Dan Noble was born in Chicago but grew up in Aberdeen, South Dakota. After graduating from North

Dakota State University in 1982 with a dual Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in

Architecture, he moved to Texas. Prior to his appointment as CEO in January 2014, Dan’s leadership as

Global Director of Design significantly elevated the quality of the firm’s work and the reach of its influence.

A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and American College of Healthcare Architects, Dan

is LEED certified and registered to practice in Texas, Florida, North Dakota, New Jersey, Alabama and

South Dakota, as well as Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta. His projects have been

honored by the Texas Society of Architects, Progressive Architecture, Architectural Record, Texas

Architect and the Dallas Business Journal.

A board member and former National President of the Academy on Architecture for Health (AAH), Dan is

also a trustee for the Foundation for the AAH and national chairman of the AIA/AAH regional initiatives.

He is a member of the Board of Regents of the American College of Healthcare Architects, Dallas

Regional Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Dallas Inc. and Y Dallas. He is a past president of the Dallas

Architecture Foundation and has served as design commissioner, editor and awards program chairman of

AIA Dallas.

Major Achievements

Under Dan’s guidance, HKS has expanded its global reach; developed state-of-the-art research around

the neuroscience of design’s impact on health and productivity; demonstrated profound impact in

environmental conservation and sustainable design; worked in cities across the globe to improve urban

design and resilience; donated design services and financial support to major charitable initiatives; and

worked with other members of the design community to elevate the profession.

HKS is ranked as one of the leading design firms in the world by BD World Architecture, Architectural

Record, Architect, Building Design+Construction and Interior Design. Over its 80-year history, HKS has

won hundreds of awards for design excellence.

The firm has enjoyed record revenue years under Dan’s leadership and 2019 is on track to be the firm’s

best year ever.

Evan joined GFF as an architect in 2005 and became Chairman and CEO in 2020. With over 20 years of experience in architecture and planning, he was named one of the Dallas Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in 2013 and one of the “Top 20 Under 40 in Architecture, Engineering and Construction” by ENR Texas & Louisiana in 2011. He has managed complex residential, retail, and mixed-use projects, focusing on sustainable design, density, smart growth, and New Urbanist principles. Evan takes a collaborative approach to design, prioritizing project goals and client expectations. He frequently speaks at ULI, AIA, TREC, and other events on these topics.

Evan is an active member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), The Real Estate Council (TREC), and the North Texas Chapter of Urban Land Institute (ULI). He chaired the 2017 Associate Leadership Council leadership development program and serves on the Board of Governors for Downtown Dallas, Inc. Evan is also a City of Dallas Development Advisory Committee Member and was the founding member and former President of the Henderson Neighborhood Association. His community engagement has contributed to zoning change efforts and promoting best practices in walkable urban design and quality placemaking in Dallas.

Ron Stelmarski, FAIA, is the Design Director for Perkins&Will's Dallas studio and the Project Design Director for the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas project. Since moving to Dallas in 2011, Ron has become a key figure in shaping Dallas’ built environment, with notable projects including The Pittman Hotel, The Epic Buildings, Singing Hills Recreation and Senior Center, and the Fair Park Master Plan Update. His work emphasizes the enhancement of public spaces and community engagement, particularly in historically overlooked neighborhoods. Architecture critic Mark Lamster of The Dallas Morning News notes, "nobody has done more to shape the city’s built environment this century."

Ron’s impact extends globally, as seen in his participation in the Watershed Urbanism Exhibit at the Venice Architecture Biennale. His ability to deliver award-winning designs on complex projects has made him a leading force in reshaping cities and enhancing the public realm.

A registered interior designer, Kirsten Cessna is Principal and Managing Director of Gensler Austin. Her expertise in retail and aviation practice areas, operations and client management encompasses projects across the United States.

Kirsten's project experience includes working with clients such as American Airlines, Fletcher Jones, Sewell Automotive, and Toyota. As a client relationship champion, Kirsten thrives on the collaboration it takes to bring a client's vision to fruition.

She served as the 2018 CREW Future Leaders (CFL) co-chair and was a member of CREW Fort Worth for several years. Kirsten mentored as part of ACE Mentor Program (DFW Chapter) guiding the next generation of builders, engineers and designers and empowering them to achieve their dreams in architecture, construction and engineer fields.

Kirsten holds a Master's in Business Administration from University of Texas at Arlington and Bachelors in Architectural Studies from University of Missouri.

Brian Ward is a Structural Steel Specialist serving the Dallas/Fort Worth market for the American Institute of Steel Construction. His primary role at AISC is to serve as a resource to the AEC community in the DFW area on the latest innovations and information on all facets related to the design and construction of structural steel. Before joining AISC, Brian worked for a steel fabricator as a design engineer and regional sales manager in the DFW area for 16 years. Additionally, he served as a senior project engineer for a local general contractor for two years. Brian earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University in College Station.

