This article updates reporting by AN about AIA published on June 4, 2024.
In response to concerns raised by 22 former AIA presidents in a letter dated April 4, and another letter sent by this year’s FAIA selection committee dated April 2, AIA has engaged Miller & Chevalier, a Washington, D.C.–based law firm, for an independent investigation into the claims.
Miller & Chevalier’s preliminary findings, shared by AIA in a letter dated June 4, indicate no wrongdoing by AIA CEO Lakisha Woods in relation to a recent staff retreat to the Dominican Republic. The letter said the board has “reviewed the facts,” and “considers the concerns raised in the April 4 letter to have been addressed and that there is no action to be taken by the Board in connection to the staff retreat.”
After the 2024 AIA National Convention, on June 11, the board issued a public statement of support for Woods. The statement also had information about AIA’s finances: “AIA is financially healthy and has received a clean audit for the past three budget cycles. The current Board of Directors, CEO, and staff are working on the 2025 budget, which will be $13.5 million less than the 2024 budgeted amount, taking financial accountability for decisions that predate the current Board’s and CEO’s tenure.”
This statement from June 11 arrived shorty after former AIA general counsel Terrence Ona sued AIA for $2 million, claiming both “economic damages and mental anguish” due to his termination last April. AIA has since hired a crisis communications firm, Convincing Company, according to an anonymous source.
“No Wrongdoing” by Lakisha Woods
In response to the allegations that Woods may have financially benefited from a recent staff retreat to the Dominican Republic, Miller & Chevalier determined that Woods worked directly with AIA’s Marriott representative to determine where the staff retreat should be held, but “no other travel agency or events management company was involved in or received payment in connection with the planning or execution of the staff retreat.”
The inquiry determined that Marriott Bonvoy points from the retreat were indeed accrued by Woods and deposited into her personal Marriott Bonvoy account, however the “CEO did this in consultation with the CFO with the understanding that the points will be used for future AIA business.”
Miller & Chevalier also determined that former AIA general counsel Terrence Ona “negotiated the contract with the Royalton Bavaro” in consultation with Woods, as well as AIA CSO Vicky Schneider, CFO Garth Brian Jones, and CPO Cara Ang.
Terrence Ona Sues AIA
Former AIA general counsel Terrence Ona was terminated on April 24 after he was put on administrative leave for allegedly engaging in “potential misconduct” against Woods. (Ona was the person who reported Wood’s financial activity to the AIA’s treasurer Heather Philip-O’Neal.) AIA’s head of human resources, Kiersten Thornton, told Ona he was being investigated for discrimination, and that he “targeted African-American/[B]lack women in his review.”
In turn, Ona filed a lawsuit against AIA in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on June 6. Ona alleges that he’s been unlawfully discriminated against, unlawfully retaliated against, wrongfully terminated, and defamed by his former employer. He is suing for $2 million.
According to the lawsuit, Ona had been with the AIA since 2007 and possessed “a record of excellent performance and exceeded or met expectations at all relevant times prior to [AIA’s] discrimination.” The lawsuit claims that Ona was fired because of an inquiry he made into the actions of Woods and CSO Vicky Schneider.
Ona is bringing six charges against AIA. Court materials claim that AIA’s “illegal actions against Ona have damaged Ona’s reputation and have caused him to sustain economic damages and mental anguish.” Ona argued that he deserves compensatory damages, punitive damages, damages for humiliation and embarrassment, front and back pay, interest on all damages, equitable relief, and consequential damages.
An AIA spokesperson provided the following response to AN regarding the lawsuit: “We believe Terrence Ona’s claims are without merit, and AIA will defend itself vigorously. As this is a legal matter, we cannot comment further at this time.”
Kimberly Dowdell Responds
The April 4 letter from FAIA committee members stated that they had been wrongfully asked to reconsider a candidate who wasn’t selected. Bloomberg reported that the applicant may have been current AIA president Kimberly Dowdell.
The story, written by Kriston Capps, noted that “the jury did not change its decision,” and then “Woods subsequently reorganized the honors and awards department, stripping it of its responsibilities. The next month, in March, the 2024 class of fellows was announced. But the two AIA staffers responsible for organizing the awards, Daniel Lobo and Vickie Lindsey, had lost their jobs at the AIA.”
When asked about this incident, an AIA spokesperson told AN that “This issue, like others, is among the items included in an external review by an independent law firm. The initial results of the review are anticipated in the near future, and the Board has committed to sharing that information with members.”
Shortly after the Bloomberg article was published, on June 10, Kimberly Dowdell shared a statement on LinkedIn in response to Capps’s finding. “The low point of my presidency has been navigating an onslaught of media coverage regarding letters of concern written to the AIA Board, and the natural tendency for rumors and innuendo to create false narratives that have the potential to cause reputational harm,” Dowdell said.
“Among the information published was something I believed would remain confidential: that my fellowship application was denied this year, making me the only serving AIA President in history to not be included in the College of Fellows,” Dowdell continued. “This was disappointing news, but I never requested that the jury reconvene on my behalf, which an article suggested. I messaged the Board after I found out that I would not be included in this year’s class and said that I would congratulate the 98 new fellows just as any other President would, with pride and delight. This past week, I did just that.”
Dowdell’s keynote speech at the AIA convention, delivered on June 7 and summarized in a post on Architect, focused on summoning the courage to care about urgent crises like climate change, diversity, and compensation equity. “As architects, we are positioned to do some of the most fulfilling work imaginable,” she said.
Next Steps?
AIA told AN that the full results of Miller & Chevalier’s external review will be available in the coming weeks.
