Massachusetts Architect, Douglas Engebretson, FAIA,
Elected President of National Architect Council

Washington, DC—Douglas K. Engebretson, FAIA, of Springfield, MA, was recently elected president of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) at its 88th Annual Meeting and Conference in Denver, CO. During the past four years, Engebretson served as the Council’s first vice president, second vice president, and secretary.

As NCARB president, Engebretson will continue to guide implementation of the 11 primary objectives of the Council’s Strategic Plan, especially the evolution of a more focused Intern Development Program and the rollout of the new ARE® 4.0, which may allow candidates fewer trips to the testing centers and a more comprehensive arrangement of the testing materials. Engebretson also plans to lead the development of strategies that will reduce the confusion relating to services provided by interior designers versus those that are the responsibility of the architecture profession.

Engebretson is the president of Tessier Associates, Inc. (TAI), a seven-person architecture and interior design firm based in Springfield that specializes in college, bank, and public school architecture. TAI’s most recent projects in western Massachusetts include a branch bank for Chicopee Savings Bank in West Springfield; a science center and a student center for Bay Path College in Longmeadow; an admissions building, dormitory, library addition and law school addition for Western New England College; a dormitory for Springfield College; additions/renovations to
Hampshire Regional High School; the Drury High School renovations in North Adams; and additions/renovations to Commerce High School in Springfield.

In 1979, Engebretson began his tenure with NCARB as a grader for the then paper-based Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®). The ARE is now a computer-delivered test comprising nine divisions taken by all U.S. and Canadian candidates seeking architectural registration. Engebretson has continued to provide his leadership and expertise to several Council committees, including the Committee on International Relations, the Committee on Professional Conduct, and the Committee on the Intern Development Program. Most recently, Engebretson was Board Liaison to the Procedures and Documents Committee and the Governance Task Force.

Engebretson previously served as director for the Council’s Region 1 (New England Conference), which comprises Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. He was appointed to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Architects in 1996 and currently serves as chair, a position he has held since 2003. He holds the NCARB Certificate for national reciprocity and is registered to practice in seven states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont). Engebretson earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson.

In 1991 Engebretson was advanced to the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows—the highest honor the AIA bestows on its architect members—in recognition of his contributions to the profession. His service to the AIA includes tenures as a national director in 1986-1989 and as national secretary in 1990-1992. Engebretson also is a past president of the AIA’s New England Regional Council. He has been a member of the AIA’s Western Massachusetts Chapter since 1975 and served as chapter president in the early 1980s.

Engebretson also has participated on National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) teams that assessed curricula at Washington State University, the University of Florida, the New York Institute of Technology, and Syracuse University.

Among his honors, Engebretson received the “Philanthropist of Distinction” award from the Hampden County chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 1996 and an Upjohn Fellowship from the AIA in 1992.

In addition to his wide-ranging professional contributions, Engebretson is a former trustee, chair of the committee on trustees, and executive committee member for Bay Path College in Longmeadow, MA. He also is a corporator, trustee, and former board of investment member for Chicopee Savings Bank. He previously was a foundation board member for the Sisters of Providence Health System and is the former chair of Springfield’s public television affiliate WGBY. Engebretson is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, having served from 1969-1973.

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