Announcing the 2022 Slate for the AIA Dallas Board of Directors and TxA Director

11 October 2021

We would like to extend our thanks to the members of the Nominating Committee who identified the following slate of AIA members to serve on the Executive Committee of AIA Dallas:

Ben Crawford, AIA, LEED AP
President

Ben Crawford is Design Principal for the Dallas studio of HOK. He leads design of a broad range of corporate, commercial urban mixed-use, and municipal projects. His portfolio spans three decades of practice including healthcare, aviation, institutional, and hospitality developments. Perspective gained through solving a range of design challenges fuels his creative process. Ben guides clients from first interactions through delivery of completed projects, providing design leadership for clients, teams, and communities our studio serves.

Ben is a graduate of Rice University and joined HOK after successful stints at FKP Architects of Houston and Pickard Chilton of New Haven. He relocated to Dallas after nearly of a decade of practice at the HOK studio in Houston, where he served terms on the boards of the Rice Design Alliance and Project Row Houses. He has served on the Board of AIA Dallas as VP Programs and currently serves on the boards of ACE Mentorship of DFW.

Kate Aoki, AIA
President-Elect

Kate Aoki, AIA, is Head of Exhibition Design at the Dallas Museum of Art. With a BFA in Textile Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Texas at Arlington’s School of Architecture, Kate is fortunate to have found a career path that satisfies both her passion for fine art and the design of space. As Head of Exhibition Design, Kate designs intimate and expressive spaces in ways that engage visitors and invites them to learn more about the art they experience. Kate spent more than a decade working in the architecture field at such prestigious firms as GFF, and most recently at DSGN as a Senior Associate, where she worked on a variety of projects that addressed important community needs. Kate has a long-standing relationship with the Dallas Chapter of the AIA, having served as a member of various committees, as well as in leadership roles. She is a graduate of the Emerging Leaders Program, and currently serves as VP of Programs on the Board of Directors. In addition to her work with the AIA, Kate is a member of the Board of Directors for the Dallas Architecture Forum where she founded and leads the Design Society committee.

Charles Brant, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
VP Treasurer (Second year of 2-year term)

Charles Brant is a Senior Project Manager and Associate at DLR Group in Dallas. Charles has focused his experience over the last thirteen years on the K12 Education markets around DFW and Austin. Over his career, Charles has impacted more than 50 projects across Texas and Oklahoma; 30+ schools in North Texas school districts, including the A4LE Southern Region 2014 People’s Choice Award for the Fort Worth ISD - Young Women’s Leadership Academy. Charles was a graduate of 2010 ELP class, named the AIA Dallas 2012 Young Architect of the Year, and to the 2017 Building Design+Construction Magazine 40 under 40 list.

Over the last ten years, Charles has served AIA Dallas on the Emerging Leaders Program, Public Policy Committee, Finance Committee, and Nominating Committee in membership as well as committee chair roles. In 2017, served on the AIA Dallas Board of Directors as an at-large appointment. He has served on the NCARB ARE 5.0 Task force and has recently been appointed to the City of Dallas Building Inspection Advisory, Examining, & Appeals Board. Charles is a founder board member, and officer of the Friends of Solar Prep, a non-profit 501c3 foundation supporting two Dallas ISD single gender K-8 STEAM academies.

Peter Darby, AIA, LEED AP
VP Programs

Peter Darby is an architect with a consultant-based design practice in Dallas, Texas, and a career spanning over four decades. Peter is originally from the Chicago area and has an undergraduate professional architectural degree from Virginia Tech and a master's degree from Harvard Graduate School of Design. Before relocating to Dallas in 2013, Peter practiced in the Northeast, including Washington, DC, New York City, and Boston.
Peter serves on multiple boards, including Board of Directors with the Greater Dallas Planning Council and Chair of the Urban Design Awards; 2nd Vice President with the Board of Directors for U.S. Capitol Page Alumni Association in Washington, DC, including Director of Events leading national signature event and regional programs.

Peter also served on the national Board of Directors for the Virginia Tech Alumni Association for six years. Peter served on the AIA Dallas Board of Directors in 2021 and 2017 as the Director of Education. Peter is also past chair for the Historic Resources Committee and has been an active member of Public Policy, Communities by Design, Codes and Standards, and COTE committees for AIA Dallas.

Beth Brant, AIA
TxA Director

Beth Brant, AIA, LEED AP BD+C is Associate Principal and Director of Sustainability with DSGN Associates. Since 2004, she has been a leader in the green building industry. She has led and overseen over a dozen LEED projects through certification. She enjoys working with and educating other professionals on topics such as the Living Building Challenge, LEED, and IgCC. Beth has been involved with the CityLab Foundation, ILFI, USGBC, Texas Society of Architects, AIA Dallas, and currently serves as chair of Texas Society of Architects COTE Taskforce and as facilitator of the Living Future Collaborative North Texas.

We would like to extend our thanks to all who responded to our open call for nominations, as well as to the members of the Nominating Committee for identifying this slate. Please join us for the 2021 AIA Dallas Annual Chapter Meeting, Board Elections, and Meet & Greet on November 15 to vote on the proposed slate and celebrate the incoming board at the 2021 Holiday Party & Chapter Awards on December 2.