2024 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Congratulations to our architect members who were elected to serve on the 2024 Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting of Members on December 15, 2023!
Executive Officers
2024 President
Jamie Intervalo, AIA
As Architect and Planner, Jamie has a unique background leading multidisciplinary teams in Higher Education, Civic, Commercial, Mixed Use and Multi-Family Projects. She has served for several years on Women in Architecture (WIA) and Design Awards Committees and recently launched a new local chapter scholarship. In serving as AIA San Diego’s first Director of Equity, Diversity, Justice, and Inclusion, Jamie has promoted critical conversations around gender, ethnicity, race, and inclusion, embedding these principles into the fabric of how AIA San Diego functions and building upon what the Institute at the national level has started.
2024 Vice PRESIDENT
Katee Chard, AIA
As an associate at Carrier Johnson + CULTURE, Katee leverages her passion for motivating and leading diverse teams towards reaching common goals. She is a strong supporter for the Citizen Architect and enjoys giving back to the community through civic engagement.
Katee has served on the board as advocacy director and leader of RDAC where she has bolstered programs that educate and raise awareness about specific priorities which impact the design of our communities, including but not limited to the Mayoral Agenda, the Design Review Process, and an earnest assessment of the development/submittal processes in San Diego.
2023 PAST President
Kevin defreitas, FAIA
A native of San Diego, Kevin deFreitas is a licensed architect and developer who is extremely passionate about the quality of the built environment. Kevin deFreitas Architects, AIA was establish in 1998 as a multidisciplinary practice to expand beyond the traditional boundaries of pure design, allowing the firm to self-develop several highly innovative urban in-fill projects that otherwise would not have been achievable.
Kevin has been instrumental in connecting the Chapter with other non-profit partner organizations and in raising the notoriety of the profession in the broader community through creative programs.
2024 Treasurer
Joe Cruz, AIA
Joe is a project manager and licensed architect at Mead & Hunt where he specializes in aviation projects in California and nationwide. Joe previously served in the US Air Force for 9 years as a Civil Engineer Officer and leverages that leadership experience to engage with clients, project partners, and his design teammates with an enhanced focus on mentorship of the architect leaders of the future. Joe strives for environmental justice on projects and engaged with members of indigenous groups to get feedback and design input on projects that affect these communities. Joe has served on National Council of Architectural Registration (NCARB) Committees since 2012, has presented and moderated discussions at National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) conferences, and has previously volunteered with the ACE Mentor Program.
When not pointing out all manner of aircraft in the skies above San Diego, Joe enjoys paddle boarding, roller skating, cooking, and any beach where dogs are welcome.
2024 Secretary
Ben Dalton, AIa
An architect and firm partner, Ben Dalton leads Miller Hull’s San Diego Studio. He is a frequent lecturer and is active in the San Diego design community. Having practiced in North Carolina, Seattle and Sand Diego over his career, an understanding of place is profoundly important to Ben, as is the importance of collecting a diversity of perspectives in the curation of design ideas. Committed to sustainable architecture and improving our built environment across multiple sectors of work, Ben works at multiple scales for both public and private clients.
2024 Directors
Young & Emerging Professionals
Advocacy
Ivan Hu, Assoc. AIA
Currently a Senior Job Captain/Designer at Ferguson Pape Baldwin Architects, Ivan has over seven years of experience in Architecture working on Residential, Commercial, Education, Public, and Life-Science Projects.
Ivan hopes to increase awareness of the AIA to new graduates and assist in preparing new graduates for licensure. Additionally, Ivan hopes to broaden his outreach to upcoming K-12 students by increasing educational resources and knowledge of the architectural field.
Fun Fact: Outside of Architecture, Ivan is a Photographer (Lifestyle/Editorial/Real Estate/Portraiture). He can never say no to a nice glass of Whiskey!
Heather Ruszczyk, AIA
Heather Ruszczyk is an architect at The Miller Hull Partnership where she advocates for using design as a tool to offer solutions to some of the most pressing issues of our time – issues of climate, equity and resilience in the built environment. Her work with Miller Hull puts into practice her commitment to lead through design, at a firm whose ethos of purposeful placemaking, environmental stewardship and authentic sustainable practices aligns closely with her own goals. Outside the firm, Heather’s commitment to these principles manifest in volunteerism related to raising public awareness about how design can be an agent for positive change in our cities.
