Chicago, IL—Coffee Polk, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was elected as one of the National Council of Architectural Registration Board’s (NCARB) first-ever at-large directors during the 2024 NCARB Annual Business Meeting. An NCARB volunteer, Polk is the first architect who is not a member of a licensing board to join NCARB’s national leadership team, following updates to NCARB’s governance structure passed at the 2023 Annual Business Meeting.
Previously, NCARB’s Bylaws required that all individuals serving on the Board of Directors must have served two years on one of the 55 U.S. architectural licensing boards. But an update passed in 2023 added two new at-large director positions to the Board, open to individuals with either two years of licensing board service or two years of service on an NCARB committee.
Polk began volunteering for NCARB in 2018 as a member of the organization’s think tank for recently licensed architects. Through this role, Polk provided feedback on and insight into NCARB’s programs and services, including recommendations to improve the path to licensure. Polk went on to volunteer for several more NCARB initiatives, including the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) Item Development Subcommittee, Examination Committee, and Governance Work Group. As part of the Governance Work Group, Polk helped develop the 2023 resolution that would update NCARB’s governance structure, creating more flexibility, expanding pathways to leadership, and expanding the pool of individuals eligible to serve on the Board.
Polk is a senior associate at Cuningham Group, an integrated design firm with offices in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Minnesota, as well as in Qatar. Polk specializes in themed environments and resort hospitality, with expertise in regenerative design. She received her Master of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture. She holds the NCARB Certificate for national reciprocity and is licensed to practice in Nevada.
About NCARB
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ membership is made up of the architectural licensing boards of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NCARB, in collaboration with these boards, facilitates the licensure and credentialing of architects to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
To achieve these goals, NCARB works with its Member Boards and volunteers to develop and facilitate standards for licensure, including the national examination and experience program. NCARB also recommends regulatory guidelines for licensing boards and helps architects expand their professional reach through the NCARB Certificate. Connect with NCARB on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
