NCARB names new president, vice president

The following is a set of press releases from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.

New Mexico architect Robert M. Calvani inaugurated as NCARB president

Robert M. Calvani, FAIA, NCARB, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was inaugurated as the president of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) at its 2020 Annual Business Meeting. As president, Calvani will lead the organization that supports the 55 U.S. architectural licensing boards in their mission to protect the public health, safety, and welfare.

“I am honored by the trust placed in me to lead the Council this year,” said Calvani. “NCARB has built up great momentum in the past several years, and I look forward to continuing our efforts to be agile, embrace new approaches, and raise awareness of our important work to protect the public.”

During his term as president, Calvani will focus on exploring issues related to regulating incidental architecture practice, architects’ responsible charge when signing and sealing documents, and ethics in the profession. In addition, Calvani plans to expand efforts to communicate the work of NCARB and state licensing boards and improve diversity and representation within the profession.

Calvani was first appointed to the New Mexico Board of Examiners for Architects in 2003, and served terms as secretary, vice chair, and chair. During his time on the board, he volunteered for several state committees, including the Rules & Regulations Committee and Enforcement Subcommittee. Soon after his appointment to the New Mexico Board, Calvani volunteered for several NCARB subcommittees related to the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), later becoming chair of the Examination Committee. Since then, he has offered his time and expertise to numerous NCARB efforts including the development of the newest version of the exam, ARE 5.0, while on the Test Specification Task Force. He has also been a valuable member of NCARB’s Audit, Experience, Experience Advisory, Practice Analysis Steering, Procedures and Documents, and Regional Leadership committees, as well as the Model Law Task Force.

In 2012, Calvani’s peers elected him as the chair of NCARB’s Region 6. He then joined the NCARB Board of Directors as the Region 6 director in 2015, going on to serve terms as secretary, treasurer, second vice president, and first vice president.

Calvani is the founder and president of NCA Architects and is actively involved in his local community, devoting his time to numerous advisory boards. Calvani is also an active member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and in 2018, he was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows.

Calvani received architectural degrees from both the University of New Mexico and the University of California, Los Angeles. He has been an NCARB Certificate holder since 1981, and is licensed in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Texas.

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Texas architect Alfred Vidaurri Jr. elected as NCARB first vice president/president-elect

Alfred Vidaurri Jr., FAIA, NCARB, AICP, of Fort Worth, Texas, was elected first vice president/president-elect of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) at the organization’s 2020 Annual Business Meeting. By virtue of his election, Vidaurri will become the first Latino president of the organization, which facilitates licensure and credentialing for architects in the United States, in June 2021.

Over the next two years, Vidaurri plans to focus on furthering NCARB’s equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) efforts—from identifying and addressing barriers along the path to licensure, to ensuring the organization’s staff and volunteers reflect the diverse communities they serve.

From 2004-2015, Vidaurri was a member of the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners, serving multiple terms as chair and vice chair. He also served in various other regional leadership positions, including chair, vice chair, treasurer, and secretary before being elected by his peers as the director of Region 3.

Since then, Vidaurri has gone on to serve as treasurer, secretary, and second vice president of NCARB. He has dedicated his time and expertise to several NCARB committees and initiatives, including the Ethics and Diversity Collaborative task forces and the Futures Collaborative, as well the Credentials, Examination, Procedures and Documents, and Regional Leadership committees. He also chaired the Audit, Broadly Experienced Architect, and Education committees.

Committed to advancing architectural education, Vidaurri represented NCARB on several National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) visiting teams, which evaluate college architecture programs, and at the 2013 and 2020 NAAB Accreditation Review Forums. Additionally, Vidaurri oversaw the creation of a pilot program for the Tri-National Agreement, which facilitates reciprocal licensure among the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Vidaurri is a vice president of Freese and Nichols Inc., which was the first architecture and engineering firm to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. He is also a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), U.S. Green Building Council, Texas Society of Architects, and AIA Fort Worth. Vidaurri was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2015, and was awarded the NCARB President’s Medal for Distinguished Service in 2014.

A graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington’s Master of Architecture program, Vidaurri has held numerous positions with various local, community, and state organizations. He holds an NCARB Certificate and is licensed in Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Oklahoma.

Read the full release.