DFC Leadership Summit on
The Future of Talent

Dave Gilmore is President and CEO of DesignIntelligence

Luis Rico-Gutierrez is dean of the College of Design at Iowa State University. Prior to this position he was associate dean in the College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University, and also served as associate head of the School of Architecture. He is co-founder of the Remaking Cities Institute in the same institution and served as its first director. Rico-Gutierrez’s research includes the use of information technology in the design process and grassroots participatory practice in urban design.

Iñaki Alday is a registered architect, landscape architect and urbanist, co-founder of aldayjover architecture and landscape. The multidisciplinary, research-based practice focuses on innovation and is particularly renowned for its new approach to the relation between cities and rivers, in which the natural dynamics and flooding become part of the public space and the buildings, eliminating the idea of “catastrophe”. Alday is Dean at Tulane School of Architecture since 2018, after seven years at UVa, where he was Professor and Chair.

Tiffany Atilano is the career services director for the Iowa State University College of Design. Integrated within the college’s Student Services and Programs Office, Design Career Services is part of a coordinated, collaborative network of specialized career services offices at Iowa State and offers career development services for more than 1,900 design students at all classifications across seven departments. For nearly 15 years, Tiffany has led efforts in student engagement, outcomes reporting, programming and events, and employer relations as well as delivering 1:1 support to design students and alumni.

Brad Bell is the Director of the School of Architecture at The University of Texas at Arlington. Since 2014 he has also directed the Digital Architecture Research Consortium (DARC) at UT Arlington, which is a group of industry and academic partners working on the integration of advanced digital technologies and material applications into innovative building solutions. In 2015 Professor Bell was awarded the UT Arlington President’s Medal for Teaching Excellence and in 2020 he was awarded the Texas Society of Architects Award for Outstanding Educational Contribution in Honor of Edward J. Romieniec FAIA.

An HR leader in the design profession, Michelle is a performance-driven, creative thinker with 20 years of broad experience in management, generalist, and recruiting roles. She provides strategic HR leadership in implementing firm-wide policies, procedures, and practices to maximize investment in human capital. Michelle is recognized for her attention to detail and ability to collaborate across a global organization. She is a member of the AIA LFRT, SHRM, CHIEF and the CHRO Mastermind Group.

Josh is a Principal and the Chief Human Resources Officer at Corgan. Like the architects he works with, Josh enjoys creating better places by focusing on the people who inhabit them. But as the leader of the HR function, his methods are different. Josh is responsible for developing and executing a people strategy that allows Corgan to thrive — specifically the attraction, retention, and development of talent. Prior to joining Corgan, Josh served in HR leadership roles at Optum, Conifer Health, ORIX, Alliance Data Systems, and Texas Instruments. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Science Degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of North Texas. He is also certified as a Senior Certified Professional through the Society of HR Management.

Dr. Gregory Luhan, FAIA, is a nationally recognized architect, scholar, author, professor, and academic leader whose work investigates how design, emerging technologies, critical theory, pedagogy, practice, and academic-industry partnerships intersect. His project-based, multidisciplinary pedagogical approach to education, leads to research, embraces technology, benefits communities, earns recognition internationally, and elevates architecture education by preparing students for practice. His professional practice includes award-winning, research-driven projects based upon collaborative relationships with disciplines outside architecture.

As the Executive Director of the ACSA, Michael represents a membership base of 200 architecture schools, 6,000 faculty members, and 200 affiliated firms. Working to keep architecture curriculums relevant, members collaborate and communicate to stay on top of evolving trends. For nearly 20 years, he has worked with nonprofit boards in higher education, with a particular focus on building evidence-based research that can improve the world.

Michelle Perry is the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for Walter P Moore. Michelle is a hands-on, service-focused human resources executive with a consultative, creative approach to solving business and HR issues. Michelle has over 25 years’ experience in the AEC industry, where she leads the full spectrum of human resources, including talent management, change management, employee engagement and cultural enhancement, employee relations, performance management, training and development, compensation, and benefits administration.

As Chief Talent Officer, Sandra leads WATG and Wimberly Interiors’ global people strategies – creating a space where exceptional talent can realize their true potential and thrive across nine offices on six continents. With over 25 years of experience and a unique global view on “borderless” environments, her extensive knowledge in the professional services industry spans architecture and design, finance and accounting, oil and gas, education, and non-profits with companies such as CRTKL, HOK, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Esso Argentina.