NCARB President Dale McKinney recognizes individuals for their dedication and service to NCARB, the public, and the profession.

New Orleans—Five individuals have been awarded the National Council of Architectural Registration Board (NCARB) President’s Medal for Distinguished Service at the organization’s 2015 Annual Business Meeting. The medal, which is NCARB’s highest honor, was bestowed by 2014-2015 President Dale McKinney, FAIA, NCARB, to: former NCARB President Blakely C. Dunn, NCARB, AIA, of Arkansas; Denis A. Henmi, FAIA, NCARB, of California; former NCARB President Gordon E. Mills, FAIA, NCARB, of Iowa; James W. O’Brien, FAIA, NCARB, of Minnesota; and Mississippi State Board of Architecture Executive Director Jenny Wilkinson.

President McKinney commended each of this year’s recipients for their commitment to the architectural profession, and to NCARB and its mission to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare by leading the regulation of standards for licensure and credentialing.

“NCARB relies on the commitment and expertise of individuals, such as this year’s President’s Medal recipients, to enhance our service to the public,” McKinney said. “I applaud them for their outstanding service, and take great pride in awarding them with this honor.”

2015 Recipients:

Blakely C. Dunn, NCARB, AIA

Blakely Dunn, of El Dorado, AR, was recognized for his many years of service to NCARB, including his leadership of committees, Region 3, and the Board of Directors. As NCARB 2014-2015 president/chair of the Board, Dunn’s leadership led to significant changes to the Intern Development Program (IDP) including modified eligibility and reporting requirements and an upcoming two-phased plan to streamline and overhaul the program. He created the Licensure Task Force, which undertook a holistic review of the licensure process with a goal of integrating education, experience, and examination to create an additional path to licensure. During his service to NCARB, Dunn also led the Future Title Task Force, the IDP Advisory Committee, and the Bylaws Task Force.

Denis A. Henmi, FAIA, NCARB

Denis Henmi, of San Francisco, CA, was recognized for his distinguished service to the California Architects Board and his significant contributions to the IDP. Henmi was a dedicated member of the California Architects Board for two terms, serving as president, vice president, and master commissioner. He also served on several NCARB committees related to the IDP and the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®). He has made significant contributions to the internship component of licensure, including being instrumental in California’s adoption of the IDP, guiding the linking of practice analysis data to the IDP for the first time, producing the first supervisor guidelines, and mentoring over 100 interns through the licensure process.

Gordon E. Mills, FAIA, NCARB

Gordon Mills, of Dubuque, IA, was recognized for his many years of service to NCARB, including his leadership of committees, Region 4, and the Board of Directors. As 2008-2009 NCARB president, Mills brought a renewed focus on customer service and helped position the Council to make technology advancements to allow greater efficiency in Record services. Throughout his service to NCARB, he provided his insight on various committees, including several related to the ARE. Mills also led a Communications Task Force that recommended ways for NCARB to expand and experiment with platforms in which to reach its customers. He was appointed to the Iowa Architectural Examining Board from 1996-2005, serving as chair from 2001-2002, and served Region 4 as chair and director.

James W. O’Brien, FAIA, NCARB

James O’Brien, of New Brighton, MN, was recognized for his distinguished service to the Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience, and Interior Design; and his significant contributions to the ARE. O’Brien was a dedicated member of the Minnesota Board from 1999-2007, where he served as chair. He provided his expertise on several NCARB committees related to the ARE, including serving as coordinator of the Lateral Forces division. He also volunteered for a multitude of education-related committees—including the Broadly Experienced Architect and Continuing Education committees—and was a National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) visiting team member. In recognition of his leadership, his peers elected him as both the chair and director of NCARB’s Region 4 and as regional director of the American Institute of Architects’ National Board.

Jenny Wilkinson

Jenny Wilkinson, of Jackson, MS, was recognized for her leadership of the Mississippi State Board of Architecture and her contributions to NCARB’s work related to the IDP. Wilkinson became the executive director of the Mississippi Board in 2003 and the executive of the Southern Conference (Region 3) in 2011. She has been a dedicated volunteer on the Member Board Executive Committee, Broadly Experienced Architect Committee, Procedures and Documents Committee, and the IDP Advisory Committee. In addition, she actively reaches out to students and interns throughout Mississippi to ensure they have the information they need to be successful along the path to licensure.

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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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