Board Members
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President - Catherine Clark, RIBA
Catherine Clark is the President of the Royal Institute of British Architects-USA and former Chair of the New York Chapter of the RIBA-USA. Catherine has lived and worked as an architect in NY for over 15 years and is the Director of BArC Studio. Her work has been featured in Design Brooklyn, an overview of the best architectural and design projects across the borough, The Culture of Practice, which is a snapshot of architectural practice culture from around the world, and her design for a Brooklyn restaurant was distilled into an icon for the critic’s review in the New Yorker Magazine.
Her experience ranges from master-planning in Hampshire, UK to leading the design of New York’s first ‘Green School’.
Catherine studied at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL and is an examiner for the RIBA Part 3 exams. In her current role, she is working towards re-instating reciprocity between the US and the UK with the British Consular General, NY. She is also co-curating an on-line exhibit about Central Park with the RIBA for publication on the Google Arts and Culture Platform and is in partnership with the Atlanta Design Festival for their 2021 programming.
Treasurer and New England Region Chair - Frank Mruk
Frank Mruk is an architect, author, artist and strategist. His research explores the nature of strategy in the creative pursuit of competitive advantage and innovation He is the executive director of the New York Center for Strategic Innovation and the Boston Center for Smart Building Technology. He was educated at Pratt Institute, Pace University and at the University of Oxford. He has taught at the School of Visual Arts, the Rhode Island School of Design, Roger Williams University, the Parsons School of Design, New York University, and at the New York Institute of Technology where he served as associate dean for the School of Architecture and Design, He has been a visiting critic at the WE School, the United Nations, Oxford Brooks University, the University of Chile, the Fashion Institute of Technology, Columbia University and at Yale University. He was elected president of the Association for Strategic Planning and of the Construction Specifications Institute. He ran development efforts on Wall Street at AIG and Morgan Stanley where he served as VP of Strategic planning and Chief of Staff for Corporate Real Estate and led Emre Arolat’s award winning International Architecture office. He is a fellow of both the American Institute of Architects and the Strategic Planning Society.
Secretary and Philadelphia Region Chair Clive Copping, RIBA
With over 25 years of experience in restoration, renovation, rebuilding and adaptive reuse as an architect, Clive is passionate about contemporary architecture and historic buildings. His work has awarded him the honor of being made a General Services Administration (GSA) Peer Professional and his passion for historic buildings gave him the opportunity to be a studio guest on NPR's Radio Times. Clive is currently chair of the Philadelphia Chapter of RIBA, and a board member of the Historical and Architectural Review for Cheltenham Township (PA). He is also the founder of Science in the City, a program that introduces architecture and the design process to high school students at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.
Northwest Region Chair - Leyla Hilmi
Leyla Hilmi has lived in the Bay Area for over twenty years and in 2009 became a founder member of the RIBA USA San Francisco. She is the sole practitioner at Leyla Hilmi Design, based in Marin County, mainly specializing in single-family residential projects ranging from small additions to the new construction of larger homes. In addition she carries out project management work in an owner’s representative capacity on residential, commercial and educational projects.
Before opening her design studio, Leyla worked for Fernau & Hartman Architects in Berkeley, and Hawkins Brown in London. She studied at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne before becoming aCorporate Member of the RIBA. She is a member of the AIA (International Associate) and the US Green Building Council. Leyla currently sits on the Planning Commission for the Town of San Anselmo.
Southern California Region Chair - Sergio Valentini
Thanks to his experience leading large international projects from early concept stage through construction administration, Sergio can help Clients achieve their aspirations delivering cohesive, complex buildings, on budget, on time and to the highest design standards. His ability to lead the design process and his strong technical knowledge allow him to create efficient spaces that are sustainable, site specific and enhance the human experience.
His integrated design approach to architecture revolves around the rational use of the building components, materials, proportions and light to create cost-effective designs that integrate culture and history in well executed, long lasting buildings. An early believer in sustainable design and living, he leads by example and also continuously researches the implementation of new technologies to minimize construction impact on the environment.
His portfolio covers a variety of buildings including office and mixed-use towers, airports, museums, studios, entertainment venues, distribution buildings, stadiums, etc. in Europe, Americas, Middle East and Asia. Sergio is very active in the professional community with various professional associations and has been a Member of RIBA USA Board and Los Angeles Chapter Chair since 2019. During his career he lectured at several universities and conferences and has been on the jury of design competitions. His archaeological research work was presented at major international congresses.
When he is not spending time with his family, Sergio likes to focus his creativity, besides in architecture, in writing and composing music, a process he believes very similar to building design: the use of knowledge, technology and proportion to create something that stimulates given emotions in the users.
Southwest Region Chair - Philip Allsopp
Phil’s work is focused on solving the converging ecological and human health crises by changing how human habitat is designed, manufactured, fabricated and assembled. At Natura Materials Corporation (www.naturamaterials.com), he is responsible for reengineering and overseeing the business, industrial and supply chain processes that come together in designing, manufacturing, fabricating and assembling affordable, low-environmental impact human habitats. Phil was born and educated in England, becoming a licensed architect and Chartered Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Following his Masters degree in the public health field at Columbia University, New York, and US Government service with the Office of the US Surgeon General, Phil’s career spanned the fields of architecture, public health, management consulting and system dynamics. He attained practice leadership positions with global management consulting firms including Electronic Data Systems, A.T. Kearney and SAIC, and also Perkins and Will.
Phil and his family moved to Arizona in 2006 for his position as CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation through 2010. Phil continues to be directly involved in shaping public policy pertaining to urban infrastructure as a Senior Sustainability Scientist and Adjunct Professor at the Julie-Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability & Innovation at Arizona State University.
RIBA Americas Counsel Representative - Catherine Davis
Communications
Communications Director
Monica Ortiz-Cortes, Assoc. AIA, RIBA Affiliate
Monica is a recent Historic Preservation graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, after pursuing her degree in Architecture form the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. She has started her career as a Staff Historic Preservation Architect at CVM in Pennsylvania. She has participated of architectural documentation competitions from the Historic American Building Survey and is passionate about design, building documentation and historic site management