I was really fortunate; I was elevated on my first try. I was immediately asked to be a state representative for the region, and then I was asked to become the regional representative for the Western Mountain Region. Then I was asked to become chair of the regional representatives, which is a group of 39 people across the country. The idea is that you are there to support the missions of the college, which are to encourage mentorship and to support research that will help architects do better work. We award the Latrobe Prize, which is a biennial $150,000 award to support a two-year program of research leading to significant advances in the architecture profession. Our latest Latrobe winners are studying smog-eating building panels. I was interested in supporting the missions of the college. I submitted to become a member of the executive committee of the college and was chosen to be the bursar (which is a fancy word for treasurer) for two years. I’m currently the vice chancellor, and in December, I’ll be inaugurated as the sixth woman to be chancellor of the college. You have a fabulous career. Are there any regrets? I do think about regrets. One is that I’ve never lived anywhere but Utah. I felt really bad that I couldn’t go away to school, but I got out with no student debt. Then I joined this firm, which has always treated me well; I had no reason to go elsewhere. I travel a lot, but I feel I’ve never had the opportunity to have a different experience. I mentioned this to one of my work colleagues. He said, “The advantage in only working for one firm for all these years is you were here long enough to make changes to help improve it for the better.” I value that insight. Advice for younger architects? Being an architect isn’t just going to work. The people who do well are the people with a real passion for it. One thing that bothers me about Utah is that a lot of people just want to go home after work. I want to go home after work, too, but it’s great to get together with others. I love the new chapter of NOMA. I’m a devoted member and an ambassador for Women in Architecture in Utah. I would say, even in school, get involved in more outside of the studio or firm and educate yourself. I do have a real passion for school design, but I didn’t set out to have a passion for school design. It was a passion that grew from knowing we are making all these children’s lives so much better. The schools I’ve worked on have maybe been open for 30 years. How many kids go through a school in 30 years? And I think the schools will easily last 90 years. How many lives will I have touched? It’s an awesome responsibility, but it’s exciting too. Canyons School District Union Middle School 17
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