San Diego, CA—The highest honor bestowed upon architectural professionals by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)—the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service—was awarded by 2012-2013 President Ronald B. Blitch, FAIA, NCARB, FACHA, to six deserving individuals at the organization’s 2013 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA.

President Blitch commended each of this year’s recipients for their commitment to the architectural profession and to the Council whose mission is to protect the public’s healthy, safety, and welfare by leading the regulation of standards for licensure and credentialing.

Jeffrey A. Huberman, FAIA, NCARB, of Charlotte, NC, was recognized for his many years of service to the Council, including his leadership of committees, Region 3, and NCARB Board of Directors. Huberman was a dedicated member of the North Carolina Board of Architecture from 1994-2005, where he was elected secretary, treasurer, vice-president, and president. Additionally, Huberman was elected by Region 3 to serve on the NCARB Board of Directors in 2006 and was later elected the Council’s second vice president.

Through his service to NCARB, he served on and chaired some of NCARB’s most integral committees, including the Reciprocity Impediments Task Force, the Committee on Procedures and Documents, and the Committee on the Intern Development Program (IDP). As chair of the Committee on the IDP, he led efforts to create supervisor guidelines and increase the role of the mentor. He also served as a writer and grader for the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®).

Kevin G. Montgomery, FAIA, NCARB, of Durham, NC, was recognized for his distinguished service to Region 3 and his contributions to the Council’s work related to continuing education and the Intern Development Program. Montgomery was a dedicated member of the North Carolina Board of Architects from 1997-2009. He was elected vice chair and chair of Region 3 from 2006-2009. He served on several NCARB committees, including the ARE Subcommittee, the Committee on Education, and the Committee on IDP. In addition, Montgomery served as chair of the Committee on Professional Development (now known as the Continuing Education Committee), where he oversaw the development of NCARB monographs, and the IDP Supervision Task Force, which developed the IDP Supervisor Guidelines.

Dennis S. Ward, AIA, NCARB, of Florence, SC, was recognized for his for many years of service on the ARE, IDP, Region 3, and the NCARB Board of Directors. Ward served on the South Carolina Board of Architectural Examiners from 2001-2011, and served as chair of the board from 2004-2006 and in 2009. He has served as a member or chair of numerous NCARB committees, task forces, and workshops including the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) Subcommittee, the ARE Technology Subcommittee, the Committee on Examination, the ARE Specification Task Force, and the ARE Item Writing Workshop. As chair of the ARE Subcommittee and assistant chair of the Committee on Examination, he was instrumental in the transition from ARE 3.1 to ARE 4.0. In addition, he has served as an NCARB visiting team representative of the National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) since 2003. In 2009, Ward was elected by Region 3 to serve on the NCARB Board of Directors. He has since served as secretary and treasurer.

Katherine E. Hillegas, CAE, was recognized for tireless work on behalf the Council related to Member Board and collateral relations. She joined the Council in 2005 as the assistant director, corporate affairs. In January 2010 she was promoted to director and currently leads the Council Relations Directorate. Her current responsibilities include Member Board relations, support for the Member Board Executives Committee, support for the NCARB Board of Directors, and planning of all Council related meetings including the Annual Meeting. Two years ago, CEO Michael J. Armstrong and Hillegas began an initiative to visit all of NCARB's 54 Member Boards to discuss legislative issues and learn more about the needs of individual boards. Previously, she spent two years at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) serving as interim executive director.

Earlier this week, the following individuals were honored for their ongoing efforts related to the Tri-National Mutual Recognition Agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Peter Streith, of Spruce Grove, Alberta, is the chair of the Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA) International Committee and the past president of the Alberta Association of Architects (AAA). As a member of CALA, he is involved in negotiations related to mutual recognition agreements with the European Union, the Pacific Rim countries, the United States, and Mexico.

Arq. Guillermo Marrufo Ruiz, of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico serves as the current president of the Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM). As the president, he will lead efforts to establish new regulatory requirements, promote professional certification, and enhance relationships with federal and state governments as well as collateral organizations.

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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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