Alex Korter is a principal at CO Architects and leads the firm’s Building Facades Group. With over 25 years of international experience, he specializes in strategic planning, design, technical coordination, and leadership of academic, healthcare, commercial and civic projects. With a focus on place, craft and performance-driven solutions, he has shaped the design and delivery of award-winning buildings. Alex is committed to developing innovative exterior envelope systems and making environmental, economic, social and functional sustainable design a fundamental part of every project. His notable work includes the Health Sciences Innovation Building at the University of Arizona and the Student Services Building at Cal Poly Pomona. Alex holds a Bachelor in Architecture from the University of Manchester and a Diploma in Architecture from the Glasgow School of Art. 

Bob joined Northglass in 2012. For the first two years He worked on the technical side, then moved to project management and worked on the Apple Park project. In 2015, He came to the US and started the Northglass US office in New York, working more closely with architectural consultants and various contractors. He has worked on more than 100 projects at most of the major cities in the US and had a lot of experience with glass technology.

Brian is a seasoned architect and consultant with 30 years of expertise in building enclosure consulting, commissioning, sustainability, and energy performance. His portfolio spans a broad range of project types, including K–12 and higher education facilities, healthcare environments, commercial office buildings, municipal and recreation facilities, financial institutions, senior living communities, O&M facilities, data centers, and projects with the GSA and Department of Defense. Brian’s experience encompasses a full spectrum of project delivery methods—traditional designbidbuild, designbuild, constructionmanager-led, developerled, and buildtosuit—across new construction, additions, renovations, system upgrades, and energyefficient improvement initiatives. His multidisciplinary background allows him to integrate technical performance, durability, and sustainability into every phase of design and construction. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Brian has spent the past twelve years working throughout the Mountain West and currently resides in the Denver metro area

Chris O'Hara is a Founding Principal of Studio NYL. Trained as a Structural Engineer, Chris has a passion for Architecture. This passion has fostered the collaborative approach that is a cornerstone of Studio NYL’s collaborative approach to structures and enclosures. Although Studio NYL is recognized for its skins work with cutting-edge glass and glazing, their team also specializes in digitally fabricated metal skins, GFRC, reinforced polymers, stone, ultra high performance concrete, terra cotta, and traditional precast. In addition to the structural aspects of facades, Chris’s focus is on constructability, fabrication and modularity within the Studio.

Chris has served as a board member on the AIA National TAP Committee as well as AIA Board of Directors. Chris has also been a board member of the Native American Sustainable Housing Initiative and participated in lectures with the Carbon Leadership Forum and the BSA’s Embodied Carbon 101 series for both Structure and Façade.

Diane Jacobs, FAIA is founding principal of Holly Street Studio, a Phoenix based practice dedicated to creating transformative public spaces for municipal and institutional clients. As leader of the design team, she brings a holistic approach to problem solving and a reductive philosophy toward architectural design - challenging stakeholders to consider the essence of each problem in a context beyond the physical to arrive at balanced, long term solutions for communities throughout Arizona and beyond. She has been a Faculty Associate at ASU’s Design School, serves on the University of Arizona’s CAPLA Futures Council, and has received the AIA Arizona Architect’s Medal (2016) and AIA AZ Firm of the Year (2017).

James Hatch is President | Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at Kovach, where he helps lead the company’s long-term strategic direction, innovation initiatives, and client-focused growth across the building envelope industry. With more than 15 years of experience in architectural cladding and glazing, James is known for turning complex design concepts into buildable, high-performing façade solutions.

Throughout his career, James has worked closely with architects, owners, and general contractors to support the budgeting, design development, and execution of sophisticated exterior envelope systems. His expertise spans curtain wall, window wall, storefront, stone façades, insulated metal panels (IMP), sunshades, rainscreen systems, and related panel and glazing assemblies.

As a member of Kovach’s executive leadership team, James is passionate about advancing innovation, sustainability, and quality while fostering strong collaboration across project teams. He brings a practical, solutions-oriented mindset to every phase of preconstruction and strategy, with a focus on delivering value, performance, and long-term client success.

James also brings a broad background in commercial and residential construction and development. He holds an Arizona real estate broker license and earned a Bachelor of Science in Design (Housing and Community Development) from Arizona State University.

