The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has formally launched its search for a new executive vice president and chief executive following the resignation and departure of Lakisha Ann Woods in early February after a tumultuous three-year tenure. Stephen T. Ayers, former Architect of the Capitol (2010–2018), is currently serving as interim EVP/CEO and will remain in this role during the search process.

On March 27, the AIA announced it formed a dedicated search committee with the organization’s 2024 president, Kimberly Dowdell, serving as chair. International executive search firm Heldrick & Struggles has been tapped to helm the recruitment process.

“The search committee is committed to a thorough and inclusive process, ensuring we identify a CEO who will continue to drive forward AIA’s goals of economic opportunity, inclusivity in the profession and the communities we serve, climate action, and a strong and innovative future for the profession,” said Dowdell in a statement.

The AIA has not revealed a timeline for the process, and it is unclear if a new EVP/CEO will be named prior to the 2025 AIA Conference on Architecture & Design, taking place June 4–7 in Boston. 

The leadership vacancy comes at a precarious time for the profession. The White House’s escalating trade war with critical international partners has led to sweeping uncertainty within the greater AEC industry. America’s civic and cultural institutions—and the buildings that house them—are also under attack, financially or otherwise, by the Trump administration as it realigns the country with a more regressive, conservative vision. 

On March 20, Ayers sent a letter to Stephen Ehikian, acting administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), urging the agency to “uphold policies that encourage creativity, sustainability, and community-driven design in the federal built environment.” The communication, sent on behalf of the AIA and its 100,000 members, was prompted by the White House’s January 21 presidential memo, “Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture.”

“We acknowledge the directive’s emphasis on ensuring federal public buildings are visually identifiable as civic structures and that they respect regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage,” Ayers’ letter reads. “However, we strongly caution against any approach that mandates or establishes a singular preferred architectural style for federal buildings. Prescriptive style mandates stifle innovation, limit architectural diversity, and disregard the unique cultural and historical contexts of local communities. Further, classical architecture, while an important element of our nation’s architectural legacy, often demands expensive materials, longer construction timelines, and higher maintenance costs—burdens that ultimately fall upon taxpayers.”

More recently, the White House released an executive order that largely targets the Smithsonian Institution, which is partially federally funded and has a strong relationship with the Washington, D.C.-based AIA. The order calls for the elimination of “improper ideology”—namely, exhibitions and programs that address race and gender—at the Smithsonian’s network of 21 museums, its research and education centers, and the National Zoo. The order, which also hints at reinstating Confederate monuments removed in the wake of the 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, singles out the National Museum of African American History & Culture and the forthcoming Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum as being two such museums in the administration’s crosshairs. .