Washington, DC—National Council of Architectural Registration Boards' President Robert A. Boynton, FAIA, (2003-2004) awarded the President's Medal for distinguished service to six individuals associated with the Council who have made significant contributions to the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare through their service to NCARB and to the practice of architecture.

The 2004 medalists were honored at the close of NCARB's 85th Annual Meeting and Conference, held last month in Portland, Oregon. The President's Medal was first awarded in 1994 in order to recognize those individuals who dedicate a large part of their careers, energy, and wisdom to benefit the work of NCARB, the public, and the architectural profession.

Both Hector Garcia Escorza, chair of the Mexican Committee for the International Practice of Architecture, and N. Jean-Pierre Pelletier, FRAIC, former chair of the Committee of Canadian Architectural Councils, have contributed to the development of criteria that will facilitate the mutual recognition of U.S., Canadian, and Mexican architects. This challenging initiative has been supported by both leaders; each has shown great commitment to the cause. NCARB President Boynton honored Escorza and Pelletier for their tireless work ethic and their gift of friendship.

Cynthia J. Gainey was recognized for her wealth of institutional knowledge, based on more than 15 years of service to the Alabama Board for Registration of Architects, where she has served as executive director since October 1996. Her commitment to the profession and her willingness to mentor new board executives have not gone unnoticed; several NCARB presidents have chosen Gainey to serve on some of NCARB's most labor-intensive committees, among them the Reciprocity Impediments Task Force, the Committee on the Intern Development Program, and the Procedures and Documents Committee.

William W. Herrin Jr., FAIA, an architect from Hunstville, Alabama, is renowned for his tireless efforts to guide NCARB's response to the ground-breaking publication, Building Community, which energized the profession with its vision for a new future. Herrin first served as a member of the Carnegie/Boyer Task Force and then chaired the group for four consecutive years. He next chaired the Collateral Internship Task Force and its later incarnation, the Collateral Internship Management Group. Herrin recently completed his final term on the Alabama Board for Registration of Architects.

Lenore M. Lucey, FAIA, the Council's dedicated and energetic executive vice president, was recognized for her steadfast leadership and visionary guidance. Lucey manages NCARB's five directorates, which oversee wide-ranging responsibilities; serves as the primary liaison between NCARB staff and the NCARB Board of Directors; represents the Council at regional, national, and international events; and sets the tone for the day-to-day operation of the Council. A former practicing architect, Lucey was elected to the American Institute of Architects' College of Fellows in 1991 in recognition of her outstanding accomplishments within the profession.

Patrick W. Ryan, AIA, an architect based in Georgetown, Delaware, is a highly respected professional whose consummate teamwork skills have been long valued by the Council. A former member of the NCARB Board of Directors, Ryan has served on a number of committees, consistently providing his brand of measured leadership. His most visible work for the Council revolves around efforts to address interior design licensure issues. Ryan has continued to take part in some of NCARB's most integral and time-consuming initiatives, among them the Architect Registration Examination and the Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect program.