Tiffany Brown’s Social Impact Women to Watch Award

Tiffany Brown, NOMA, Assoc. AIA, MBA Listed as a Social Impact Woman to Watch in 2024

Annual List of Women with Impactful Achievements Released by Nonprofit HR

WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 23, 2024 – For several years during Women’s History Month, Nonprofit HR has proudly recognized women across North America who have made significant contributions to nonprofits, associations, foundations, social enterprises and the communities they serve. This year, they called on their expanded community to help identify and recognize outstanding women who accomplish the seemingly impossible against all odds. There were 120+ individuals who responded to the call for nominations and the finalists are listed below. Among them are Tiffany Brown, Executive Director of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and 24 other professional women who have exhibited extraordinary leadership, unwavering dedication and impactful achievements. Additional details on the finalists may be seen here.

1. Dr. Anne Barnes — President & CEO, Episcopal Health Foundation

2. Dr. Casey Bartrem — Environmental Health Scientist, TIFO Executive Director, TerraGraphics International Foundation

3. Aisha T. Brown — Chief Financial Officer, Thurgood Marshall College Fund

4. Tiffany D. Brown — Executive Director, National Organization of Minority Architects

5. Dr. Ruth Browne — President & CEO, Ronald McDonald House New York

6. Chanté Coleman — Senior Vice President of Equity & Justice, National Wildlife Federation

7. Kimberly Corbin — Chief Financial & Administrative Officer, Greater Washington Urban League

8. Tanis Crosby — Executive Director, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank

9. Lisa David — President & CEO, Public Health Solutions

10. Bior Guigni — Chief Executive Officer, Beat the Streets New England

11. Debra Kelsey — Recovery Coach & Navigator, Fishing Partnership Support Services

12. Rita Mabli — President & CEO, United Hebrew of New Rochelle

13. Ying McGuire — President & CEO, National Minority Supplier Development Council 

14. Dr. Nicole McKinney — Chief of Organizational Effectiveness & Culture, Upstream USA15.  

15. Morgan Monaco — President & Park Administrator, Prospect Park Alliance

16. Donna Murray-Brown — Vice President of Strategy & Development, National Council of Nonprofits

17. Lysa Ratliff — Chief Executive Officer, KABOOM!

18. Lauren Reicher-Gordon – Senior Vice President & Director, Family Visits Program, Kidsave

19. Alicia Robinson — Founder & Executive Director, Limitless Ambition

20. Carol Spahn — Director, Peace Corps

21. Erika Stehl — President & Co-Founder, Growing Love Community Garden

22. Terry Stigdon — Chief Executive Officer, Indiana Region of the American Red Cross

23. Dr. DeLisha Tapscott — Senior Director of People & Culture and Interim Co-Executive Director, MADRE

24. Vangela Wade — President & CEO, Mississippi Center For Justice

25. Selena Wilson — Chief Executive Officer, East Oakland Youth Development Center

“I am honored to receive this recognition and join this group of deserving female leaders across a diverse range of business,” said Brown. “I work in an industry that lacks female representation, with women comprising less than 25 percent, and Black women comprising less than 1 percent, of all licensed architects. Recognizing successful female leaders inspires and empowers the next generations of female professionals, including  architects, designers and executives.  We are all better when more women have a seat at the table.”  

“At Nonprofit HR, we believe that an organization’s people are its greatest asset, and women are the majority of the social impact workforce, leading mission-critical initiatives at every level. As a woman-owned-and-operated firm, we are fortunate to have many women on our staff. From our emerging professionals to senior management team, women are represented at every level at Nonprofit HR,” said Lisa Brown Alexander, Founder and CEO, Nonprofit HR.

Brown is a passionate leader in the profession of architecture, raising awareness on how representation makes a significant social impact on firm practice, culture, education, and design thinking. A pioneer for diversity and inclusion, she is a sought-after expert frequently speaking at national events including South by Southwest and the AIA Conference on Architecture, and was also featured in ESSENCE Magazine, Architect Magazine and Architectural Record.

Tiffany has been named among Architizer’s 100 Women to Watch in Architecture and has received recognitions and awards across the industry, most recently the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards for her outstanding leadership of NOMA through a period of growth and transformation and building relationships with other organizations shaping the profession. She is the founder of 400 Forward, an organization that aims to support the career development of the next 400 women architects, with an underlying focus on African American girls through exposure, mentorship, and financial assistance. 

Tiffany holds a B.Arch, M.Arch and MBA from Lawrence Technological University. Prior to accepting the role as executive director of NOMA, Tiffany worked as a Project Manager in SmithGroup’s Detroit office.

ABOUT NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF MINORITY ARCHITECTS:

The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) was formed over 50 years ago to represent the needs of African American architects. Founded in 1971, the purpose of NOMA was to bolster and provide support for Black licensed architects around the country. Today, NOMA is a haven for architects of all origins who seek inclusion in the design industry. We continue to advocate for the licensure of African American architects (who account for only two percent of all licensed architects today), as well as those from other underrepresented backgrounds. 

NOMA has 42 professional chapters and 117 student chapters, National Organization of Minority Architecture Students (NOMAS) — mentored by regional NOMA chapters. NOMA and NOMAS membership is predominantly African-American, with other minority members including Native American, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, East Indian, and Asian, as well as an increasing segment of non-minority members who support NOMA’s mission. NOMA supports its student members by providing mentorship, scholarships, and job opportunities to ensure their successful transition into the profession. www.noma.net

 ABOUT NONPROFIT HR:Nonprofit HR is the country’s leading and oldest firm focused exclusively on the talent management needs of social impact organizations. We focus our efforts on project-based human resources consulting, HR outsourcing, talent acquisition, and executive search. Nonprofit HR also offers customized trainings, research and events, all with the objective of strengthening the people management capacity of the workforce. Since 2000, our staff of credentialed experts have advanced the impact of some of the world’s most influential brands in the sector. Learn more at www.nonprofithr.com.