James P. Clark, FAIA

The Society’s Immediate-Past President James P. Clark has been elevated by the AIA to its prestigious College of Fellows — an honor awarded to members who have made contributions of national significance to the profession.

Throughout his 25 years of membership in the AIA, Clark has worked tirelessly to create programs that empower collaborative connections between architects, students and institutions that inspire awareness, creativity, education and excellence.

Clark founded and chairs the National Ideas Competition for the Washington Monument Grounds on the National Mall, a competition that has attracted both national and international attention and has facilitated free discussion outside the highly sensitive political world of reviewing agencies.  During his term as President of the Virginia Society AIA, he convinced the AIA, George Washington University, and architecture schools throughout the nation to sponsor the competition the results of which will be featured in an exhibition called Someday in the Park with George at the Virginia Center for Architecture opening April 12, 2012. Clark also founded and leads the Annual Interschool Design Competition at the National Building Museum and helped found AIA Northern Virginia’s School Connections Committee.  As the Society’s Vice President for Professional Excellence, he was instrumental in establishing the Prize for Design Research and Scholarship and the Emerging Leaders in Architecture programs.

The 2012 Fellows will be honored at an investiture ceremony on Thursday, May 17 at the 2012 National AIA Convention.