A YEAR TO NEVER FORGET...2021 ANNUAL LOOK BACK

2021 shaped up to be another year of navigating the unique nature of the pandemic and again, I-NOMA members rose to the occasion, coming together for virtual and in-person programming in service of the NOMA mission. Here is a recap of the year in case you missed it.

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS:

Big congratulations to all the newly licensed and promoted I-NOMA members.

Licensure

Kim Johnson
Ya Vaughn Harlston

Promotions

Cordareo Oscar - Moody Nolan - Promoted to Associate
Nolman Davis - AIA Wisconsin Director for 2022
Me’osha Solsberry - FitzGerald - Promoted to Associate
Ashlen Williams - AIA Chicago Director for 2022
Ya Vaughn Harlston - Bancroft Architects + Engineers - Director of Architecture
Imani Dixon - I-NOMA Vice President 2022
Jasmine Gunn - I-NOMA Secretary 2022
Richie Hands - AIA Chicago Associate Director for 2022

Notable Mentions

Jesus Perez - I-NOMA Scholarship Recipient
Leo Argueta - I-NOMA Scholarship Recipient
Omar Rodriguez - I-NOMA Scholarship Recipient
Su Wadi Linn - I-NOMA Scholarship Recipient
Roxie Garcia - I-NOMA Scholarship Recipient
Tyler Porter - I-NOMA Scholarship Recipient
Jeremiah Beasley - I-NOMA Scholarship Recipient
Anidobu Udochukwu - I-NOMA Scholarship Recipient
Tiara Hughes - Launch of First 500 website

2021 ADVANCE (Virtual) & President Recap statement:

During this virtual working session, the Executive Board introduced the 2021 initiatives and programming, which culminated with members having the opportunity to join one of the committees and take part in the initial planning for these initiatives. Opportunities to lead on some of the initiatives were presented and discussed for all members and we had many members maximize their I-NOMA experience and participation.

President’s Statement:

“As we close this 50th year of NOMA, we celebrate the many years of our work in the local community and INOMA’s accomplishments throughout this year.

We are a small but mighty organization with many loyal volunteers. Without them, my work as president would be a feat. I would like to acknowledge our Eboard members, committee leaders, members and volunteers. I want to thank you, because without you, this year would not be possible.

Our volunteers and eboard members have assisted in organizing many of the events and programming we have such as project pipeline summer camp we host with IIT and EQ office each year. This year, with COVID remaining relevant, we were able to have a successful hybrid version with 42 students. The design build program that assists other nonprofits in designing and renovating a small space with high school students. We were able to complete the design and construction despite COVID holding us back last year. The ongoing Legacy Map launch this year. Our membership events, construction tours and General Body meetings we hosted kept our members and visitors engaged and gave them opportunities to learn and network with each other.

I’d also like to thank any sponsors and firms that we’ve held a meeting or tour in, because you opened the door for us, you have added to our success as an organization.

Lastly, to end the year on a higher note, we like to thank AIA IL for presenting INOMA with the President’s award for the work we’ve done. You have supported our many events and met with us on numerous occasions to find ways to genuinely foster the bond we now have. Through our communications we have created a new MOU with AIA IL which includes the Beverly Lorraine Green ARE grant which supports ARE candidates pursue their license. This important area shows the small number of minority licensed architects in the country. With this MOU, we can now work together to increase these numbers.

We look forward to strengthening our relationships with the members of the architecture community and related fields. I honestly say this has been a fulfilling year for me as President and I’m proud to be a part of the strong legacy NOMA has.”

Jennifer Johnson

2021 INOMA President

BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT: EXPLORING THE ROLES OF BLACK ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS (VIRTUAL)

In this virtual event we explored the Roles of Black Architects & Designers in today’s culture. We were joined by Chicago architects who shared their stories and spoke on their experiences and the history of Black architects in Chicago. Big thanks to all those who joined and shared.

DESIGN BUILD: REBUILDING EXCHANGE BUILD-OUT (2020 DESIGN & 2021 BUILD)

2020 Rebuilding Exchange Build-out

The Design Build team worked with Rebuilding Exchange (RX) to coordinate the renovation of their offices at their Chicago storefront location. Students and mentors met virtually through Fall 2020 to complete designs to optimize the space to meet the clients’ needs. As things started to reopen in 2021, the virtually completed design was then constructed by RX with I-NOMA support. Through this collaborative effort, the Design Build team managed to create a space that RX can celebrate for years to come as they continue to carry out their mission of diverting building materials from landfills for reuse.

