EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Allison Lane, RA, AIA, ASID, NCARB, NCIDQ,
LEED AP, WELL AP, NOMA
PRESIDENT
Allison Lane is a Senior Associate and Multifamily Studio Lead in the Asset Advisory + Architecture practice in the Buildings + Places group at AECOM Metro New York.
With 14+ years of experience in architecture, interior design, and real estate development, she has worked on the design, construction, and project management of six million+ square feet of property, totaling more than $5 billion in construction costs.
Lane has a proven track record in diverse project types including luxury high-end residential, hotel-hospitality, mixed-use residential and commercial, in addition to leading asset management projects and programs. She has managed educational, institutional, and affordable housing projects, including the New York City Housing Authority’s Physical Needs Assessment where she serves as a Program Manager, and its Comprehensive Modernization Program where she was the Design Program Manager. Additionally, she leads the Multifamily Residential Studio for AECOM’s New York Metro Office, working on affordable and market-rate residential and mixed-use pursuits.
Lane is the current President of the New York Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Architecture from Pratt Institute.
STEPHEN WILDER, AIA, NOMA
PRESIDENT ELECT
Stephen Michael Wilder is an Architect & Entrepreneur from Harlem, New York with 20 years of experience working in the built environment. Stephen is a very ambitious person who is rooted in creativity and the desire to be innovative in new and existing spaces. Stephen is dedicated to using his status, resources, and influence to better his community and other similar communities.
For the last 10 years, Stephen has worked on building his architectural firm Think Wilder
Architecture. In the competitive and detail-oriented industry of architecture, there is not a day
where Stephen is not juggling business, creativity and technology. Stephen plans to use his
business and architecture as a platform to help change the way underserved people live, work and play.
He has professional affiliations with the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Stephen has a Master’s degree in Science of
Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from
Howard University.
As a new member of the executive board, Stephen looks forward to working collaboratively with the other board members. He will help to continue to steer the organization in a direction that increases awareness of the organization and its members. He will familiarize himself with the needs of the members and identify solutions that will not only maintain a sustainable future, but also a thriving one. Specific things that are important to Stephen include, bridging the intergenerational gap amongst the community of minority architects, identifying and strengthening the presence of member firms, and creating a strategy to end the blatant overlooking of black architects for viable urban projects without giving due attention.
lopita das, NOMA, Assoc. AIA
TREASURER
Lopita Das is an Architectural Designer at Cavalry Associates. She has a Bachelor of Architecture from Pratt Institute. She was born in India, raised in Dubai moved to New York to pursue architecture. The emergence of three cultures and regions of the world helped Lopita learn early on about the power of being authentic and the value of working together for a common good.
Lopita is currently the treasurer for NycobaNOMA and a director for AIA Brooklyn. She has a passion for creating architecture that enhances and encourages the symbiotic lifestyle of communities and endeavors to portray the value of differences as a benefit.
Hoping to give back to the circle she is hoping to be further involved in mentorship to future architects and designers who are motivated to use architecture as a powerful memorial for our time.
NADEEN HASSAN,ASSOC. AIA, LEED GREEN ASSOCIATE, NOMA
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
correspondingsecretary@nycoba.org
Nadeen is a Junior Designer at FXCollaborative with experience in all project phases including zoning study, schematic design, design development, and construction documentation. She has primarily worked on residential, commercial, and hospitality projects. Nadeen is eager to dive into affordable housing, infrastructure, and public projects that have a large impact on the community.
As a New York City native with Egyptian heritage, Nadeen witnessed the lack of resources and care for refugees and low-income families—this disparity inspired her to become an architect. Nadeen has the drive to positively influence and improve the lives of the underserved. For her, a designer must have the sensitivity needed to impact individual lives with care dedicated to building occupants, neighbors, the environment, and the economy.
TOCHI MGBENWELU, NOMA
PARLIAMENTARIAN
Tochi Mgbenwelu started her journey into architecture at Fordham University, right here in NYC, where she majored in visual arts, concentrating in Architecture with minors in Pre-Professional Design and Arabic. She went on to hone-in on her skills by getting a Master’s in Architecture at Parsons School of Design where she was able to explore her deep interest in designing spaces that centre people's overall well-being. Currently, Tochi is a Project Manager at Composite Construction Management, a goal coach and an adjunct professor at Fordham University. In her free time she enjoys developing ideas around how to curate spaces for folks to explore creativity and build community.
leslie epps, NOMA
RECORDING SECRETARY
Leslie Epps is an accomplished architectural designer at WXY Studio and a recent graduate of the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture undergraduate program at the City College of New York. Awarded NOMA Student Member of the Year 2019, Leslie Epps founded the NOMAS at CCNY Chapter and served as President for two years, before becoming a NOMA Student Representative and serving on the NOMA Board of Directors until 2021.
She has been passionate about architecture for half of her life and is eager to learn more and enact change moving forward in her career. In the future, she aspires to combine architecture with urban planning in an effort to address social issues and ultimately better society. She envisions her role in architecture as one of service and aims to work towards her hopes for the profession by gaining experience working with untapped communities.
past executive committee members
president
Gregory T. Switzer, AIA, NOMA, NCARB (2021-22)
Samantha Josaphat, RA, NOMA, NCARB, LEED GA (2019-20)
Ibrahim Greenidge, NOMA, RA (2017-18)
Pascale Sablan (2015-16)
Mark Gardener (2014)
Tonja Adair (2012-13)
Kelly Powell (2010-11)
Heather Oneal (2004-05)
Zevilla Jackson Preston
Jack Travis
Roberta Washington
president elect
Allison Lane, RA, AIA, ASID, NCARB, NCIDQ, LEED AP,
WELL AP, NOMA (2022)
Talisha L. Sainvil, AIA, NOMA, NCARB, LEED (2021)
Gregory T. Switzer, AIA, NOMA, NCARB (2019-20)
Samantha Josaphat, NOMA, AIA, LEED (2018)
vice president
Oral Selkridge, NOMA, RA, LEED AP (2017)
Corr. secretary
Mel Loyola Agosto, NOMA (2021-22)
Maya Madison, Assoc. AIA, NOMA (2019-20)
Shakera Kyle, NOMA, Assoc. AIA, Allied ASID (2017-18)
rec. secretary
Maimouna Sow, NOMA (2020-21)
Sharlita Green, NOMA (2017-18)
TREASURER
Ellen Abraham, MBA, NOMA, Assoc. AIA (2020-21)
Jeffrey Charles-Pierre, NOMA, Assoc. AIA (2017-19)
parliamentarian
Maya Madison, AIA, NOMA, NCARB (2022)
Jeffrey Charles-Pierre, NOMA, Assoc. AIA (2021)
Camille Sherrod, RA, NOMA, NCARB (2019-20)
Joseph Cole, NOMA (2018)
Anaelechi Owunwanne, NOMA (2017)