Washington, DC—The highest honor bestowed upon architectural professionals by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)—the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service—went to seven deserving individuals at the organization’s 2011 Annual Meeting and Conference, held in Washington, DC.

In announcing the recipients, 2010-2011 NCARB President Kenneth J. Naylor, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP praised the medal winners for their commitment to the architectural profession and to the organization whose mission is to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare by leading the regulation of standards for licensure and credentialing.

The Council as a whole recognized Mark I. Aspaas, AIA, NCARB by electing him to the leadership positions of secretary and treasurer on the Council Board of Directors from 2008-2010. For over 12 years, he was a dedicated member of the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions, serving as chair 1995 and 2001. Aspaas first volunteered to grade the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) in 1991, and then continuously volunteered for NCARB committees from 1995-2010. His contributions to the Council include chairing the Committee on Examination, the ARE Subcommittee, the Alternate Items Task Force, and co-chairing the Intern Development Program Advisory Committee (IDPAC). He was elected chair of Central States Conference (Region 5) from 2003-2005 and director from 2006-2008.

David Cronrath, AIA, has been a dedicated volunteer to the ARE since 1999. He served on the Committee on Examination as well as on several related task forces. He guided the ARE Grading Subcommittee as chair from 2004-2007, and was then appointed chair of the ARE Research and Development Subcommittee in 2008. As chair, he has been instrumental in the development of future enhancements for the ARE. Cronrath is currently the dean of the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at the University of Maryland.

During her 14 years as NCARB’s executive vice president and chief executive officer, Lenore M. Lucey, FAIA, CAE, led the Council through significant improvements that transformed programs, technological systems, customer and member service, and collateral relationships. She led an all-encompassing Business Process Re-engineering of the Council’s internal processes that produced significant, positive change and expansion in service to our Members and customers. She has been both an important voice and a strong advocate for architectural licensure, the NCARB Certificate, and the Council throughout her considerable career.

George H. Miller, FAIA, served as the 2010 president of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Through his leadership, he helped build a true partnership between NCARB and the AIA and worked to advance issues that were important to both organizations throughout his term. He co-chaired the IDPAC from 2006-2008 and served as an observer on NCARB’s Committee on Procedures and Documents. Professionally, he has been a principal at the world-renowned Pei Cobb Freed and Partners for over 30 years.

For more than 16 years Zerrin Sayar has been an integral part of the NCARB’s staff based in Washington, DC. She began in the examination department during the transition from paper and pencil to the computer delivered format. In 2002, she earned the Professional in Human Resources certificate and was promoted to assistant director of human resources. In 2007, she was promoted to the director of administration were she oversees the accounting and human resources departments. Under her direction, the Council launched the electronic Experience Verification Reporting (e-EVR) system for documenting completion of the IDP in 2008.

During the AIA and RAIC conventions, President’s Medals were awarded to Jose Luis Cortes Delgado and Andre Bourassa. Both received their medals for their dedicated service to the profession, and leadership of their respective organizations—Federacion de Collegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM) and Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA).

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About NCARB
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ membership is made up of the architectural registration boards of all 50 states as well as those of the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NCARB assists its member registration boards in carrying out their duties and provides a certification program for individual architects.

NCARB protects the public health, safety, and welfare by leading the regulation of the practice of architecture through the development and application of standards for licensure and credentialing of architects. In order to achieve these goals, the Council develops and recommends standards to be required of an applicant for architectural registration; develops and recommends standards regulating the practice of architecture; provides to Member Boards a process for certifying the qualifications of an architect for registration; and represents the interests of Member Boards before public and private agencies. NCARB has established reciprocal registration for architects in the United States and Canada.

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