lllya Azaroff, FAIA

Illya Azaroff, FAIA, is an architect, geographer, and professor at New York City College of Technology (CUNY), a minority-serving institution. He is the founding principal of +lab Architect, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, dedicated to uplifting underserved communities globally. An expert in disaster mitigation, resilient adaptation, and regenerative design, Azaroff is a co-founder of the Kalinago Institute for Global Resilience and Regeneration in Dominica. Honored as a 2023 Star of Oceana for his regenerative design work in the Pacific and Caribbean, he advises on climate adaptation worldwide, including recent efforts in Moldova and Türkiye.

Azaroff has contributed to New York’s Hazard Mitigation Plan, the state’s Climate Impact Assessment, and HUD’s “Designing for Natural Hazards.” He has advised NGOs, governing bodies, and think tanks, including the White House. Past engagements include Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ disaster recovery framework.

A leader in the AIA, Azaroff has served as a chair to COP-28 and COP-29 and is honored to be the 2025 AIA President-Elect, incoming 2026 president. With more than 30 years of experience in the U.S. and Europe, Azaroff continues to shape global strategies for resilience and sustainability, leveraging design excellence to foster equitable and regenerative communities worldwide.

Nila R. Leiserowitz, FASID, FIIDA

Nila R. Leiserowitz, FASID, FIIDA has spent over 50 years pushing the limits of interior design and advocating for the integration of all design disciples in the creation of the built environment.

Nila is a native of South Dakota. Upon graduation from the University of Minnesota, she started her own design firm.

She joined Perkins + Will, leading the interiors practice, and was the first interior designer and woman to join the board of the 65-year-old architectural firm.

Nila later joined Gensler, the largest global architectural and interior design firm. She led the  Workplace Practice firmwide and the Los Angeles office before becoming the managing principal of one of the global regions located in Chicago. She served on the Board and Managing Committee and developed two new firmwide markets: healthcare and economic analytics.

Active in the business community, Nila was a trustee of World Business Chicago and Chicago Architecture Center (CAC).

A fellow of the two international design organizations American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and International Interior Design Association (IIDA), she received the IIDA Leadership Award of Excellence and ASID Designer of Distinction.

Joshua Hemberger, AIA, LEED AP

Joshua Hemberger, AIA, LEED AP, always has loved creating. And now, as an Associate Principal and Owner of Substance Architecture, he takes the architectural process from a blank canvas to reality. Drawing inspiration from his early fascination with creating and constructing, Joshua uses every detail, material, and space to echo the essence of a place. A believer in collaboration, he values every voice in the design process, ensuring unique designs are shaped through diverse lenses. Joshua is respectful, inquisitive, and ready and able to listen to clients to ensure the built product aligns perfectly with their vision, making their architectural dreams a reality.

Since 2019, Joshua has been involved with projects focused on racial justice, wellness, agriculture, and education to create equitable opportunities for Indigenous people through his work with Rapid City-based NDN Collective and Makoce Agriculture Development on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Joshua is a graduate of Iowa State University and a registered Architect in Iowa and Missouri. He began his career in Kansas City where he worked for BNIM, DRAW Architecture + Urban Design, and Dake Wells before he and his family relocated to his home state of Iowa. They now reside in Des Moines.

Leah Rudolphi, AIA

Over her nearly 20-year career in architecture, Leah Rudolphi, AIA, has learned to integrate her background in psychology and neuroscience into the design process, crafting spaces that resonate deeply with those who inhabit them. These designs go beyond aesthetics and into the multisensory experiences a building can offer. This unique blend of visionary leadership and meticulous attention to detail is evident in her diverse portfolio, from transformative synagogue remodels to state-of-the-art university centers, and as she helps lead the firm as an Associate Principal and Owner. This foundation, coupled with Leah’s genuine curiosity about people, sets her apart, giving clients designs that truly understand and enhance their daily experiences.

Her work has garnered national and regional recognition and in 2022, Leah was the recipient of AIA Iowa’s Young Architect Award recognizing her exceptional leadership and significant contributions to the profession of architecture. More recently, she recently led the firm’s pursuit and award of their Just Label. Outside of the office, Leah serves on the City of Des Moines Plan and Zoning Commission and is on the Board of Directors for the Young Women’s Resource Center.

Leah received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Iowa and a Master of Architecture from Iowa State University where she also completed post-graduate coursework.

Garrett Peters, AIA, ACHA, MBAH

Garrett Peters, AIA, ACHA, MBAH, Avera Health, Vice President of Facilities, is a graduate of NDSU with a B.A. in Architecture, B.S. in Environmental Design and holds a Masters of Business Administration in Healthcare from USF. He has been with Avera since early 2004 and worked on numerous projects including the new Behavioral Health Hospital, Avera Prairie Center and Avera Specialty Hospital, as well as many remodels of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout the Avera System in South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. Prior to his time with Avera, Peters worked for the Good Samaritan Society as a construction and design consultant, covering regions of Minnesota, New Mexico and Arizona.

Schedule

Wednesday, September 10

• 5 p.m. Celebration of Architecture Social Hour

• 6 p.m. Celebration of Architecture Recognition Ceremony & Dinner Gala

Thursday, September 11

• 8 a.m. Welcome

• 8:15 a.m. Opening Keynote

• 9:45 a.m. Break

• 10 a.m. General Session

• 11:30 p.m. Special Session

• Noon: Luncheon Keynote

• Exhibit Hall 1:30-5 p.m.

• Exhibitor Party begins at 4 p.m. 

Friday, September 12

• 8 a.m. Annual Meeting

• 9 a.m. Morning Keynote

• 10 a.m. General Session

• 11 a.m. Break

• 11:15 a.m. General Session

• 12:15 p.m. Luncheon Keynote

• 1:30 p.m. General Session

• 3 p.m. Tour