4E’s: EDUCATE, ELEVATE, EMPOWER & ENGAGE

The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) is dedicated to advancing the cause of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the field of architecture. The committees of NOMA serve as the driving forces behind its mission, shaping a more equitable future for architects, designers, and the communities they serve. This is an overview of four key committees—Educate, Elevate, Empowerment, and Engage—each of which plays a crucial role in furthering NOMA’s mission.

• The Educate Committee is committed to nurturing cultural talent from early education to professional practice, emphasizing social justice and equitable design education. Its initiatives support students, educators, and scholars in building a foundation for a more inclusive architecture profession.
• The Elevate Committee aims to amplify the voices and achievements of minority architects, focusing on the growth and recognition of emerging professionals. Through storytelling, professional development, and leadership opportunities, it works to foster a supportive and visible community.
• The Empowerment Committee provides architects and firms and industry partners with the tools and resources necessary to implement principles of justice and equity in their practices. Its initiatives help translate abstract concepts of social justice into practical actions that elevate the standard of practice across the field.
• The Engage Committee actively connects architecture with broader societal issues, ensuring that community engagement, design justice, and advocacy are central to architectural practice. By empowering communities and advocating for equitable policies, it positions architects as leaders in creating a more just built environment.

Together, these committees work to fulfill NOMA’s vision of an architectural profession that champions diversity, equity, and justice. By understanding the role of each committee, we can see how NOMA’s initiatives lay the groundwork for an inclusive and responsive future in architecture.

The EDUCATE pillar is intended to expand NOMA’s recruitment and retention efforts to meet the needs of our higher education professionals while promoting rewarding alternative career paths in the architecture and design industry. A higher education career demands professors engage in research and creative work, publishing the results widely. NOMA has the opportunity to galvanize the collective effort of our valued scholars and educators at esteemed institutions of higher education across the country by creating a robust platform for professors to collaborate and share their work.

This can be accomplished through three initiatives – creating workshops for professors to present papers and research, soliciting papers from NOMA architecture scholars, and developing a journal to publish the conference proceedings. Coupled with a parallel focus to expand and rebrand Project Pipeline, these combined initiatives will provide the foundation for NOMA’s EDUCATE platform by supporting our goals to increase the number of both minority licensed architects and tenured faculty, and creating a safe space to explore the issues that are central to NOMA and our membership.

EDUCATE Chairs: Dr. Daya Taylor, Dr. Kwesie Daniels, Richie Hands, Oz Ortega

NOMA Project Pipeline

1. Bryan Bradshaw
2. Richie Hands

NOMA Design Justice in Education

1. Tya Winn
2. Venesa Alecia

NOMA HBCU Round Table

1. Andrew Chin
2. Coleman Jordan
3. Dahlia Nduom
4. Dr. Daya Taylor

NOMA HBCU PDP

1. Anzilla Gilmore
2. Melvalean Mclemore
3. Ricardo Rojas
4. Zhetique Gunn

University Roundtable

1. Mark Bess
2. Quilian Riano

NOMA Journal

1. Annicia Street
2. Dr. Kwesi Daniels

The ELEVATE pillar is focused on increasing the number of licensed minority architects, raising the performance bar of our student and professional NOMA chapters, and celebrating the success and accomplishments of our members across the country at both the local and national level.  These initiatives are critical to the continued growth and success of the organization, and collectively serve to reinforce the tangible benefits and value of a NOMA membership.

As NOMA elevates the overall engagement and quality of our programming, we will simultaneously work to raise the profiles of our valued members and industry trailblazers.  This will be accomplished through new national marketing campaigns such as the NOMA Voices and NOMA Spotlight monthly features, sharing the impactful stories and contributions of our members, and amplifying the platforms for our local and national leaders.

ELEVATE Chairs: Brien Graham & Joshua Foster

NOMA Next Emerging Leaders

1. Nicole Bass
2. Ralph Raymond

NOMA ARE/AXP

1. Tiffany Montanez
2. Brien Graham
3. Shikha Subramanian

NOMA Magazine

1. Katherine Williams

NOMA  Narratives + Storytelling

1. Bryan Lee Jr
2. Josh Foster
3. Saundra Little

NOMA Future Faces Fellowship

1. Madison Summers
2. Melanie Ray

NOMA Podcast and Shorts

1. Saundra Little

The EMPOWER pillar of NOMA works to increase economic opportunities for members and minority firms, while amplifying collective advocacy efforts across the country in support of a just and equitable future.  Empowerment is achieved by first being heard and seen.  NOMA advocacy efforts will be shaped by listening to the voice and needs of our members to best understand specific support initiatives required across our communities.  A strong focus on creating an authentic and collaborative movement toward cultural resilience will be vital to the full process.

In accordance with the principles of the twelve founders, NOMA has the responsibility to respond to and lead justice efforts alongside and across advocacy groups.  The national EMPOWER committee will serve to remind members of the agency within us, our inherent resilience and shared core values. 

EMPOWERMENT Chairs: Ashlen Williams, Garfield Pert, Nadine St. Louis, Dawveed Scully

NOMA Career Development

1. Demaris Hollingsworth

NOMA Planning + Policy Committee

1. Andre Brumfield
2. Antoine Bryant
3. Dawveed Scully
4. Jasmine Gunn

NOMA Firm Leads Committee

1. Chandra Robinson
2. Damaris Hollingsworth
3. Joseph Cole
4. Katherine Darnstadt

The ENGAGE pillar is dedicated to amplifying NOMA’s impact through design justice, community collaboration, and policy advocacy. As the action-oriented arm of the organization, the Engage Committee activates architects as agents of change—bridging architectural practice with social equity, civic empowerment, and cultural responsibility.

This pillar is grounded in three strategic pillars—the 3Rs: Resources, Relationships, and Representation—which guide the work of its three core subcommittees:

● Design Justice Initiatives (DJI) advances systems-based frameworks that address power, land, labor, and environmental equity in design. The subcommittee develops the Design Justice Toolkit, Equitable Engagement Framework, and policy briefs that inform how architects engage with critical justice-centered issues.

● Community Design Roundtable (CDR) provides practical tools and templates to democratize the design process. Through local design workshops, Benefits Toolkits, and design literacy guides, the CDR helps chapters and communities co-create solutions to neighborhood challenges.

● Organizing & Advocacy Roundtable (O&A) elevates NOMA’s presence in policy spaces by equipping members with advocacy training, civic engagement strategies, and partnerships. Through speaker coaching, advocacy toolkits, and national platforms, this subcommittee positions architects to shape just and inclusive development.

Together, these initiatives ensure that NOMA members are not only designing for communities—but alongside them. From leading community design workshops to advancing zoning reform, the ENGAGE platform positions architects as civic leaders, equity advocates, and champions of inclusive design.

By supporting the Engage Committee, NOMA strengthens its voice in shaping policy, uplifting community vision, and building an architectural future rooted in justice.

ENGAGE Chairs: Craig Atkinson, Siboney Diaz-Sanchez, Telicious Robinson, Christa Stoneham

NOMA Design Justice Committee

1. JhaD Amazi
2. Jose Cotto

NOMA Public Design

1. Teonna Cooksey

NOMA Organizing + Advocacy

1. Siboney Diaz Sanchez
2. Vanessa Smith Torres