Jay Silverberg serves as the Design Principal of Gensler’s Phoenix office, where he advances an experience-based design approach centered on sustainability, innovation, and meaningful placemaking. With extensive experience across mixed-use environments, entertainment districts, higher education, museums, cultural institutions, and office facilities, Jay brings a multidisciplinary perspective to complex design challenges. His work explores the intersection of environmental responsibility, technical rigor, and human experience. Known for his ability to align diverse stakeholders and translate vision into built form, Jay shares practical insights on delivering resilient, context-driven architecture that creates lasting cultural and environmental impact. Jay brings over 30 years of experience and earned a Bachelor of Architectural Science from Florida A&M University, as well as a Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture from the University of Arizona, Tucson

Joe Lisiewski is the Assistant Vice President for the Office of the University Architect, a unit of Facilities Development and Management at Arizona State University.

Joe is a graduate of Temple University with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. He holds a Master of Science degree in Construction Management and Technology from Arizona State University’s Ira Fulton School of Engineering. Joe has been a registered architect since 1994 and is registered to practice in several states. He is a member of the Design Build Institute of America, National Council of Registered Architect Board, and a LEED certified professional.

During his 30-year career, Joe has worn three hats, that of architect, general contractor, and project/construction manager. The focus of his work has been integrating design with construction in both the private and public sectors utilizing construction manager at risk and design build procurement methods. In addition to his extensive professional experience, Joe has also served as President of the American Institute of Architects West Jersey Chapter and is an active member of the Design Build Institute of America Arizona. He joined Arizona State University as the director of the Office of the University Architect in 2017.

John Anderson, AIA NCARB, is an Arizona native who attended Arizona State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Design and a Master of Architecture with honors. John holds a National Council of Architectural Registration Boards certificate, is a licensed architect in the state of Arizona, and is a registered Self-Cert Professional with the city of Phoenix. John champions sustainable initiatives and has designed and constructed several of the firm’s projects that incorporate innovative sustainability technologies, including passive cooling and heating, daylighting, water reclamation, and the repurposing and reuse of salvaged materials. In 2015, John completed the first design-build project under the City of Scottsdale’s Green Building Program. John volunteers with the Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy, and he has served on the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Board of Trustees since 2021. He is the committee chair of the Preservation and Master Planning Committee and the Scholarship and Professional Engagement Committee member. He also serves on the Executive Committee as Secretary, the Governance Committee, and the Government Relations and the Advocacy Committee.

John Dimmel is a Vice President and Senior Design Architect at Multistudio with 30 years of experience and more than 25 years specifically contributing to the firm’s most complex and ambitious design projects. Known for his thoughtful approach, John weaves creative design aspirations into highly detailed systems that shape both site and building form.  His passion lies in working with the team to transform conceptual ideas into constructible, coordinated and detailed documents as well as seeing these ideas through to completion of the building.   

Throughout his career, John has played a critical role in several award-winning projects, including the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Justice Center and the Biodesign Institute Buildings A & B at Arizona State University—the latter recognized as the first LEED Platinum-certified building in the State of Arizona

John Meredith has been involved in the design and construction industry for more than 20 years across multiple project scales and types. John spent 13 years at Arizona State University, during a time of extensive expansion and renovation across 5 campuses, 1200 buildings and more than 25 million square feet. He was involved at all levels, from master planning, design and construction management, design review, sustainability review, and permitting including code and accessibility review. His professional experience as an architect includes project management, construction administration, design, and programming. He has led over 50 design studies, and participated in over 25 master planning studies, and has successfully managed more than 75 projects through the construction phase. John has led design on more than 10 major capital projects (8 of which are LEED Silver or higher), totaling over $1billion, and nearly 2 million square feet.

Martha dePlazaola Abbott is a Principal and the Co-Managing Director of Gensler’s Phoenix office. With over 30 years of experience, Martha’s comprehensive portfolio includes a myriad of “Work-Life” projects encompassing mixed use, multi-family, hospitality, retail and office, from both the private and public sectors. Her expertise spans all project delivery methods, in addition to being strategically focused across Gensler’s markets. A natural leader, Martha’s ability to foster relationships and gain the trust of clients and team members has been instrumental in the success of many high-profile projects. Martha is heavily involved with ULI and was honored as one of AZ|RE’s Most Influential Women in Commercial Real Estate. Martha studied at the Vicenza Institute of Architecture and is a graduate of the College of Architecture from the University of Florida

Nicholas Hofstede, AIA is Managing Director of Johnston Marklee, based in Los Angeles. He leads the development of cultural, commercial, and residential projects with a focus on architecture for the arts. In over 19 years at JML Nicholas has led projects including the Menil Drawing Institute in Houston, The Whitney Museum ISP at Roy Lichtenstein Studio in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago renovation, the UCLA Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios, and many other contemporary public art spaces developed through JML’s clear conceptual frameworks that bridge context, history, identity, in human centered spaces. Nicholas is the project director for both the Ray Phoenix and Ray Nashville residential tower façade designs. He received his Masters of Architecture from Rice University and B.A. of Architecture from University of Minnesota, and is a frequent design critic at many universities.

