From March 20 – 21, 2026, NCARB regions comprised of the U.S. architectural licensing boards gathered in Oklahoma City for the 2026 Regional Summit. The annual summit provides a forum for NCARB’s regions to weigh in on national initiatives, discuss regional issues, and elect leadership for the year ahead. This year’s summit was hosted by NCARB’s Region 5, which is made up of the licensing boards for Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

The summit’s agenda is planned each year by NCARB’s Regional Leadership Committee, which includes the chair, vice chair, and executive of each region. The 2026 Regional Summit kicked off on Friday with updates from NCARB President Edward T. Marley, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, and CEO Michael Armstrong. Attendees also received an overview of the draft resolutions up for a membership vote at this year’s Annual Business Meeting, engaged with candidates running for election to the FY27 NCARB Board of Directors, and heard updates related to NCARB’s overlapping practice and Pathways to Practice efforts. 

Throughout the summit, attendees met as regions to conduct regional business, including regional budgets, conferences, and leadership. During regional meetings, attendees heard presentations and participated in discussions on licensing board best practices, reciprocal licensure, and responsible control. 

On Saturday, attendees participated in an interactive workshop exploring the topic of continuing competency. To end the summit, the chairs of each region shared the outcomes of their regional discussions, as well as each region’s nominated candidate for regional director on the FY27 Board of Directors: 

  • Region 1: Thomas D. Lonardo, RA, NCARB (Rhode Island)
  • Region 2: Robert Cozzarelli, FAIA, NCARB, SARA, PP, CID (New Jersey)
  • Region 3: Catherine C. Morrison, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, NOMA (North Carolina)
  • Region 4: Jill Lewis Smith, AIA, NCARB (Kentucky)
  • Region 5: Nathan Baker, NCARB, AIA (Oklahoma)
  • Region 6: Tian Feng, FAIA, FCSI (California)

Regional directors will be elected by NCARB’s full membership at the Annual Business Meeting in June. The next Regional Summit will be hosted by Region 1 on February 25 – 27, 2027, in Providence, Rhode Island.