she was with ZDS Architecture & Interiors, where she began as an intern while pursuing her Master's Degree from Roger Williams University. She grew up outside New York City and came to Rhode Island to attend Roger Williams University, and has lived here ever since. She achieved licensure in early 2022, and hopes to help many others along the path to licensure. Within the AIA, she also has participated on both the AIAri Design Awards and the New England Design Awards Committees, and the Emerging Professionals group.

Job Titles:

• Director

Tyler, a native Rhode Islander, is a job captain at DBVW architects. An early desire to travel, along with a focus on sustainable design brought him to the University of Oregon where he completed his Bachelor of Architecture. After graduating he began his career in Boston where he gained experience working on University and Independent School projects. Rediscovering his love for his home state he moved back to Rhode Island and began working on affordable housing projects as well as single-family homes. He recently obtained his architecture license in 2021. Tyler is excited to become more involved in his local community. He is passionate about improving his home state through architecture. When not in the office, Tyler can be found with his wife and dog, Tucker, either sailing the Narragansett Bay or skiing in Vermont.