AIA Houston

TertuLiAs
2024-11-13 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | HOK, 3200 Southwest Fwy #900, Houston, TX, 77027, United States
Of the over 116,000 registered architects in the United States only 5.4 percent identify as Latino or Hispanic according to NCARB. Latinos represent 18.9 percent of the total U.S. population, the nation’s second largest ethnic group. And in Houston, Latinos represent 44.5 percent of the population.
Join the Latinos in Architecture (LiA) Committee for an intimate conversation engaging leadership from firms of different sizes on their efforts to increase that percentage, empower their Latino employees, develop and support a pipeline of future Latino architects from high schools and colleges, and giving a voice to Latinos.
This conversation will focus on managing principals of mid and large sized firms Whitney Fuessel, AIA (HKS); Raymond Romero, Assoc. AIA (Inventure); Roger Soto, AIA (HOK); Saul Valentin, AIA (Collaborate). These leaders will discuss managing a firm, their values on hiring practices and how they maintain a culturally diverse firm and staff.
Happy hour and complimentary parking sponsored by HOK.

About the Panelists
Whitney K. Fuessel, AIA
HKS, Regional Practice Director, Health
Partner
Whitney is a Partner and Regional Practice Director for Health in the South-Central Region for HKS, while officing in Houston. With over 25 years of experience in health, specifically focusing on the experience of humans in the built environment. Her fresh ideas draw from her team of designers and planners working on academic health projects creating a collaborative balanced approach. She is a leading voice for the healthcare in architecture.
Raymond Romero, Assoc. AIA
Inventure, Managing Principal
Raymond’s philosophy is simple: great design should always be complemented by exceptional hospitality. As the Managing Principal of Inventure, Raymond’s passion for design is contagious. With over two decades of experience and deep industry knowledge, Raymond leverages his design expertise and business acumen to bring value to every project he leads. What sets him apart is his unique
ability to help clients understand how to take their business goals and transform them into a successful workplace strategy. Whether working with a small start-up or a large corporation, Raymond stays
focused on the unique needs of each client. He approaches every project with a people-first mentality and a fresh perspective, finding creative solutions to his clients’ most pressing business challenges – from retaining top talent to positively impacting their bottom line.
Raymond believes in designing from the inside out, focusing on what sets his clients apart and their current and future needs throughout the design process. When he’s not leading his team or collaborating with clients, you can find Raymond tending to his urban backyard chicken farm, spending time with his wife and four kids and listening to Texas country music.
Roger Soto, AIA, LEED AP
HOK, Senior Principal, Design Principal
Roger is the design principal for projects in Texas and along the U.S. Gulf Coast. He is a member of HOK’s board of directors and global design board and serves an integral role in steering the direction of the firm’s work in the Texas region. Roger is recognized for his design expertise in complex commercial and corporate planning and design throughout the U.S. and abroad. He is highly regarded for his expansive knowledge in sustainable design, progressive approach, and ability to guide organizations in using facility planning and design to achieve their strategic goals. A member of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), Roger is considered an industry expert in the design of high-performance tall buildings as well as complex corporate campuses, government and civic buildings, higher education, hospitality, and healthcare facilities.
Saul Valentin
Collaborate, Founding Principal, CEO
Saul Valentin, Co-Founded Collaborate in 2011 and serves as the Chief Executive Manager. As a multi-Discipline firm, Collaborate is involved in Project Management, Design and Development of institutional, higher education, city and commercial real estate projects. Saul has been involved in more than a billion square feet of design and construction in office, retail, multifamily, education, and hospitality projects throughout Texas and across the country.
Today, Saul’s focus is on Managing the different firm’s multi discipline divisions and P3 Real Estate Development including the City of Dickinson.

Columbia Tap Trail Bicycle Tour
2024-11-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Eado Bike Company, 912 St Charles St, Houston, Texas, 77003
Houston’s Third Ward is a culturally rich, historically African-American neighborhood, that includes Texas Southern University (HBCU), The University of Houston (Tier 1), Emancipation Park, and numerous other cultural gems. One of those is the Columbia Tap Trail, completed in 2009, which sits atop the abandoned Columbia Tap railroad route – originally built by enslaved people to transport cotton and sugar from Plantation to Port. The trail connects adjacent neighborhoods and serves as a vital link in the growing Houston trail system.
Join us to bike along the Columbia Tap Trail, to learn more about the trail history and identity, safety prioritizations, culture of the neighborhoods adjacent to the trail, and local artists.
Meeting Location and Times
For those individuals renting bikes, we will meet at Eado Bike Company at 912 Saint Charles St., Houston TX 77003 at 10am.
For those bringing their personal bikes, please join us at Eado. We will be ready to roll at exactly 10:15 am – so don’t be late!
AIA Credit: 1.5 HSW
