Keynote 1: Say It Loud Legacy Panel

Award-winning architectural designer Curtis J. Moody has been involved in the design of several billion dollars in construction over his 48-year career. A winner of the prestigious Whitney M. Young, Jr. award as an outstanding African American Architect in the United States in 1992, Curt’s designs have won more than 300 design citations, including 48 from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and 44 from the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), more awards than any other minority architectural firm in the United States.

In 2002, Curt was given the Distinguished Service Award from The Ohio State University, being one of only three recipients that year. And in 2007, he received the AIA Ohio Gold Medal Award just one year after Moody Nolan received the AIA Ohio Gold Medal Firm of the Year Award. Moody Nolan is the only firm to win this coveted award consecutively. Recently, Curt was reappointed to serve as a peer reviewer for the Architect/Engineer selection panel for the General Services Administration (GSA) Design Excellence Program. Curt and the firm have been featured in numerous publications including Architectural Record, Fortune 500 and MBE Magazine.

Saundra is an accomplished architect and dedicated advocate for the revitalization of the urban realm. With expertise in building assessments and creative yet practical design strategies, she helps clients transform buildings, increase property values, and bring new life to aging communities.
Saundra’s portfolio reflects the diversity of the neighborhoods she champions, with successful cultural, institutional, educational, and commercial projects of all sizes.
Her work in design, revitalization, and adaptive use projects consistently demonstrates a respect and sensitivity to the unique architectural heritage of local neighborhoods. Through her devotion to this challenging work, she has helped renew, uplift, and sustain vulnerable communities.

Imani Day is an award-winning, licensed architect living and working in Detroit. She is the founder and principal of RVSN Studios, which is a design research practice with a focus on authentic, high-impact design that drives social progress at any scale. As an adjunct professor, Imani's courses emphasize architecture as an intentional act of social justice and advocacy to combat racism and inequities in the built environment. As a member of the executive board of the National Organization of Minority Architects and AIA Detroit, Imani continues to champion equity within the profession. As a writer and editor, Imani works to amplify underrepresented voices and uncover issues in the industry. She is proud to be the 13th African American woman to become a licensed architect in the state of Michigan and 463rd in America.

Rod Henmi has compiled a distinguished career as an award-winning architect, educator and advocate for social justice. His professional career focuses on community-oriented projects such as affordable housing, schools and municipal buildings. He is deeply committed to furthering opportunities for minority architects and served on the board of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). He is currently the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Kimochi, Incorporated, a non-profit agency dedicated to improving the lives of senior citizens. As a result of his career achievements, influence on the profession and community service, he was invested in 2011 into the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture with High Distinction from the University of Minnesota and a MAUD degree from Washington University in St. Louis. After graduation he taught there for fourteen years, during which time he co-authored with Iain Fraser the seminal book on architectural drawing, Envisioning Architecture: An Analysis of Drawing. He was Director of Design and principal at MWA Architects of San Francisco before joining HKIT Architects as Director of Design in 2009.

Maya Madison designs with a sense of community and serving the public in mind. Maya comes from a family of architects and engineers and is a third generation architect with both of her parents, great uncle, and grandfather all being architects. Her great grandfather was an engineer. Having graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Architecture degree, she has always viewed architecture as an art form that is essential to the everyday life and well-being of humanity. With over six years of post-graduate experience, Maya has served a variety of important roles designing and detailing projects ranging from performing art centers to commercial skyscrapers and currently aviation projects. With a passion for drawing and painting, Maya brings her creative flare and artistic eye to the design and construction process.

Paola Moya is the founder and chief executive officer of architecture, interiors and visual design firm Moya Design Partners. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from the Catholic University of America, and at age 30 became partner at DC’s Marshall Moya Design, working on a variety of important projects such as the Howard Theatre renovation, Audi Field, ESA (home of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics), MGM National Harbor, and Chuck Brown Memorial Park.

In 2017, Paola accelerated her career and founded Moya Design Partners. MOYA’s diverse project portfolio includes Eastern Market Metro Park, housing and services for low-income families (Diane’s House) and the homeless (Downtown Day Services Center), and the new headquarters for DC’s Department of General Services (DGS). To support the firm’s goal of advancing social causes, Paola and the MOYA team has hosted Art After Dark, a charity event to support DC women and artists of color while raising funds to alleviate homelessness.

The Washington Business Journal (WBJ) has recognized Paola for several accolades, including: “Women Who Mean Business” 2020 honoree; “Power 100 Playmakers”; a top “40 Under 40” professional; and a “Minority Business Leader of the Year.”