Washington, DC—Douglas K. Engebretson, FAIA, 2007-2008 President of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), recently awarded the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service to five individuals 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 2008 medalists were honored at the close of NCARB’s 89th Annual Meeting and Conference held in late June in Pittsburgh, PA. The President’s Medal was first awarded in 1994 in order to recognize those individuals who dedicate a considerable part of their careers, energy, and wisdom to benefit the public and the architectural profession.

Ivan Cervantes Erosa, President of La Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana, A.C., worked with his U.S. and Canadian counterparts to secure the bond of professional reciprocity among North American architects. Erosa made significant contributions to the development of the “Mechanisms for Implementation” of the Tri-National Agreement. He was recognized for his exemplary leadership as the work of the Tri-National Committee concluded and the Council for the Tri-National Practice of Architecture (CTPA) was established.

Gerald S. Hammond, FAIA, LEED AP, of Hamilton, OH, has devoted a generous portion of his time to the development of the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®). As a member of the Committee on Examination, he helped usher in the new seven-division ARE 4.0. He also led the ARE Technology Subcommittee as they worked on updating the graphic vignettes to the new and improved “ARE Desktop.” Hammond was recognized for his 10 years of service to NCARB and his commitment to the quality and integrity of the ARE.

Melinda Pearson, AIA, of Lincoln, NE, first became involved in NCARB in 1994 when she was named to the Nebraska Board of Engineers & Architects. For nearly a decade Pearson served her board and her contributions to the Council during this part of her career were numerous. In 2001 and 2002, she served on the NCARB Board of Directors as the regional director of the Central States Conference. In 2006, Pearson became the Member Board Executive for the Nebraska Board of Engineers & Architects. In this role, she continued her dedication to the NCARB mission by providing an informed perspective as a member of the Practice Analysis Task Force in 2007 and the Practice Education Committee in 2008. Pearson was recognized for her high standard of excellence and outstanding contributions to the Council and to the profession at large.

Andrew W. Prescott, AIA, of Potomac, MD, has made many notable contributions to NCARB. He has served on the NCARB Board of Directors, first as director of the Middle-Atlantic Conference, and then as treasurer. Last month, he was elected first vice-president at the NCARB Annual Meeting. During his more than two decades of involvement with NCARB, Prescott has served as a member, chair, or Board liaison to a wide variety of committees. Most recently he chaired the Practice Analysis Task Force, where he played a pivotal role in developing the survey and making sure that the knowledge gained from the survey was incorporated in all NCARB programs. He also served as Board liaison to the Committee on Education where he helped write the NCARB Position Paper for the NAAB 2008 Accreditation Review Conference. Prescott was recognized for his long, noteworthy, and generous service to both the Council and the profession of architecture.

For 25 years, Susan L. Wise has been an integral member of the NCARB staff. She began her career at the Council as the executive secretary to the executive director, then as assistant to the executive vice president, and for the last decade, as director of corporate affairs. In her current position, Wise is responsible for making sure that NCARB’s message is delivered accurately and effectively to our various constituents and for overseeing the planning and execution of some 100 meetings a year. Throughout her tenure with NCARB, she has provided invaluable assistance to the Board of Directors, the Member Board Members, and the Member Board Executives. Wise was recognized for her myriad contributions to NCARB and its wide-ranging constituencies. She is the first twotime recipient of the President’s Medal, having also received the award in 1996 from NCARB Past President Richard W. Quinn, FAIA. Wise is set to retire from the Council in late August.