Operations Director, Perkins+Will

Kevin Holland currently serves as the Operations Director for Perkins+Will in Los Angeles. Most recently, Mr. Holland (Kevin) has served as the 2015-2016 National President of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and remains on its National Board until December 2018.

Before relocating to Los Angeles, Mr. Holland (Kevin) has practiced the states of Delaware, Ohio and Indiana—holding registrations in each. Now, in his 28th year of professional practice, Mr. Holland (Kevin) graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.S. degree in Architecture, in 1988, and the University of Michigan with a M. Arch. degree, in 1998. As a native of Wilmington, Delaware, Mr. Holland (Kevin) has always been very active in the community: he has served as a director within various music ministries in Delaware, Ohio and Indiana, and; has served on a number of non-profit board of directors, specifically, as board president of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center in Indianapolis and co-chair of the Directional Signage Committee of the Indianapolis 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmhollandaia

With over 20 years’ experience, Diana has practiced architecture in both the United States and Italy, with projects throughout the continental U.S. and Europe. Diana co-founded Saam Architecture (saam is a multi-lingual descriptor that translates as “together”) in June of 2014. The Saam partnership, a certified Massachusetts WBE/DBE firm, was established with the mission of providing a progressive HR model, thereby attracting top talent to an equitable environment. Diana has become an advocate for equitable practice, sharing her firm's strategies in presentations and interviews. In 2018, the firm was named as one of Boston’s Best Places to Work by the Boston Business Journal. Diana’s portfolio includes high-profile, large-scale institutional projects, including those in the higher education, healthcare, cultural arts, aviation, and K-12 education sectors.

Diana received her Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Tufts University in 1993, followed by a Master of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin in 1997. She has been a guest lecturer at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Syracuse University in Florence, a presenter at ABX 2015, ABX 2017, and the keynote speaker at the Vermont ACX 2018. Diana was a founding co-chair of the Massachusetts Building Congress Women’s Network, and is currently serving as the President of Boston Professional Women in Construction.

Principal, CannonDesign

For over 30 years, Diane has helped the nation’s top healthcare institutions translate their visions into reality. As our pediatric health practice leader, she advocates for integrating the myriad dimensions that address the health and wellbeing of children — from healthcare and education to research, recreation, nutrition and more. Because of her deep expertise and unwavering passion in this area, she is a frequent lecturer at healthcare business and design forums. Her empathic, award-winning work for children’s hospitals, women’s health facilities and cancer care centers are often benchmarked among the world’s best patient care environments.

Diane is also a member of CannonDesign’s board of directors where she contributes her first-hand knowledge about what it takes to run a successful design practice; prior to FKP merging with CannonDesign, Diane was the firm’s CEO for six years. Among the areas she advocates for on the board is diversity and inclusiveness — believing it is essential for our profession to accurately reflect the demographics of communities we live in and serve through our design work.

CEO, Shepley Bulfinch

Carole Wedge, FAIA, is CEO of Shepley Bulfinch. Her work in both leadership and design capacities is noted for its success in achieving organizational change and strategically positioning her clients for the future. Carole is recognized for her leadership in moving the firm forward since 2004, opening offices in Phoenix and Houston and growing the quality and creativity of the firm’s work. Her efforts to enhance diversity in architecture, on a national level, are visible through her leadership of the Large Firm Round Table and active participation in both the AIA Women’s Leadership Summits and Equity By Design.