2022 Board Voting

Alayna Fraser, AIA, LEED AP BD+C 

Having served as AIA SB Vice President (2021), Treasurer (2020) and Secretary (2019), I look forward to the opportunity for continued service as chapter President in the 2022 term. As a steward of this active and accomplished chapter I will work to support the varied and ambitious goals of our committees and programs in 2022. I am a Santa Barbara native and licensed Architect working with the local firm Blackbird Architects.

Amy Fitzgerald Tripp, AIA 

As current Secretary and Executive Committee member I have been able to participate and help guide our chapter as we move forward with many important initiatives that will benefit our community. With the opportunity to be the AIA SB Treasurer, I would be able to continue to promote initiatives to make architecture and design more available to our community, but also look at how our industry can also work to make our community better. Thank you for your consideration.

Alisa Oberjuerge, Associate AIA

Alisa Oberjuerge attended UCSB and SBCC and has been part of the Blackbird Architects team for several years. She is working toward licensure, supported by the AIA as a recipient of the Paul Welch Jr. ARE Scholarship. She is interested in the opportunity to become more involved in the community by serving in the role of Secretary.

DIRECTOR CANDIDATES (15 positions, one-year term)

RESPONSIBILITIES: Directors of the board serve yearlong terms and may serve multiple terms if re-elected. Directors are one of a team charged with helping to develop guidelines and priorities for the chapter. In addition, Directors provide fiscal and governance oversight for the chapter. Directors are expected to attend all monthly board meetings, all major events and to engage members around key priorities. Directors are also responsible for leading assigned committees and ad-hoc task forces.

Armando M. Arias del Cid, Assoc. AIA 

Armando is a current AIA SB board member and an International member of the AIA. His interest and goals as an AIA Board Director includes continuing to work on the creation of an Architecture Program at Santa Barbara City College and involving SBCC students in AIA activities. Armando is a Costa Rican architect. His firm, Arias del Cid Arquitectos, was founded in 1987. In 2003, he opened Arias del Cid Design Studio, a California Design Office specializing in Residential and Industrial Design. He is a professor at Santa Barbara City College and the Department Chair of the Drafting-CAD and Interior Design Department. A published author, he is also the inventor of a revolutionary machine tool that was awarded a US Patent and continues to work in invention and development within the energy production and food system fields.

Vandhana Balachandran, Assoc AIA

This past year I had the opportunity to contribute as Co-chair of the Emerging Professionals committee by organizing virtual study group sessions for EP’s interested in pursuing licensure. As a member of the PR committee, I also had the opportunity to support AIA SB’s efforts towards increased social media presence and outreach. In these roles I had the chance to engage with active professionals who empower each other through an exchange of ideas, initiatives and contribute collectively to our community. I look forward to continuing to serve on AIA SB’s Board of Directors in 2022.

Ellen Bildsten, AIA, LEED AP

Ellen joined the AIASB board in 2008 and served on all the Officer positions, was the AIASB representative for two years to AIA California and continues to serve as Advocacy co-chair for the past few years. She helped create ArchitecTours in 2008 and has chaired the event several times. She was a key organizer of AIA SB’s Housing charrette in 2011 and the State St. revitalization charrette in 2017 and 2020.  Ellen established her architecture firm in 2003.  Bildsten Architecture and Planning’s focus on multi-family housing and community-based projects in Santa Barbara.

Bob Kupiec, AIA 

Bob Kupiec has been the principal of Kupiec Architects PC, celebrating 40 years of providing service for numerous commercial, institutional, and residential projects throughout this country and abroad. A resident of Santa Barbara since 2003 he has completed the downtown campus for Antioch University as well as the SB Airport Industrial Park on Hollister Avenue. He has recently completed the 50-million-dollar renovation of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and is busy restoring the Ojai Playhouse theater due to open next year. Bob is a past Chairman of the National Institute of Architectural Education and twice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the VanAlen Institute for Projects in Public Architecture. He currently serves as Chair of the Montecito Planning Commission.

John P. Margolis, AIA 

I would like to renew my commitment to the AIA/Santa Barbara Chapter. I have served on multiple AIA/SB committees including the Design Awards and Advocacy Committees. I have encouraged Appleton Partners, the firm where I work, to continue their annual sponsorship support and participation on a number of important levels including the 2020 Design Charrette, Design awards Gala and more recently Architectours. I look forward to being considered for another year of service.

