Kimberly Dowdell

Kimberly Dowdell is the 2024 President of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). As the 100th AIA President, she is the first Black woman and first Millennial to hold the institute’s top office. Dowdell previously served on the board of directors of the Architects Foundation, the philanthropic partner of the AIA, and sits on the board of the Chicago Central Area Committee, which works to shape the city’s growth, equity, and quality of place. From 2019 to 2020, she was the President of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). At HOK, Dowdell is a Principal and the firm’s Director of Strategic Relationships. She co-chair’s HOK’s Diversity Advisory Council, and co-founded HOK Impact, the firm’s social responsibility arm. She was educated at Cornell University and Harvard University, and was elected to Cornell’s Board of Trustees in 2022.