Leadership
2023 Board of Directors
Emily Schickner, AIA
President
Emily Schickner, AIA joined Harrison Design in 2017, serving as project architect and director, and in 2021 promoted to the firm’s first female principal architect. She is known for her expertise in and passion for the field of mental health and architecture, mentorship to emerging professionals, and activism for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts in the profession and community. Professionally, she has led over 1 million square feet of design and construction, ranging from cottage-style homes to over 450,000 square feet of mixed-use, multi-family, and senior living developments. Before joining Harrison Design, Emily spent a decade in commercial architecture focused on education, country and golf clubhouse, and hospitality design. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Miami University of Ohio and a Master of Architecture from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Ian Hunter, AIA
Past President
Regional director at Dwell Design Studio, Ian Hunter, AIA is a licensed architect and registered interior designer with a strong background in mixed-use, education, residential, corporate office, and hospitality design. His broad experience covers the design and construction phases of countless projects, ranging from single-story orthopedic centers to 6,000-room pilgrimage hotels in Mecca. Ian has served on the AIA Atlanta board as both Development Director and Secretary and continues to serve the AIA membership through programming and education while targeting specific plans around membership connectivity, diversity, and inclusion in the organization.
Shelby Morris, AIA
President-elect
Shelby Morris, AIA brings over 20 years of experience to his role as Studio Practice Leader in Commercial Mixed-use at HKS Architects. Shelby graduated from Texas Tech University with a Master of Architecture in 2003. Initially drawn to the profession in high school through a mentorship program, he has spent his professional career paying it forward through numerous volunteer activities focused on developing leaders and promoting exposure to architecture. In his professional career, Shelby has led over $2 billion in design projects throughout the southeast and won awards from the AIA, DBIA, Building Design and Construction, ULI, and Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Desmond Johnson, AIA
Treasurer
Desmond Johnson, AIA is a registered architect currently practicing in the Atlanta regional office of Moody Nolan. He is a 2013 alum of Florida A&M University, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies, and a 2015 alumnus of the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he received his Master of Architecture. Desmond has a broad range of experience in both the public and private sectors, where he has successfully contributed to mixed-use, multi-family, office, hospitality, retail, institution, and urban design projects of varying scales. In addition to serving as the local Emerging Professionals and Membership Director, he is on the planning committee for the Young Architects Forum. In 2021, Desmond won the 2021 AIA Young Architects Award.
Laura Morton, AIA
Secretary
Laura Morton, AIA has developed her career and professional network in Atlanta for the last ten years since graduating from Oklahoma State University with honors. At Stevens & Wilkinson, she works on adaptive reuse projects with a focus on serving the commercial, mixed-use, and hospitality markets. She has been active in AIA for most of her career, spearheading participation in Discover Architecture at her firm in the early years, serving as a founding committee member for Equity in Architecture and Open House Atlanta, being selected to the inaugural class of the Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program, and previously serving as an AIA Atlanta Communications Director.
Terry Miller, AIA
Public Director
Born and raised in Beaver Falls, PA, Terry became a licensed architect in 1996 and is now licensed in seven states. He moved to Georgia in 1997 and worked in several project architect and project manager roles before starting his practice, Miller Architecture and Planning, in 2004. Terry was elected to the Douglasville City Council in 2007 and 2017 and re-elected in 2021 with over 70 percent of the vote. He was chosen by his city council colleagues to be the City of Douglasville’s Mayor Pro Tem for the years 2021 and 2022. In addition to these accomplishments, Terry has made several very humble attempts in the performing arts by acting in two dinner theater productions and writing two locally produced plays, “The Long Ball” and “Small Time,” both of which were performed to critical acclaim in front of sold-out audiences.
Mark Chen, AIA
Development Director
Mark Chen, AIA is the managing principal of LEO A DALY’s Atlanta studio. In this role, he oversees design, operations, and business strategy, leveraging talent across the globe to deliver world-class design services. He has 37 years of experience in the master planning and design of facilities in the United States, Europe, and China, including mixed-use, healthcare, and education projects. Mark received his Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University and Master of Architecture from Harvard University.
Mae Murphy, Assoc. AIA
Development Director
Born and raised in Mexico, Mae Murphy, Assoc. AIA studied architecture at the TEC de Monterrey in Puebla. With nine years of experience, she has worked in a range of project types, including mixed-use, industrial, and healthcare. Since joining The Beck Group in 2017, she has been able to participate in design-build projects with a focus on higher education and sports. She is passionate about sustainability and holds a LEED GA and a WELL AP credential. As a graduate of the CKLDP 2022 class, she now holds a chair-elect position for the 2023 class. She was also a lead on the partnership committee for the 2022 Aspire conference in Asheville. She is now working towards her Georgia license and is excited about the opportunities that the AIA Atlanta Board will provide.
Namrata Dani, AIA
Programs Director
Namrata Dani, AIA is a Project Architect at Cooper Carry. She graduated from Georgia Tech with a Master of Architecture in 2014. As a licensed architect with over eight years of experience, Namrata has worked on a wide range of project types including multi-family/mixed-use residential, educational, and other commercial projects. She is a scholar of the AIA Georgia Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program Class of 2022, and on the leadership committee of AIA Georgia’s Equity in Architecture group. Outside work, Namrata enjoys hiking, finding bikeable paths in the city, photographing, and discovering new developments transforming the urban landscape.