Joseph H. Moticha, AIA 

Joe has been on the Santa Barbara AIA Chapter Board for the past 20 years.  He also currently serves on the Single Family Design Board for the City of Santa Barbara and served as the Santa Barbara City and County Archives Director for 40 years.  Joe has practiced Architecture in Santa Barbara for more than 40 years.  His main goal is to promote good communication and relationships between Architects and the general public of Santa Barbara.

Erica Obertelli, AIA

Erica is passionate about supporting the work that AIA does to inspire our community. She is particularly interested in committees related to sustainability, community building, and programs. During the years that she served as the director for Emerging Professionals, she developed a monthly lecture series, which provided a forum for local architects and related professionals to share work that arose out of passion and excellence. She would be honored to serve as a board member for the exceptional AIASB community.

Detlev Peikert, AIA, LEED AP BD+C 

Detty is a past president and has served on the board since 1985.  He is currently a principal with RRM Design Group and heads the firm’s Santa Barbara office. He has been working in the field of architecture for more than 40 years. Detty is thoroughly knowledgeable in all aspects of architecture practice with a particular emphasis on design, project management and real estate development. He has extensive experience in designing and developing affordable and market rate housing.  As one of the founders of The Sustainability Project of Santa Barbara, he is committed to the principles of sustainable design and green building. Detty is actively engaged in local community organizations including the Santa Barbara Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Sustainability Project of Santa Barbara, Coastal Housing Coalition and Garden Court Foundation.

Paul Rupp, AIA 

Paul is a senior designer, architect and manager at AB Design Studio and holds an NCARB certificate with 40 years of architecture firm experience in New York, Washington, Oregon and California. He has designed and executed projects nationally and internationally. He serves on multiple community boards such as the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara, and academic advisory boards for SBCC, VACE and design studio support for UCSB. Paul is passionate about the transformational power of great design and the role of professional mentorship serving the AIASB Emerging Professionals/Mentor program to support all generations of professionals to perform at the highest standard possible.

Clay Aurell, AIA 

I, Clay Aurell am a past board member and past president of the AIA SB. After sitting on the board for over eight years, I decided to take some time off of the board as my two daughters were finishing up Elementary School and entering Junior High.  Ironically, I left the board just prior to Covid starting. During the past couple of years, I have continued to be involved in the community and especially with Advocacy. While not officially on the Advocacy Committee since stepping off, I was involved in the State Street Charette and on my own have been involved with local community leaders such as Deborah Schwartz, Nina Johnson and others in various ways to help make a difference for the community at large. I have found that the AIA is really the place for me to partner and make a bigger impact going forward.  I hope that the board and the AIA members will honor my request to come back to the board and be a part of the advocacy committee and other committees to forward the goals and intentions of AIA SB.

Tai Yeh, AIA

It will be a great honor to continue to serve on the board of AIASB for 2022 as Past President. In the past few years, I have been serving on the Executive Committee and various committees. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve.  AIASB represents a significant voice in our community, and also provides a very profound leadership training ground for those who are willing to be involved with certain commitments. Thank you AIASB for offering the opportunity for us to serve in unison.

 Matthew Beausoleil, AIA 

I have served on the AIASB board for 7 years. During this time, I served as Past President, President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Associate Director, Chair and Co-chair of ArchitecTours. I look forward to serving as Past President on the Board in 2022 and continuing to make positive impacts on our profession and the local community.

AIA CALIFORNIA REPRESENTATIVE CANDIDATE (1 position, two-year term)

RESPONSIBILITIES: Duties include being a member of the AIA California Board of Directors; attending AIA California board meetings (every 2 months) and reporting back to the AIASB Board.

Thomas Hashbarger, AIA

I’m excited at the opportunity to represent the Santa Barbara chapter to the AIA California at large. I was raised in Ventura and have practiced architecture in Santa Barbara for over 25 years. As such, I’ve staked my career on the vibrancy and viability of the profession in this unique place. Santa Barbara IS unique but in many ways it shares similar challenges with all other chapters; housing, energy conservation, construction cost, resiliency, etc.

With all the talented architects spread throughout the state, it is important to leverage their solutions and ideas for these significant issues to the greatest extent possible. The strength I bring to this post is my 25+ years of experience of practice in California on projects of multiple scales and numerous locations. Consistent with others in our chapter, and those of the AIA in general, my goal is to strengthen and support the local profession but also bring the profession to the community in new and productive ways.