Hello, my name is Sarah Nelson- Woynicz, located in Atlanta, Georgia. I’m an associate and project architect with HKS. I have the privilege of serving nationally as a part of the AIA Young Architects Forum Advisory Committee as Community Director for 2022 through 2024, and as a part of the AIA AGC Joint Committee at a local level.
I previously served on the AIA Atlanta Board of Directors as Membership and Emerging Professional Director. I first connected with Practice Disrupted and the Practice of Architecture before I had the opportunity to meet Evelyn. It was episode 16, voices from the Future of the Profession. During this particular episode, five LGBTQIA, Architects and Design Professionals had the opportunity to share their stories through an interview.
As a person fairly early in my career and having just come out in my professional workplace to see and hear these stories of visibility, challenge and celebration continue to reinforce my own space to belong. A few years later today, Evelyn and I continue to have moments of connection through the AIA Young Architects Forum and shared history and leadership roles, the Women’s Leadership Summit in San Jose, and during the Mission 2130 summit hosted by the YAF in August of 2022.
At each point of connection, I not only had the opportunity to continue to hear Evelyn’s story, see her involvement and service to the profession and action, but also experience her support and guidance in everything from continuing to build relationships to how to impact change within the profession; and even something such as starting a website and blog.
She’s approached each opportunity as an opportunity to connect, to mentor, to support, and to lean into the power of being present. Evelyn brings experience both within the profession and the AIA as well as beyond that will not only continue to lead in conversations, but in actions that are defining how architecture will impact the world we are all surrounded by.
I was encouraged to see her candidacy for the president of the AIA for 2025 and her platform that acknowledges the multitude of challenges architects and designers will increasingly be asked to be a part of navigating, as well as the multifaceted approach that designing both today and the future will require.