Rachel Green Rasmussen is a Principal and Partner at Architekton in Tempe, where she has contributed to innovative architectural design since 2007. She specializes in educational, cultural, and community-focused projects, with an emphasis on sustainable, climate-responsive solutions rooted in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. Her work reflects a strong commitment to design excellence, and through her leadership—including serving as recent past President of AIA Arizona—she actively advocates for sustainability and the future of the profession. Inspired by her upbringing as the daughter of an electrician, Rachel developed an early appreciation for the built environment. She earned both her Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture and Master of Architecture from Arizona State University before joining Architekton as an intern. Her talent, leadership, and dedication led to her role as Partner, where she continues to shape the firm’s direction. Rachel’s user-centered approach and passion for design drive meaningful, high-impact solutions for clients and communities.

Raj Sundar is the Business and Sales Manager for the Lumiflon® Resins Portfolio with experiences in the polymers and chemicals industry including coatings and composites, in roles that include sales and business management, business development, product management, product development, sustainability champion, product development and researcher at institutions including the Naval Laboratory, Honeywell, Ticona, BASF and AGC. The goal of our team is to provide solutions to meet market needs, where our Lumiflon® Fluoropolymer FEVE technologies provide for durable long lasting exterior coatings, especially in the architecture and infrastructure markets.  I feel fortunate and blessed to have a broad background to meet market needs, challenges and opportunities.

Sin Hei Kwok is the founder of LOFTSPHX STUDIO, an architect-led development, design, and construction practice specializing in small-lot infill housing near the urban core of Phoenix. His work explores alternative typologies for compact multifamily residential development, offering design-forward, buildable, and community-rooted solutions to contemporary housing challenges.

By integrating real estate development, architecture, and construction under one roof, Sin Hei maintains a unique level of control over the quality and execution of his projects.

Beyond his private developments, Sin Hei serves as a consultant for the City of Chandler, where he is conducting a design study near Downtown Chandler to address “missing middle” housing challenges. In parallel, he continues to expand his portfolio as an architect-developer, currently under construction on a seven-unit project and leading the design phase for a 27-unit housing development near downtown Phoenix.

He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arizona and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development (MSRED) from Woodbury University.

An Arizona resident for more than 30 years, Steve Valev has worked across the desert landscape with a deep interest in urban design and the social, cultural, and political forces that shape place. As an Associate Principal and Senior Project Architect with over two decades of experience, Steve approaches each project as an opportunity to uncover unique solutions that respond to a site’s specific character and potential. He is well-versed in working at multiple scales across typologies-from urban design and site development to environmental graphics and pedestrian infrastructure.Steve’s commitment to the profession extends beyond practice. He teaches graduate-level design studios and pursues independent explorations in art and architecture, focusing on how narrative, imagination, and the idea of the “other” can evoke the unexpected and the sublime in architecture and city-making.

Tobiasz Staszak is Area Manager North America at Reynaers Aluminum focused on developing a successful growing market. Having a background in the building industry for 14 years, gaining experience in technology, sales, and value proposition development. For the last 5 years Tobiasz has been coordinating the Canadian market and as of this summer he added the US. Tobiasz consistently goes above and beyond to foster enduring partnerships with our esteemed fabricators, architects, real estate developers, general contractors and engineers. By nurturing these relationships, we ensure mutual growth and success in the future. Tobiasz's commitment sets the stage for a prosperous journey together.

Xandon Keating leads the City of Phoenix’s Community and Economic Development community development efforts with a specialized team focused on driving real estate investment in the City’s critical areas for redevelopment. Xandon is responsible for managing the Downtown Redevelopment Area including seeking redevelopment opportunities for City-owned properties, working with private landowners to redevelop their properties and working with the downtown community to identify solutions to ongoing issues. Additionally, Xandon’s team oversees the City’s contractual relationship and future development for many downtown assets such as the downtown Arizona State University campus and the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. The team also manages the Downtown Enhanced Municipal Services District, a business improvement district established to provide a high level of services in the downtown.