As Director of Advocacy, she hopes to continue pushing forward a number of issues originally identified in the Mayoral Agenda and to bring design into the conversation with our elected officials to see more policy reflect the value that our profession can offer in building a better San Diego.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Justice | Co-DIrectors
Dina Gonzalez, AIA
As a recently licensed architect at Carrier Johnson + CULTURE, Dina is committed to integrating EDI+J in the profession, in the built environs and in all aspects of design.
Dina seeks to strengthen previous EDI+J efforts and to better incorporate EDI+J values and principles into all of the Chapter’s programs.
Barbara Leon, AIA
Barbara Leon is a co-founder and principal of Heleo Architecture + Design, a multidisciplinary design practice in San Diego. As a licensed architect in California and Colorado, she leads the studio’s projects in the commercial, retail, and residential markets with the goal of creating progressive experiences through the built environment. She has participated in past WIA panel discussions and in 2021, she served as a mentor for the Diversity Scholarship winner, Gabriela Arevalo.
North County (Palomar) Co- Directors
Scott McColl, AIA
A Graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Scott is a Senior Consultant and Architect at MC Consultants in Carlsbad. He also sits as a Member of the Escondido Building Advisory and Appeals Board.
In this role, Scott intends to increase the voice of Architects in San Diego and especially the North County area by supporting the needs of our profession in our community.
Fun Fact: Scott is a 4th Generation native San Diegan
bart smith, AIA
Bart is the Principal Architect of Encinitas - based firm DZN Partners since 1991
Bart is newly nominated to this position and looks forward to continuing to increase interaction between members of the Architectural Profession.
Fun Fact: When he’s not at the DZN headquarters or following his favorite team, the Padres, Bart enjoys taking his SUP out at least twice a week!
Practice Co- directors
Roya Seyedsadry, AIA
An architect with over 15 years of experience, Roya loves seeing the growth of our beautiful San Diego skyline over time and being part of its development.
As practice Co-director, Roya hopes to focus on creating stronger connections between the amazing talent that we have within different organizations and facilitate discussions around the challenges and innovative solutions within the practice of Architecture.
Victor navarro,aia
Victor H. Navarro is a San Diego based Architect and Educator.
Currently a principal of legacy firm Architects Mosher Drew, Victor has worked and collaborated on diverse project types gaining experience in the categories of single family residential, multifamily mixed-use, restaurant, hospitality, retail, government and education. As a versatile designer, he has developed projects that range from small additions to campus planning and of diverse construction and structural methods.
Victor’s approach to architecture is through a process that he calls Emergent Design. It is highly based on collaboration, engages discussions on social and environmental responsibilities, and evokes a hybrid of research, rationale and intuition in which the end result yields the unexpected.
Government Relations Director
Doug Austin, FAIA
Well known for his expertise in designing the urban environment Mr. Doug Austin, FAIA, LEED AP, MAIBC is recognized by his peers and the community as a visionary design leader. Since establishing his firm AVRP design studios in San Diego in 1976, he has led teams in designing projects both domestically and internationally.
These projects include: urban infill, development, mixed-use, housing, education, corporate office, multigenerational space, health care and more. In Urban Development in the past 10 years alone his teams have both designed and built over $3 billion worth of construction value.
ex Officio Representatives (Appointed)
ex officio, California Architects Board
Mitra Kanaani, FAIA, D.Arch, MCP
Dr. Mitra Kanaani, FAIA, D.ARCH, MCP of AIA San Diego serves on the California Architects Board, appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Mitra is a registered architect and a Fellow of American Institute of Architects, FAIA, recognized for her contributions in the advancement of the standards of practice in the science and art of planning.
ex officio, The San Diego Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (SDNOMA)
Michael Robinson, aia
Principal Architect of Robi4 Architecture & Planning, Inc, Michael serves on the AIA San Diego Board of Directors as an ex-officio member and SDNOMA liaison. He also serves as the inaugural President of SDNOMA, on the Alumni Advisory Board at the NewSchool of Architecture & Design, and as co-chair on the City of La Mesa Design Review Board.
Representative, AIAS (Student group) nEWSCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
Robert Dirkmaat, AIAS
2024 Board Representatives
Jamie Intervalo, AIA
Katee Chard, AIA
AIA San Diego Committee Leaders
Our volunteer Committee Chairs and Knowledge Community/Group Leaders are the boots on the ground; it is thanks to their dedication that AIA San Diego is able to offer hundreds of unique programs and events every year.