2021 Rebuild Exchange Ribbon Cutting

The Design Build team welcomed many to the 2020 Ribbon Cutting for RX Build-out. With a combination of student and volunteer participation, the ribbon cutting showcased the students’ design and the volunteers’ building skills. The students presented their work and all the guests partied. Thank you to our partners in this event. List partners here?

GENERAL BODY MEETINGS

April (Virtual)

Our first Virtual General Body Meeting had a great turnout, especially with shifting gears and transitioning from in-person to virtual. Some joined for our BYOB wine & cheese and networking, which was followed by our feature presentation on the Legacy Map Project. For the past several months, our IIT NOMAS students and countless others have been building a database documenting the contributions of minority architects and designers throughout Chicago. Utilizing geographic information system (GIS) software, they created a tool that is accessible to the general public which maps the previously untold story of minority designers and architects in Chicago and we are so excited to finally share the progress that has been made!

August (Virtual & In-person)

AIA Chicago

Our first Hybrid (virtual and in-person) Meeting of the year was a well needed refresher after not being in-person for most of the year. This year came with a couple firsts for I-NOMA, including our 2021 Hybrid Project Pipeline Camp, which was discussed along with a recap of the 2020 Design Building project.

October (Virtual & In-person)

Herman Miller

In our final General Body Meeting of the year we discussed open board positions and introduced our new Design Build partner, Claretian Associates. As we prepare for our transition into the new year, we look forward to what this partnership will bring.

NEXTGEN CAREER EVENT (VIRTUAL)

The annual career day was a success with students and professionals participating in a Zoom session on job-finding while working remote. Special thanks to all those who participated and volunteered their time for mock interviews and resume & portfolio reviews.

Our goal of the I-NOMA NextGen Career Development Day is to provide a platform for ALL of our tremendously talented members to connect with professional design firms and advance their careers.

MEMBERSHIP EVENTS

Cooking Class w/ Chef Shawn (Virtual)

Pineapple Bowls! In our first ever cooking class with our Membership Chair, Shawn Waddell, we enjoyed smell-a-vision and plenty of laughs. There may have only been a handful of pineapple bowls made, but there were a lot of memories made.

Networking Happy Hour - Mid Year Summit

Raised

Absence does make the heart grow fonder. This in person happy hour served as the in-person portion of our Mid Year Summit and allowed for us to reconnect in person with plenty of drinks and plenty of laughs.

Professional Headshots

Moody Nolan

We provided updated headshots for our members. Special thanks to our very own member Kai Brown for the amazing photos. (does Kai have a role/title?)

ONE CHICAGO CONSTRUCTION TOUR

One Chicago

Hosted by Luther Lampkin from RG Construction, we were guided through the new redevelopment of One Chicago, formerly known as One Chicago Square, located in the River North neighborhood. Members got a behind the scenes look at the complexities of coordinating a mixed-use development and were able to watch some of the window wall installation.

When complete, this project is anticipating 78 stories which will make it the 8th tallest structure in Chicago.

PROJECT PIPELINE

Project Pipeline Midwest Summer Camp (Virtual + In-person)

IIT College of Architecture & Willis Tower

Midwest Project Pipeline was a big success! With 3 virtual days and 2 in-person days we were able to reach 100+ students virtually across the midwest, 40 of whom were from Illinois and 42 students in person. We collaborated with a number of NOMA Midwest chapters to create an engaging and exciting virtual camp for all participants.

For our in-person days we were able to get the students some hands-on experience while also helping them engage with some of Chicago’s most iconic architectural buildings, Willis Tower and Crown Hall.

Special thanks to EQ Office for giving our students unparalleled access to Willis Tower and the newly improved Sky Deck experience.

Project Pipeline Cookout Celebration

Washington Park

As tradition dictates, we must celebrate our students' hard work after an amazing Project pipeline. This cookout welcomed Project pipeline students, parents, volunteers, and I-NOMA members.

While traditionally paired with walking in the Bud Billiken Day Parade, I-NOMA did not take part in the reduced capacity parade due to pandemic considerations. The cookout was still a tremendous success and we hope to be back, marching with the full parade in 2022!

NOMA CELEBRATES 50 YEARS (VIRTUAL & IN-PERSON)

Detroit, MI

NOMA turned 50! To commemorate NOMA turning 50 we created a short video in which our members discussed I-NOMA’s history for the conference. The video included members Charles Smith, Erroll ONeil, Mike Rogers and Walter Street. The video, moderated by our current - President Jennifer Johnson, went into details on I-NOMA’s history and major events that shaped our chapter along the way, including how our chapter has grown in ways that has cemented our Legacy throughout the industry, the city of Chicago, and in the spirits of all those we have touched.