Shirley Franklin served as mayor of the City of Atlanta from 2002 to 2010. As mayor, she led the city to adopt policies and practices to stabilize finances, adopt stringent ethics legislation, and promote public engagement in government decision-making. Over the course of her two four-year terms, the city designed and implemented aggressive infrastructure plans for Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the Affordable Housing Opportunity Program, The Atlanta Beltline, Clean Water Plan, Parks Opportunity Program, and Homeless Opportunity Program, locally financing nearly $8 billion in development. These long-term investments boosted the local economy and expanded job opportunities for residents. 

After serving as mayor, Shirley was a visiting professor at Spelman College in Atlanta and the Barbara Jordan Visiting Professor of Ethics and Political Values at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas Austin. From 2010 to 2020 she served as executive chairman of the board of directors of the Purpose Built Communities based in Atlanta. Her service on nonprofit boards includes the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta, Volcker Alliance, and National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.  

As the Interim Director of the Office of Planning and Community Development for the City of Seattle, Rico Quirindongo, AIA, has been working for 25 years to revitalize and reimagine some of Seattle’s most historic landmarks and neighborhoods. He is an active AIA volunteer, serving as AIA Seattle president from 2012 to 2013 and as a board director from 2009 to 2014. Quirindongo’s civic experience includes a five-year mayoral appointment to the Historic Seattle Council. He was recognized by AIA National as a Citizen Architect in 2020 and is a Northwest and Pacific Regional Representative on the national AIA Strategic Council. He is a recognized expert on civic projects and city-convened taskforces to create and execute processes for inclusive and authentic engagement. Notable projects where he has provided design and community engaged leadership include Northwest African American Museum, Climate Pledge Arena, and Midtown Square in the Central District. 

2021 Intersections Research Conference co-chair.

Chris serves as the President and CEO of Build Baton Rouge and is responsible for directing day-to-day operations as well as developing and implementing the Authority’s short and long term strategy and plans. He also serves as a direct liaison to the Build Baton Rouge’s Board of Directors and communicates on behalf of the Authority to other key stakeholders, including the City of Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President. He is a Baton Rouge native and holds a Bachelor of Architecture, with honors, from Howard University; a Masters of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School; and a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. He is currently on leave from his position as the Newman Trowbridge Distinguished Professor of Law at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University. Chris has also practiced as a real estate and land use attorney, a management consultant, and a member of U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu’s Washington, DC legislative staff.