Stacy Bourne, FAIA is the principal architect of The Bourne Group, LLC, an architecture firm, founded in April 2002, focused on using hurricane resilient design to influencing social change through community engaged design. She has directly managed over 25 million in hurricane recovery renovation projects for damage assessments, architecture, and engineering in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, both category 5 hurricanes. The firm is taking their specific expertise into the gulf states to assist in rebuilding with hurricane resilient systems, designs, and materials. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Stacy’s breadth of experience spans over 30 years and a dozen hurricanes in the US Virgin Islands. Her career began with custom homes focused on site integration, views and natural ventilation, mastering steep terrains, earthquake requirements, septic systems, leeching fields, and rainwater harvesting, in addition to contracted project management. The second phase of her career focused on post disaster FEMA funded roof replacement programs, creating resiliency strategies, assisting in crafting building code legislation, expanding into commercial and office building renovations and partnering with key stakeholders to restore significant historical buildings, hurricane damage assessments/reconstruction and community engaged design. Her love of the profession extended through her volunteerism. Stacy has taught high school students and crafted several mentorship programs during her AIA National Board tenure. Currently, Stacy mentors architectural college students, sponsors a Crit Scholar and participates in the College of Fellow/Young Architect Forum mentorship program. As a leader, Stacy served 6 terms as AIA Virgin Islands president, served on the Virgin Islands Board of Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors, Board president for the Virgin Islands Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities and was confirmed by the Virgin Islands Legislature to serve as Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission in 2018. Stacy currently serves as the Co-Chair for the AIA Disaster Assistance Committee and is a member of the National Organization of Minority Architects. Stacy was awarded the Richard Upjohn Medal in December 2011 for her service on the National Board of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), representing approximately 4,000 architects in the Florida/Caribbean Region. She was the first black woman to serve on the national board and was instrumental as chair of the AIA Board Diversity Council, member of the Licensing Committee, member of the Secretary Advisory Committee, coordinated the National AIA for Haiti earthquake restoration efforts in 2010, speak and coordinate convention events and helped to execute AIA Women’s Leadership Summits. In 2019, Stacy received the Small Business Administration Emerging Leader Award and in March 2023, Stacy was a recipient of the Women's Leadership Award, from the Missouri Minority Business Development Agency, in St. Louis. This passionate spokesperson seeks to advance diversity and inclusion opportunities and support for underrepresented groups in the profession and builds relationships everywhere she goes. Her relationships were instrumental with Mattel's launch of Architect Barbie in 2010 in 3 skin tones. Her wide range of professional relationships span countries, building typologies and custom specialties for unique team building results. They afford Stacy the opportunities to partner and collaborate with firms, companies and organizations while focusing on the Framework for Design Excellence. Stacy is and AIA College Fellow and holds and Master of Architecture and Master of Architecture and Urban Design degrees from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana and Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She is the owner of SMART Tech and Print Solutions in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, printing everything from business cards to banners, retail and new UPS ship center in 2023. The print shop started as the first architecture firm, INNOVATIONS by Design, in 1998. A few copies for friends became a full-service print shop by 2002, when The Bourne Group was created.

After receiving an undergraduate degree in Biosystems Engineering, Heather spent time in Africa with the Peace Corps. She then received a Masters in Architecture and Urban Design from the University of Colorado. Heather has worked as an Architect for over 15 years in both the private and public sector, including FEMA, with a focus on design, construction, project management and disaster mitigation. Her projects have ranged from small residential remodels to large scale neighborhood master planning. In 2013, Heather collaborated with a social worker to start Our Front Porch, a Denver-based nonprofit that helps Colorado home fire survivors navigate the ups and downs of the recovery journey so they don’t have to go it alone. Our Front Porch provides disaster case management, therapy and mental health support, and guidance on next steps, insurance claims, and the rebuilding process. They also have an emergency housing program where they provide short-term, affordable, and fully furnished rentals specifically to home fire survivors. Heather currently splits her time between being the COO of Our Front Porch and her private architecture practice in Key West, Florida.

Marcus Martin serves as the Program Manager for the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) where he leads the implementation of nationwide programs dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in emergency management and community-based adaption projects. In his role, he oversees the Bridging Support for Underserved and Indigenous Populations in Landfall Disasters (BUILD) Program, HERricane Program, and coordination and deployment of I-DIEM Equity Response Teams. Mr. Martin is a tenured and accomplished emergency management professional with over 22 years’ experience in Disaster Response and Recovery Planning. Previous experiences include roles as Division Director of Preparedness and Recovery and Chief of Planning and Operations with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, Office of Emergency Management, Emergency Management consulting in the private sector and serving as a professional Firefighter/Paramedic with the Orange County Fire Rescue Department and the Town of Eatonville Volunteer Fire Department. Mr. Martin received his Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Emergency Management from Jacksonville State University and Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Public Relations from the University of South Carolina. Additionally, Mr. Martin is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professional with a DEI certificate from Cornell University, who has worked with organizations at the local, state, and federal levels on assessing policy and plan reviews and developing and implementing strategies to improve organizational DEI. Mr. Martin enjoys providing advocacy for our communities and now uses his experience to advocate for professional parity for women, people of color and other marginalized groups.

Blake Nanney is a Federal Relations Manager at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in Washington, DC. Blake works closely with his immediate teammates, Kara and Jaelon, along with AIA staff, AIA members, and public officials on federal policies impacting architects and their profession. His policy portfolio includes affordable housing, resilience, and federal procurement, while also serving in a supporting role on many other issues and initiatives. Blake has been with AIA National for over 5-years after joining AIA’s Advocacy + Relationships team in the summer of 2017. Before joining AIA, Blake worked for the Illinois House of Representatives and served on a successful reelection campaign for a Southern Illinois state representative. Blake graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a B.A. in Political Science and a major in History.