Kimberly Dowdell is a licensed architect and frequent speaker on architecture, diversity, sustainability and the future of cities. In her role as 2019-2020 national president of NOMA, she worked to increase opportunities for women and people of color in the building professions. She also more than doubled the organization’s membership and significantly raised NOMA’s profile during her two-year presidency. Kimberly’s career aspirations are rooted in her Detroit upbringing, where she was initially driven to utilize architecture as a tool to revitalize cities. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture at Cornell University and her Master of Public Administration at Harvard University. Her professional experience spans from architecture to government and teaching to real estate development. Kimberly is a Principal in the Chicago studio of HOK, a leading global design firm. She co-founded the SEED Network in 2005 and has been a LEED accredited professional since 2007. Kimberly’s overarching mission is to improve people’s lives, by design.