A message from the AIA Pittsburgh Board of Directors:
To our Community,
Michelle Fanzo will step down from her role as AIA Pittsburgh Executive Director in December. She came to AIA Pittsburgh in 2017 and brought to the role over 25 years of experience as a journalist, urbanist, and international affairs professional working on sustainable and resilient cities. Having founded a non-profit (PUMP) and served as a director to others, she brought an innovation mindset and collaborative spirit that has moved the organization into exciting new partnerships and initiatives.
“In her time leading AIA Pittsburgh,” says Sean Sheffler, Board President, “Michelle has been the quintessential collaborator, building bridges with our members, partners and supporters, state and national officials, and in recent years, even Swedish architects! Perhaps most impactfully, she has been a strong advocate for our community at the individual level – finding a pathway to growth for recent graduates, being a sounding board for mid-career professionals, and honoring our long-time members.”
Under her leadership, Michelle made architects and AIA Pittsburgh more visible and valued. Within our architecture community, she brought benefit to members through new programs and services, including leading-edge education opportunities, member firm visits, and opportunities for architects to influence local decisions, such as the development of the City’s OneStop portal, code changes, the future of downtown, affordable housing, and pandemic adaptations. Notably, she broadened the appeal of our major events, Build Pittsburgh and Design Pittsburgh, and leaves the organization on a much-strengthened fiscal foundation.
“I am extraordinarily proud of all that we at AIA Pittsburgh have collectively accomplished over the last seven and half years,” Michelle said. “I am especially grateful to have had the opportunity to broaden the AIA architecture community’s reach and impact to our partners and the public. Though I am transitioning to my next chapter, I will always be a supporter of the value architects bring to our lives, our community well-being, and the cultural fabric of this and other regions.”
Possibly her biggest legacy is creating Pittsburgh Architecture Week, inviting the public to engage with architects and architecture through a variety of activities and events that attract new attendees and notable media attention each year. Among her other innovations to keep architects at the forefront, she championed the Blueprint for Better Pittsburgh initiative to help the public understand how good design impacts health and well-being; co-developed the International Design Dialogs series exploring shared learning across the Atlantic; and strengthened the Pittsburgh Architecture Foundation’s programming and visibility.
“The most stressful day of my tenure as AIA Pittsburgh President in 2016 was when I learned we would need to replace our long-standing Executive Director,” said Jeffrey Murray, FAIA, principal at CannonDesign. “The most satisfying day was when Michelle accepted the role. We were all impressed with her and had high expectations. What is amazing is that she has consistently exceeded those expectations with her leadership, vision, work ethic and charm. Thanks, Michelle, for your service to the profession and more importantly your advocacy for good architecture in the region.”
Michelle will lead her last AIA Annual Meeting on December 12th followed by the annual President’s Party at LGA Partners. We hope you will consider joining us.
AIA Pittsburgh’s Board of Directors held a search for a new Executive Director, the results of which will be announced in coming weeks.
– AIA Pittsburgh Board of Directors
