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.