Mission

Congratulations to the 2019-2020 AIA Detroit Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program Cohort!
Matt Biglin, Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects
Stephanie Bonderczuk, Saroki Architecture, Inc.
Alex Froehlich, Norr Architects
Charles Hass, Integrated Design Solutions
Charles Harris, SmithGroup
Wenching Ding, Gensler
Spenser Jaskiewicz, Stantec
Kyle Keaffaber, krM Architecture
Chris Lattimer, Quinn Evans Architects
Nichole McNamera, Thomas Roberts Architects
Ellen Moore, TMP Architecture
Jade Pyman-Stansbury, Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber
Kevin Rosenberg, Jeffery A. Scott Architecture
Katy Rupp, Ghafari
Michael Shuell, NSA Architects, Engineers, Planners
Ernesto Whitsitt, Neumann Smith

Thank you to our 2019-2020 CKLDP Benefactor Sponsors!

Sponsorship Opportunities for the 2019-2020 program are now available for both Benefactor (Annual) and individual Session Sponsorships. The Program Committee is also looking for potential speakers and venues for individual sessions; if you’re interested in providing sponsorship, venue, or speaker support, please reach out to the Program Committee at CKLDP@AIADetroit.com.

Kevin Bouchey, Strategic Energy Solutions
Leland Curtis, SmithGroup
Ethan Dome, HKS
Justin Fiema, SmithGroup
Bria Johnson, Hamilton Anderson Associates
Joshua Maddox, SmithGroup
Frank Majewski, SmithGroup
Nate Meade, GMB
Timothy Morris, Bedrock Detroit
Karin Neubauer, Quinn Evans Architects
Lauren Pedigo, SmithGroup
Erin Porter, Spackman Mossop Michaels
Bryan Seef, SmithGroup
Samantha Szeszulski, Stantec
Zachary VanOverbeke, Integrated Design Solutions
Margaret Whitfield, Yamasaki
The 8 scholar-led sessions for the 2018-2019 curriculum included:
- Session 1: Working Together
Led by Margaret Whitfield and Justin Fiema – Report by Leland Curtis and Zach VanOverbeke
Hosted by Airea Studio | Catering provided by Haworth | Sponsored by Rice Associates with Support from Landscape Forms - Session 2: Entrepreneurship and Management
Led by Samantha Szeszulski and Bryan Seef – Report by Margaret Whitfield and Justin Fiema
Hosted by Hunt Street Station | Sponsored by National Gypsum and Shaw Contract - Session 3: The Art of Negotiation
Led by Ethan Dome and Joshua Maddox – Report by Samantha Szeszulski and Bryan Seef
Sponsored and Hosted by The Christman Company | Additional Support from HKS, Inc. - Session 4: Engaging Your Community
Led by Bria Johnson and Karin Neubauer – Report by Ethan Dome and Joshua Maddox
Sponsored and Hosted by Hamilton Anderson Associates and Detroit Center for Design + Technology - Session 5: Closing the Deal
Led by Kevin Bouchey and Erin Porter – Report by Bria Johnson and Karin Neubauer
Sponsored and Hosted by Gasser Bush Associates, Gerry Weinberg & Associates Inc., and SpaceLab Detroit - Session 6: Industry Culture
Led by T Morris and Frank Majewski – Report by Kevin Bouchey and Erin Porter
Sponsored and Hosted by Smithgroup and WeWork - Session 7: Expanding the Definition of Practice
Led by Lauren Pedigo and Nate Meade – Report by T Morris and Frank Majewski
Sponsored and Hosted by Cranbrook - Session 8: The Future of Practice
Led by Leland Curtis and Zachary VanOverbeke – Report by Lauren Pedigo and Nate Meade
Sponsored and Hosted by AIREA Studio
The AIA Detroit CKLDP is made possible with the support of the AIA College of Fellows 2018 Component Grant for Emerging Professionals, and 2018-2019 Benefactor Sponsors Quinn Evans Architects, SmithGroup, and The Eisen Group. For more information on how to support or sponsor the program or individual sessions, please contact CKLDP@AIADetroit.com


The Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program (CKLDP) was founded in 2013 by the Emerging Architects Committee as part of the AIA|DC Chapter. The program is in memory of Christopher Kelley, an employee of Gensler and an active member of the DC architectural community. Christopher was a recipient of the AIA Young Architects Award in 2010 and an exemplary, emerging young leader. Since its founding, the CKLDP has been established in Washington DC, Denver, Detroit, and Miami, and strives to carry forward Christopher’s legacy by actively training and nurturing the next generation of leaders within the architectural profession.
The year-long program consists of nine individual half-day sessions attended by a competitively selected group of 16 emerging professionals from in and around Detroit. The curriculum focuses on core skills such as entrepreneurship and firm management, the art of negotiation, bringing in new clients, community leadership, industry culture, and developing one’s future within the practice.
The leadership program participants are responsible for planning and participating in each of the individual sessions. Each year, scholars from the previous year are selected to help guide the next year’s class. In this way, the program is continually evolving, allowing the scholars to learn on an ongoing basis about thoughts and ideas relevant to the architectural profession today.
Congratulations to the 16 Scholars of the 2017-2018 Cohort
who recently completed the inaugural session of the AIAD CKLDP:

The 8 scholar-led sessions for the 2017-2018 curriculum included:
- Session 1: Working Together
Led by Justin Wieber and Lauren Strauss – Report by Stacey Brown and Kevin Parker
Hosted at Airea Studio - Session 2: Engaging your Community
Led by Kaleena Quinn and Tessa Sodini-Marshall – Hosted at The Jam Handy
Sponsored by Genessee Tile, and supported by SmithGroupJJR, the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan, W.E. Gingell Associates, Mohawk Group. - Session 3: Entrepreneurship and Business Management
Led by Shanita Rutland and Kevin Gurtowsky – Hosted by TechTown Detroit
Supported by Centric Design Studio, Walker Miller Energy Services, & Patcraft - Session 4: The Art of Negotiating
Led by Adam Jerry and Brian Moore – Hosted by the UDM School of Architecture
Sponsored by A/E ProNet & Moore Insurance Services
Session 5: Closing the Deal
Led by Camilla Moretti and Palak Gadodia
Sponsored by HKS and Blakely Products – Supported by Patcraft, Rice Associates, & SmithGroupJJR - Session 6: Expanding the Definition of Practice
Led by Ben Grobe and Ashley Claussen – Hosted at Miller Canfield PLC
Sponsored by Gensler – Supported by Walbridge - Session 7: Industry Culture
Led by Nicole Gerou and Katy Litwin – Hosted at dPOP Design
Sponsored by Hamilton Anderson Associates and Integrated Design Solutions - Session 8: The Future of Practice
Led by Stacey Brown and Kevin Parker – Hosted at TechTown Detroit
For more information about The Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program, visit https://ckldp.wordpress.com/