Washington, DC—Mark I. Aspaas, AIA, of Sioux Falls, SD, was elected secretary of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) at its 89th Annual Meeting and Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. Aspaas served as a regional director during the past three years. He represented the Council’s Central States Conference (Region 5) that comprises the following U.S. jurisdictions: Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Prior to that, he was chair of NCARB’s Region 5 for three years.

Aspaas is vice president and principal architect of Architecture Incorporated, a Sioux Falls, SD, firm with a reputation as a regional leader in innovative and award-winning design. Since joining the firm in 1977, Aspaas has directed projects of every scale and discipline, including the Al Neuharth Media Center at the University of South Dakota, the Minnehaha County Courthouse, and the First Lutheran Church addition and remodel.

Aspaas has been involved with NCARB in various capacities for more than 17 years. Most recently, he served as co-chair of the Intern Development Program Advisory Committee (IDPAC) and as Board liaison to the Committee on the Intern Development Program. Aspaas has a long commitment to the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®), the multi-division test developed by NCARB and taken by all architects in the United States and Canada seeking registration. His service to NCARB began in 1991 as a volunteer grader of the paperand- pencil exam. Since then he has served on numerous ARE committees and subcommittees. In 2004 he was appointed chair of the ARE 2010 Graphics Think Tank Task Force, and the following year he was appointed chair
of the Committee on Examination.

Aspaas was a member of the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions for 12 years. He was named chair of the South Dakota Board in 1995 and 2001, vice-chair in 2000 and 2003, and secretary in 1994. He is also a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) on the state and national levels.

Aspaas earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Minnesota. He holds the NCARB Certificate for national reciprocity and is registered to practice in South Dakota and Minnesota.

In addition to his widespread contributions to the architectural profession, Aspaas has been involved in many civic activities. He was chair of the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Council on Cultural Affairs and has served on numerous boards, including the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, the Downtown Business Association, the Sioux Falls Downtown Rotary, and the Metro Business Association.