Jury Chair: Mary Katherine Lanzillotta, FAIA , LEED AP

Hartman-Cox Architects, Partner

Mary Kay is passionate about preserving culturally significant buildings for future generations.  Beginning with the renovation of, and additions to, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials almost 30 years ago, Ms. Lanzillotta has become experienced in the design and approval of memorials and monuments on and around our National Mall. Some of the projects that she has worked on include the World War II Memorial, the Holodomor Memorial, the Victims of Communism Memorial, and proposals for the Marion Memorial and the Adams Memorial. In addition, she has led the design team for modifications and additions to both the East and West Building of the National Gallery of Art.  Her work has been published in Architectural Record, Traditional Building Magazine, Inform, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The San Francisco Chronicle , among others. In 1991 she founded the Architecture in the Schools program within the Washington Architectural Foundation where she continues to serve as the program director. She was given the John Wiebenson Award for Architecture in the Public Interest in 2006 by The Washington Architectural Foundation.  She was the chair for the National AIA Honor Awards Program in 2012 and served on the National AIA Fellows Jury from 2015 to 2017. Mary Kay has lectured at the University of Pennsylvania, Tulane University, DC Preservation League, AIA Grassroots Convention, AIA National Convention, Building Virginia, Architecture Exchange East, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Building Museum, the Mid-Atlantic Museum Association and the Society of Design Administrators.

Greg Mella, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C

SmithGroup, Vice President, Director of Sustainable Design

Greg was a recipient of the 2016 Living Building Hero award, and the architect behind the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Center – the tenth project in the world to achieve full Living Building certification, as well as the Merrill Center – the world's first LEED Platinum building.  Greg is a past member of the AIA’s Committee on the Environment Advisory Group, and a past co-chair of the AIA’s 2030 Commitment Working Group.  Having worked on many pioneering projects, he has candidly shared the lessons from those experiences, promoting a new design process that is integrated and collaborative while championing green building as something that is necessary, affordable, and inspirational.

Joanna Schmickel, AIA , LEED AP

cox graae + spack architects (formerly KressCox Associates), Principal

Joanna has been a practicing architect in Washington DC since 1985. During this period, she has managed a diverse set of award-wining local and national projects for educational, institutional, commercial and residential clients. She has been the lead designer on projects ranging from individual structures to full campus master plans concluding in design and construction of multiple buildings.  She has proudly sponsored and developed a new generation of architects who are active in the global architectural design and construction community. In partnership with the AIA, she has created and delivered multiple youth workshops for the Washington Architectural Foundation, lead an Architecture in the Schools team, and was a co-creator of the inaugural Archi-Builder Studio. In 2017 Ms. Schmickel was awarded the Washington Architectural Foundation’s John ‘Wieb’ Wiebenson Award for Architecture in the Public Interest in recognition of her work to develop and execute the Design Like a Girl program.

Rick Harlan Schneider, AIA, APA, LEED AP

ISTUDIO Architects, Principal

Rick Schneider is a champion for sustainable design and founding principal of ISTUDIO Architects in Washington DC. His unrelenting commitment to climate action transforms the architecture profession and leads communities to a more equitable and resilient future. Rick’s service as a board member includes the Virginia Tech College of Architecture + Design, the US Green Building Council NCR, and the AIA Committee on the Environment. His award-winning work has been published in Metropolis, Dwell, Forbes, and the New York Times.”

Michelle Amt, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP

VMDO, Director of Sustainability

Michelle Amt has 20 years of international experience overseeing a wide range of projects focused on sustainable design. As VMDO's Director of Sustainability, Michelle facilitates design dialogue, leads research and educational efforts, and helps teams achieve sustainability goals across all projects. She ensures VMDO's compliance with the AIA’s 2030 Commitment leads to further innovation in the fields of health and wellness, building performance and zero-energy and evidence-based design.