Randy has been with Steelcase since 2013 and has worked for 16 years in the Dallas Fort Worth interior design market first as a Registered Interior Designer with Interprise Design. In 2013 Randy moved to Steelcase as a Workplace Consultant focused on the local architecture and interior design market. Currently he is a Regional Sales Manager for the Dallas and Fort Worth architecture and design market as well as the Steelcase Dallas Worklife Center. Through his experience he has gained extensive knowledge of corporate interior design as well as workplace strategy. Randy is a graduate of The University of Texas at Arlington, a husband, a proud father of three young daughters, and a self-proclaimed amateur mixologist.

Milton has been designing, directing and master planning since 1986 and previously served as MAA’s

Director of Design since 1997. His extensive experience covers a multitude of building types and sizes, each

carefully tailored to a unique client, budget, site and city.

Corporate clients include USAA, Dr. Pepper/7-Up, Weatherford International, and Bell Helicopter Textron

Corporation. Office development clients include Trammell Crow, Stream Realty, Lincoln Property Company,

Brandywine, Endeavor, and Bandera Ventures. Projects include The Park at Barton Creek and Barton

Skyway I, II,III, and IV in Austin, Texas.

Historic restoration, preservation, and adaptive reuse of existing urban architecture has become a specialty

and passion. Projects in downtown Dallas include the Interurban Building, Atmos Lofts, Gulf States

Building, 1414 Elm, 211 Ervay, Mosaic, Statler Hilton, 1505 Elm, 500 South Ervay, Corrigan Tower and Tower

Petroleum.

Internationally, Milton has worked in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.; Aberdeen, Scotland; Tripoli, Libya and China for

corporate and private clients. Recent work includes master plans for mixed-use and government facilities in

Niamey, Niger and Abuja City, Nigeria. Specialty projects include several private residences, churches,

restaurants, and retail. Clients include Saltgrass Steakhouse, Babin’s Seafood and Sweet Tomatoes, etc.

Hospitality projects include the Marriott Autograph at Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas; El Tropicano Hotel,

San Antonio, Texas; Marriott AC Downtown Fort Worth, Texas; Marriott Redmond, Washington; Marriott

Courtyard New Braunfels, and The Colony, Texas; W Aloft Denver, Colorado and Chicago, Illinois; the Hilton

Anatole in Dallas, Texas; and Southlake Town Square, Southlake, Texas. Key hi-rise multi-family projects

include 21 Rio in Austin, TX; Royal Court in Charlotte, NC; and 1401 Elm in downtown Dallas, TX. Additional

residential includes Southlake Town Square in Southlake, TX. Southlake Town Square consists of retail,

residential and office components designed for Cooper Stebbins.

Yen leads all major strategic priorities encompassing architectural design and research, portfolio development, and brand culture of 5G Studio Collaborative. Along with Hoang Dang, he founded the studio in 2005 as a practice that has become known for deftly entwining matters of context, typology, and craft into emotive works that are lucid, uplifting, and tactile. His works convey optimism for new possibilities and approach the realm of the fantastic. Yen was elevated as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 2023 in recognition of his leadership in design excellence at the national level.

Jessica Collins is the director of design, Interiors in HOK’s Dallas studio. As a process-driven creative, she works collaboratively with clients and project teams, taking pride in not just the end result but also the service, delivery and design experience. Jess approaches design with ingenuity and interdisciplinary thinking to create curated and authentic spaces that celebrate the client’s brand, values and ethos while elevating the human experience.

An active member of the design community, she serves on the Programs Committee for the Real Estate Council, is a founding member of the American Society of Interior Design’s (ASID) x10 Collective, and is a past board member for International Interior Design Association’s (IIDA) Southern California chapter. Jess routinely appears in panels and articles on workplace strategy and employee engagement and was named to ASID’s “Ones to Watch” list recognizing emerging leaders in the field of interior design.

Mark Meyer is a Principal in TBG’s Dallas office and has more than 20 years’ professional experience encompassing all aspects of landscape architecture and planning. He serves as Chairman of TBG’s Board of Directors, providing strategic guidance to continuously elevate all aspects of TBG’s practice and corporate culture. Mark also greatly values the charrette process and the power of hands-on, multidisciplinary teamwork to deliver extraordinary project solutions. He is an experienced facilitator at guiding large stakeholder groups toward a shared vision and he frequently leads multi day creative planning workshops to jumpstart the design process. Mark is an advocate for walkable development and over his career has helped lead these types of developments that include a mixture of connected and walkable developments including Windsong Ranch, Painted Tree, Grand Canals and Pecan Square. Mark sits on the City of Dallas Urban Design Review Panel and the Texas A&M Professional Advisory Board for Landscape Architecture.