Chicago, IL—Six individuals have been awarded the National Council of Architectural Registration Board’s (NCARB) highest honor, the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service. The honorees were announced by 2023-2024 President Jon Baker, FAIA, NCARB LEEP AP, at the organization’s 2024 Annual Business Meeting. President Baker commended each of this year’s recipients for their commitment to architectural regulation and NCARB’s mission to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare.
2024 Recipients
Celestia Carson, AIA, LEED AP of Salt Lake City, Utah, is recognized for her outstanding service to the Council and her leadership of the Utah Architects Licensing Board. Carson was appointed as chair of the Utah Board in 2016 and began volunteering for NCARB soon after. Throughout her time at NCARB, Carson has been dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the profession. As chair of NCARB’s Diversity Collaborative in 2022, Carson led efforts to establish the collaborative as a permanent committee. She then went on to the lead the DEI Committee in its first year, helping develop a draft roadmap of DEI goals for the organization. In addition, Carson has served as a valuable member of NCARB’s Examination Committee, contributing to the development of a proposed resolution that would expand access to the exam for individuals without a degree from a National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredited program.
Gary E. Demele, FAIA, NCARB, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is recognized for his longstanding service to the Council; his leadership of the Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design and NCARB’s Region 4; and his service on the Council’s Board of Directors. Demele began his service to NCARB in 1989 as an exam grader, and later assisted in the development of the first electronic exam. He also served for over eight years as a committee member and later chair of the Intern Development Program (IDP, now Experience) Committee. Following several years in regional leadership, Demele was elected to serve as NCARB’s Region 4 Director in 2010. Demele has also been a valuable member of numerous NCARB committees, including the Audit, Examination, Experience, and Professional Development committees. He served as chair on the IDP Employment Settings, Practice Analysis, and ARE 5.0 Test Specifications task forces.
Julie Hildebrand of Austin, Texas, is recognized for her outstanding service to the Council, the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners, and NCARB’s Region 3. Hildebrand served as the executive of the Texas Board from 2015 to 2024, helping facilitate the licensure of qualified applicants within the jurisdiction. From 2016-2018, she also served as the Member Board Executive Director on Region 3’s executive committee, offering her unique perspective to the region’s leadership. During her tenure, Hildebrand has served on numerous NCARB initiatives, including the Experience and Policy Advisory committees, as well as the Model Law and Incidental Practice task forces. For the past two years, she has also offered her time and expertise as the chair of the Licensure Process Research & Development Task Force, leading efforts to envision new ways to assess initial competency for architects.
Stephen D. Schreiber, FAIA, DPACSA, of Amherst, Massachusetts, is recognized for his outstanding leadership of the National Architectural Accrediting Board, as well as his service to the Council, the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Architects, and Region 1. As president of the NAAB, Schreiber has led the organization through a period of adjustment and evolution. Schreiber has been a voice for collaboration, encouraging consideration of additional pathways to the profession of architecture. Schreiber has also been a dedicated NCARB volunteer for nearly three decades. In 2014, he was elected as the chair of NCARB’s Region 1, before being elected as the Region 1 Director on NCARB’s Board of Directors in 2017. During his tenure, he has volunteered for numerous committees and subcommittees related to the ARE. He has also served on the Audit, Broadly Experienced Architect, Education, Experience, Policy Advisory, and Regional Leadership committees. In addition to his service to NCARB, Schreiber has served as the president of the Association of the Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and is a founding Chair of the Department of Architecture at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Katrina Humphrey of Crofton, Maryland, is recognized for her outstanding service to the Council and her leadership of NCARB’s Customer Relations team. Humphrey joined NCARB in 2007 and held several roles within the Customer Relations team before becoming the department’s Assistant Vice President in 2019. Through her role, Humphrey ensures the smooth, effective delivery of NCARB’s core services for Member Boards, licensure candidates, and architects. Her efforts have led to ongoing improvements to NCARB’s internal processes, including credential validation and transmittals. Her dedication and support ensure that NCARB and its Member Boards can carry out their essential mission to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public by licensing qualified architects. In addition, Humphrey has served as a staff liaison to NCARB’s Member Board Executives Committee.
Caitlin Stromberg of Washington, DC, is recognized for her outstanding service to the Council and her leadership of NCARB’s Council Relations team. After joining NCARB in 2018 as Manager, Member Board Relations, Stromberg was promoted to the department’s Assistant Vice President of Member Relations and Volunteer Engagement in 2021. In this position, she leads a diverse team focused on providing excellent support to NCARB’s 55 Member Boards and hundreds of volunteers, including facilitating the incoming president’s effort to appoint committee charges, chairs, and members each year. In addition, Stromberg has served as a staff liaison to NCARB’s Credentials; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Member Board Executives; and Regional Leadership committees.
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.
