AIA East Bay Elects New Board Members!
About Your New Board Members
Senior Architect, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Dan has been an active member of both AIAEB and AIASF since 2014 and has served as the AIAEB Young Architects Forum co-chair since 2018, organizing dozens of site visits, in-person, and virtual events for the AIA. In his career he has worked on a variety of large project types, including office towers, institutional campuses, labs, and convention centers. He has extensive experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams from concept to construction administration and has contributed extensively to SOM’s research on California wildfires. Dan is looking forward to getting back to in-person events in 2022.
Senior Associate, Noll & Tam Architects
I have lived, worked, and designed in the East Bay for almost twenty years. During that time, I have focused on public, community-oriented projects in underserved neighborhoods, including the Cherryland Community Center in Hayward and the New Center for Liberal Arts at the College of Alameda. My work has led me to value the potential of design as a transformational tool for institutions and communities, with architects uniquely placed to help new understandings to emerge. I feel it is particularly important for us as a profession to use our power against climate change – and to ensure that we bring the discussion to all the communities we serve, not just the most enabled and bespoke. As a member of the AIA East Bay Board, I will work to further these efforts.
Senior Associate / Architect, DAHLIN
Jaime is a licensed architect with 15 years of experience. Born and raised in the East Bay, she has always been passionate about the charm of the Bay Area. A graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2006, she is now a Senior Associate with Dahlin Group Architecture Planning. Recently promoted to lead the DAHLIN Oakland studio, she focuses on residential architecture in varying densities. Previously, she began her career designing K-12 educational architecture. Jaime has a passion for community involvement and volunteering. She is a founder and leader of DAHLIN Barkitecture, an annual design build fundraiser that has supported several animal-related non-profit organizations. And she has especially enjoyed volunteering at an annual Youth Architecture camp, sharing insight on the profession with aspiring young designers. In 2021, she became co-chair of the AIA East Bay Young Architects/Emerging Professionals Committee.
Project Architect, Dreyfuss + Blackford Architecture
As a design professional with a multicultural background, I strive to seek opportunities to elevate and diversify our profession. I have participated in both the San Francisco and East Bay chapters, and am excited about the prospect of taking a more active role in the East Bay chapter. As a member of AIA CA EDI steering committee, I helped craft the mission and policy statements and actively engaged in the promotion of a more equitable practice through diversification and inclusion. As a member of the East Bay design tour committee, I helped design tours with an emphasis on the cultural range of the region. I gained experience through the state and local organizations and benefited from the guidance of the many talented architects. I am excited about possibility of bringing these experiences to this position. I hope to be a valuable addition to our board and to offer an unique voice.
Job Captain, Lowney Architecture
Nomination Statement from Anthony Cataldo, COO, Partner of Lowney Architecture: As a current AIA East Bay member, past Board of Directors member (2003-2013), and Past President, I think Shivani Bhalla would be an excellent addition to the Board of Directors. Shivani is always a pleasure to work with and I know her positive attitude would influence the board discussion in a manner that would benefit the Architectural community. She is a good listener and communicator, and always takes into consideration the opinions of others as she evaluates what she, herself, feels is best. Shivani has an outgoing personality and I can see her happily contributing to board conversations with her well-thought-out ideas on topics to help the board make a decision, or influence the direction they are moving toward. Her work experience goes beyond the United States and she is used to working with people of different cultures and backgrounds. Her perspective will increase the richness of all topics and help bring different perspectives to the table. Beyond being a great contributor to the intellectual bank of the board, she is also very results-driven and will push to make decisions that keep the board moving toward its goals. Shivani is fun, organized, smart, creative, and approaches every topic with the highest level of professionalism. I can’t think of a better candidate to join the AIA East Bay Board of Directors.
Principal / CEO, DESIGN DRAW BUILD
As an AIA East Bay Board Member I hope to promote strong design values among our members and community-based design initiatives for greater housing diversity and opportunities in the East Bay. As a Contractor, Educator and an Architect I hope to promote greater integration with the diverse builder community in the East Bay. In 2022, as an AIA member, I look forward to helping to materialize a new physical location for our members and greater community to hold events, educational programs and promote citizen-architect design-thinking after this long hiatus from in-person collaboration.
