Minneapolis, MN—Six individuals have been awarded the National Council of Architectural Registration Board’s (NCARB) highest honor, the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service. The medals were bestowed by 2025-2026 NCARB President Edward T. Marley, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, at the organization’s 2026 Annual Business Meeting. The President’s Medal for Distinguished Service is awarded each year to individuals in recognition of their outstanding contributions and dedication to the Council and the regulation of the architectural profession. 

2026 NCARB President’s Medalist for Distinguished Service Recipients: 

Shana W. Bryant

Shana Bryant of Little Rock, Arkansas, was recognized for her outstanding service to the Council and the Arkansas State Board of Architects, Landscape Architects, and Interior Designers.

Bryant joined the Arkansas Board in 2008 and became its Member Board Executive (MBE) in 2021. She immediately began volunteering for NCARB and has served on the Education Committee, the Member Board Staff Work Group, and the MBE Committee. Bryant served two years as the MBE Committee chair, where she brought enthusiasm and dedication to developing engaging MBE Workshops and the development of new MBE training and model operations guides.

Tim A. Colley, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, SCUP

Tim Colley of Blacksburg, Virginia, was recognized for his outstanding service to the Council and the Virginia Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers, and Landscape Architects.

Colley was appointed to the Virginia Board in 2020, where he currently serves as vice chair. In addition, he has since been elected to Region 2 leadership, where he also serves as vice chair. Colley has been a dedicated volunteer to the Competency Task Force and the Licensure Process Research and Development (R&D) Task Force. He has been an advocate for the NCARB Competency Standard for Architects, regularly communicating the group’s work at NCARB meetings and other events. When the Competency Task Force’s work was complete, he transitioned to the Licensure Process R&D Task Force to bring his knowledge to the next phase of the Pathways to Practice initiative.

Michael G. Kolejka, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP

Mike Kolejka of Phoenix, Arizona, was recognized for his outstanding service to the Council, Region 6, and the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration.

Kolejka was appointed to the Arizona Board in 2023 and was elected as the Region 6 chair in 2025. He began volunteering with NCARB in 2008, first as an IDP coordinator (now licensing advisor). Then in 2015, Kolejka began serving on various Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) subcommittees and task forces, the Education Committee, the Certification Alternative Review Team, and the Regional Leadership Committee. In addition, he has served on the Licensure Process R&D Task Force, where he was part of a group of early advocates who explained the concept and direction of Pathways to Practice. He currently serves as the chair of the Policy Advisory Committee, where he is helping to turn the concepts of Pathways to Practice into updated policies for future adoption.

Dena Prastos, AIA, NCARB, WEDG

Dena Prastos of New York, New York, was recognized for her outstanding service to the Council and her leadership of the Futures Collaborative.

Prastos began volunteering for NCARB in 2018 when she was selected for the Think Tank, where licensure candidates shared their feedback with NCARB on the licensure process. After receiving her license in New York, she joined the Re-Think Tank for recently licensed architects in 2020. From there, Prastos served on the Futures Collaborative for two years before becoming its chair in summer 2023. As chair, she led the development and delivery of the inaugural and second Futures Symposiums that brought together NCARB volunteers and industry innovators. The group has also hosted a Space Architecture Roundtable in 2024 and released a Future Trends Report in 2025.

Kenneth R. Van Tine, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP

Ken Van Tine of Brighton, Michigan, was recognized for his outstanding service and leadership of the Council, Region 4, and the Michigan Board of Architects.

Van Tine served as NCARB president during the 2024-2025 fiscal year. During his tenure, he focused on improving accessibility to the profession. As part of the Pathways to Practice initiative to reimagine the licensure process, the organization released the NCARB Competency Standard for Architects so the Council could begin the transition to competency-based assessment.

Van Tine partnered with the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) President Pascale Sablan on a national listening tour and visited seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with an architecture program to engage with and listen to student feedback and encourage those students to pursue licensure. He also expanded NCARB’s outreach to community colleges, including visiting multiple campuses. Van Tine was first appointed to the Michigan Board in 2011 and was elected to the NCARB Board of Directors in 2018 as the Region 4 director. In addition, he has served on various committees such as the Experience Committee, the Policy Advisory Committee, the ARE Item Development Subcommittee: Construction & Evaluation Group, the Professional Conduct Committee, the Audit Committee, and the Regional Leadership Committee.

Jeremy Fretts, AIA, NCARB, M.A. Ed. 

Jeremy Fretts of Alexandria, Virginia, was recognized for his outstanding service to the Council and his contributions to the Education and Programs teams.

Fretts joined NCARB in 2019 as an assistant vice president in the Experience + Education department, focusing on education and continuing education initiatives. Throughout his tenure, he has focused on building relationships within the education community and enhancing professional practice curricula. Fretts serves as the staff liaison to the Education Committee and has previously supported the Continuing Education Subcommittee, Ethics Case Study Work Group, and Licensure Process R&D Task Force. Today, he manages NCARB’s education and certification programs within the Programs department, including NCARB Scholars, the Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL), the Continuum Education Program, and NCARB’s contributions to the Professional Practice Education Library (ProPEL).

About NCARB 

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ membership is made up of the architectural licensing boards of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NCARB, in collaboration with these boards, facilitates the licensure and credentialing of architects to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. 

To achieve these goals, NCARB works with its Member Boards and volunteers to develop and facilitate standards for licensure, including the national examination and experience program. NCARB also recommends regulatory guidelines for licensing boards and helps architects expand their professional reach through the NCARB Certificate. Connect with NCARB on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.