Kate Thuesen, AIA

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"As a designer, dedicated mother, wife, and architect who shapes\ncompelling educational environments, Kate Thuesen, AIA, has forged a path that\ncapitalizes on her ability to forge connections. A nexus for both people and\nideas, she empowers established communities and catalyzes change in the\nprojects she delivers. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Thuesen is dedicated to developing solutions to complex problems,\nespecially those that concern young people, in a quest to create spaces that\nconnect people to a larger sense of purpose. She has lived and worked on three\ncontinents and traveled broadly, finding joy in new relationships across a wide\nspectrum of cultures. In her work, she endeavors to understand the needs and\nchallenges of the communities she serves. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Since 2007, Thuesen has been a critical member of DLR Group\u2019s staff.\nToday, she is an owner, architect, and DLR Group\u2019s senior talent strategist,\nleading the firm\u2019s Emerging Professional Experience. Through the program, which\nshe envisioned as an environment she wished existed when joining the\nprofession, Thuesen educates more than 100 interns and recent graduates\nannually. The program has greatly increased the visibility of emerging\nprofessionals in the firm, and they are now regularly included in project\npursuits and other firm-wide initiatives. As an architect, her contributions to\nthe built environment include environments that facilitate invaluable\ncollaboration at numerous Midwestern universities and colleges."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Upon graduating from college, Thuesen felt unprepared to enter the profession\nand struggled with the shift from academia to a life in business. This\nexperience gave purpose to her work and volunteer roles, including her time as\nthe Young Architects Forum\u2019s (YAF) national director of strategic vision. She\nis the first woman to hold the role and remains an enthusiastic advocate for\nall professionals in the early stages of their careers. At YAF, Thuesen has\nstrengthened strategic partnerships with the College of Fellows, the National\nOrganization of Minority Architects, and AIA Strategic Council, creating new\nopportunities for young architects across the country. She also codified YAF\u2019s\nrelationship with the Large Firm Round Table and serves as the first-ever\nliaison between the two groups. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Her connection with YAF began earlier when she was selected as the\nregional director for the Central States region after moving to Des Moines from\nKansas in 2012. She assumed that position when her second child was just eight\ndays old and expanded the influence of the Emerging Professional Friendly Firm Award\nprogram. She was also instrumental in the development of a university student\ndesign competition for the seven architecture schools in her region. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"By weaving together professional mastery and strategic activism,\nThuesen has greatly enhanced the experiences of emerging professionals. Her\nimportant programs and strategies, rooted in empathy and understanding,\ncontinue to advance the profession and its most important asset, the people who\ncomprise it. "]]]]}