April C. Drake, AIA of Alexandria, Senior Project Architect, HDR Inc. has been appointed by the governor to the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects.
Congratulations, April!
April Drake is a Senior Project Architect with HDR in Arlington, VA focusing on complex government facilities. A native of Hampton Roads, Virginia, April received her B. Arch from Hampton University in 2004. With 15 years of education, government and commercial project experience, April leads multidisciplinary teams through all stages of design. She is a skilled facilitator and is well-known for her dedication to both collaboration and communication.
April is especially passionate about her mentorship role in promoting the growth of women and minorities in architecture and allied fields. As one of only 400+ African American licensed women in the country, April is aware of the leadership and encouragement that is necessary to guide women from graduation to licensure. To that end, she is an active member in the AIA and a committee volunteer for NCARB (National Council of Architecture Registration Board). After serving two years on the Board of Directors, she is now the 2020 Secretary for the AIA Northern Virginia (NOVA) Chapter. Since 2014, she has volunteered with NCARB on a number of task forces developing the new ARE 5.0 Exam. She is also Past Chair of the AIA NOVA Women in Architecture Committee, which champions the advancement of women in the profession throughout Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland.
April also dedicates her efforts to creating events geared toward introducing young girls to Architecture. In 2015, she started a STEM event for local Girl Scout troops. Through a series of both collaborative and individual hands-on activities, each girl is able to explore aspects of architecture while also earning a STEM patch for their vest.
In November 2018, April was the Local Keynote speaker in Washington, DC for the AIA Leadership Institute. Speaking about the “Missing Middle”, she highlighted the challenges faced by mid-career professionals. Finally, in 2019 she was honored as one of the AIA VA Emerging Professional Award recipients.
April Drake, Emily Hogan, and Andrew McKinley will be recognized with the Virginia Emerging Professional Award at the Visions for Architecture gala on Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, at the Hilton Downtown Richmond. Launched in 2015, the Virginia Emerging Professional Award is intended to recognize the accomplishments of emerging leaders in Virginia for their contributions to the profession in one or more of the following categories: design, research, education, or discourse; service to the profession; mentorship; or service to the community.
“In the midst of challenging projects, she never loses sight of her top priority: building up the next generation of architects, while delivering to them and future generations a profession that values equity and inclusion.”
-Jessica Anderson, PE and Jonathan Oswald, AIA with HDR
Throughout her 15 year career, April C. Drake, AIA, has been a dedicated leader in the profession. She has been a passionate advocate for underrepresented voices and committed to building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive profession. She regularly attends, plans, and presents at local, regional, and national events, highlighting the achievements of women and minorities in architecture.
In addition to her role as a senior project architect with HDR, Drake currently serves on the AIA Northern Virginia Board of Directors and is the past chair of the Women in Architecture (WIA) committee. As a WIA leader, she championed her own innovative STEM event for local Girl Scout troops and focused her efforts on introducing school-aged girls to the field of architecture.
But, her service to the profession isn’t limited to the AIA — since 2014, she has helped NCARB navigate the transition from ARE 4.0 to ARE 5.0 through involvement on a Mapping Task Force and development of case studies for the exam. For the past two years, she has served on the NCARB Examination Committee which oversees development of several subcommittees and task forces and is a thought leader for NCARB regarding licensure assessment both now and into the future.
Her contributions to the profession, service to the community, mentorship of others, and efforts to engage students will have an indelible impact on the profession in the Commonwealth and beyond.
“As an architect, Emily Hogan represents her profession’s best qualities. She demonstrates an artistic creativity combined with a thoroughness and a keen eye for detail, whether engaging and guiding stakeholders through discovery, translation, and implementation phases successfully or in the role of advocate.”
–Andrew Pearson, Director of the Library, Bridgewater College
An award-winning architect with Quinn Evans Architects, Emily Hogan, AIA, has distinguished herself not only through her work, but also through exemplary service to the profession, her community, and to others. She has immersed herself in supporting the design community after graduating from the Emerging Leaders in Architecture program in 2014. She served as the AIA Richmond Treasurer and has been an active member of Richmond Women in Design, helping to coordinate some of the chapter’s largest events and programs. In 2017, she was recognized for her service with the Richard L. Ford Award for Young Architects. She has also exhibited a dedication to mentoring the next generation of leaders, organizing and hosting tours for students and young professionals.
In addition to her service to the profession, she has been a committed volunteer in her community — from supporting Dress for Success, to serving as campaign leader for the United Way, to serving on the Museum District Association, to being a part of service projects through Hill City Church— she has made service a genuine part of her identity.
“Andy’s design talents and technical knowledge have significantly impacted the quality of buildings for his clients and local communities.”
– Scott M. Campbell, AIA
Andrew McKinley, AIA, a principal with VIA design architects, has been a leader in design, sustainability, and mentorship throughout his career.
As co-chair of the membership committee for AIA Hampton Roads, he championed and helped lead the AIA Hampton Roads “Let’s Talk” firm discussion series with the goal of building relationships with all architecture firms — not just those who are actively engage with the AIA. A dedicated mentor, he has organized a number of Shadow Day programs to provide high school and college students the opportunity to spend a day at a local design firm. In 2018 alone, more than 60 students were paired with local firms, introducing them to the profession and helping them understand the impact a project can have on a community. He has also hosted Hampton University students for the “Firm Forward” program, giving them a glimpse into various firms’ operations. A graduate of the Emerging Leaders in Architecture program, he has committed to giving back to the profession by serving on the local steering committee. He also served on the York County Board of Zoning Appeals between 2010 and 2014.
McKinley has a passion for sustainable architecture and design for local public entities. He has been diligent in researching and understanding the positive impact that passive strategies an innovative technologies can have on the sustainability of our collective future. Moreover, he has committed to sharing his expertise with his peers. Within his firm, he launched a sustainability committee. Outside of it, he has presented a case study before the USGBC chapter and has focused on helping owners and builders understand how sustainable design reduces building operating and maintenance cost.