KK Loy, Assoc. AIA
Programs Director
KK Loy, Assoc. AIA, a senior associate at Nelson, has over seven years of professional experience in multiple architecture disciplines and has persevered through various challenges which shaped her into an adaptable and thoughtful leader. Select built projects include Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, Emory Musculoskeletal Institute, Trilith Mixed-Use Studios, and Shadowbox Movie Studios. One of her primary focuses outside of work is to build and support the community by working with local nonprofits such as Soccer in the Streets, Trees Atlanta, Pillyr Foundation, etc. KK is also an active member of the Urban Land Institute and works creatively to foster environmentally conscious design solutions.
Meghan Shannon
Local Political Advocacy Director
Coming soon.
Laura Sherman, AIA
Emerging Professionals Director
Laura Sherman, AIA is a licensed architect and alumna of Kennesaw State University. She is currently an architect in Gensler’s Atlanta work studio. She has a varied range of work experience completing projects for local nonprofits, adaptive reuse, mixed-use, and custom residential architecture. As a 2022 Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program graduate, she co-led the equity, diversity, and inclusion session, a topic she is a passionate advocate of. She serves on the board of directors for the Architecture Foundation of Georgia. Laura taught a second-year architecture studio at KSU this fall and remains engaged in volunteering as an alumna. Laura enjoys making earrings and carving linocut block prints in her free time.
Zachery Terry, Assoc. AIA
Emerging Professionals Director
Zachery is an architectural designer and a job captain at Ware Malcomb. He received his Bachelor of Architecture from Kennesaw State University in 2017. During his time as a student, he served on the AIA Georgia Executive Board as Student Director, becoming a liaison between the academic and professional realms of architecture. After graduating, he served as an executive board member for the Architecture Foundation of Georgia for three years, including on the Scholarship and the Marketing and Visibility committees. Zachery’s work experience ranges from biocontainment and laboratory planning in the healthcare, science, higher education, and government project types, to planning in large-scale industrial centers. He is most intrigued by architecture that creates intangibles such as memories, emotions, and experiences.
Sumegha Shah, AIA
Membership Director
Sumegha Shah, AIA is a senior vice president at Cannon Design, leading the firm’s health education practice. Over the years, she has served with various committees and initiatives at AIA and USGBC. Having worked on new builds and renovations/additions, she values a deeper integration of sustainable design. Her international and diverse experience in over 18 years of practice has allowed her to broaden her knowledge in many areas of institutional and master planning projects and deepen her thought leadership in student life, health science and medical education, and wellness. She received her Master of Architecture in 2006 from the University of Cincinnati.
Ebehi Ijewere, Assoc. AIA
Communications Director
With over six years of experience, Ebehi has worked with architecture firms in Lagos, Miami, and Atlanta. She has gained experience in commercial, healthcare, educational, aviation, civic, and retail projects. She is a scholar of the AIA Miami Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program Class of 2020-2021. Her passion for design and community development led her to create a podcast, Layers of Design, where designers and architects share their stories and experiences. Layers of Design participates in competitions that explore solutions to issues within different communities, hosts events that spark conversations and inspires the community through volunteer experiences. Aside from building Layers of Design, Ebehi works as a designer at an architecture firm in Atlanta, and tutors architecture students and professionals in Autodesk Revit.
Howard Kuo, AIA
Communications Director
Howard Kuo, AIA is an expert in solving complex design challenges with projects known for their elegance, innovation, and authenticity. He graduated with multiple design honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies, 1992 and Master of Architecture, 1994). He is NCARB certified, a registered architect in more than 15 states, a member of the American Institute of Architects, a panelist for Club Leaders Forum (Platinum Clubs), and a frequent juror/guest speaker at several universities. Raised in Blacksburg, Virginia, Howard’s interests range from golf to vintage cars to horology, where he owns four US design patents. Recently, however, the majority of his free time has been devoted to his young daughters.
Corey Miller, AIA
Continuing Education Director
Corey Miller, AIA is a senior project manager and senior associate at The S/L/A/M Collaborative. As a registered architect with over 25 years of experience, he has worked across a variety of project and delivery types for both private sector and government clients. Project types include collegiate sports, corporate offices, banking/financial services, and technology facilities. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, travel, and mentoring the next generation of young architects.
Amy Granelli
Allied Director
Amy is a marketing strategist, relationship builder, and lifelong learner. With a focus on the Atlanta market, her 30-year career spans marketing and business development positions with architecture, interior architecture, and engineering firms. As Director of Marketing & Business Development at Eberly & Associates, Inc., Amy has been instrumental in growing Eberly’s mixed-use, multi-family, and education market sectors. Amy serves on the ULI Atlanta Advisory Committee and the CFL Class mTAP co-chair. She is also a 2022 ULI CFL graduate and has served as membership chair and at-large board member of the Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and on the AIA Atlanta Architects Roundtable Committee for the past three years. Amy enjoys spending time with her husband and four young adult children in her free time.