Yolanda is the Senior Principal and owner of Hickok Cole Architects, a large commercial architecture and interiors firm located in Washington, DC. She has over 25 years of base building and interior design experience in a variety of project types from large-scale, mixed-use developments to small commercial interiors, both around the world and in the region. She is widely recognized for her leadership in the region’s business community and for her work on many award-winning projects in the commercial/corporate, government, and institutional markets.

Prior to joining Hickok Cole Architects as a partner, Ms. Cole was a partner with Arlington-based LyrixDesign, which merged with Hickok’s firm to become Hickok Cole. LyrixDesign was one of the top 25 woman-owned and interior design firms in the region. She began her career with New York-based Kohn Pederson Fox Associates (KPF), where she was a senior designer of large-scale high-rise office buildings. While with KPF, Ms. Cole served as senior designer for the 1.2-million square-foot Chifley Tower in Sydney, Australia, where she lived for two years; and the award-winning Capital Cities/ABC headquarters in New York.

Julia is an architect and advocate for high-performing design. As Director of sustainability, she guides performance outcomes for Quinn Evans. Julia is responsible for planning, stakeholder engagement, design, and sustainability services for projects throughout the country. Her expertise supports an analytical approach to energy, material selection, third-party certifications, and realizing healthy and sustainable potentials. Prior to Quinn Evans, Julia advanced national sustainable energy and materials initiatives as the Senior Manager of Sustainable Practice & Knowledge at the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Anica leads HOK’s global sustainable design practice, serving on the firm’s board of directors

and design board.

Based in Washington, DC, Anica manages the successful development and implementation of

sustainability strategies on local and worldwide projects, working with both public and private

sectors clients on regional, campus, portfolio and building scale projects, including existing

building stock.

Anica serves locally on the Green and Energy Codes TAG, is on the Mayor’s Green Building

Advisory Council and co-chairs the Building Energy Performance Standard Task Force. Anica

also serves on the national USGBC LEED Advisory Committee, IECC 2024 Code Development

Committee and Consultative Council for the National Institute for Building Sciences. She is a

Senior Fellow of the New Buildings Institute and a member of the AIA’s 2021 Board

Government Advocacy Committee.

Anica previously served on the AIA Blue Ribbon Panel on Codes, coauthoring Disruption,

Evolution, and Change: AIA’s Vision for the Future of Design and Construction. With the U.S.

General Services Administration, she coauthored The New Sustainable Frontier: Principles of

Sustainable Development.

Anica’s testimony before Congress and policy recommendations were included in the Majority

Staff Report, Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy

Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America.

Ask Dayton why he chose architecture and he answers simply, "I love the process of inventing." He started early, too. As a kid, he and some friends took the initiative to build what became a popular BMX park, complete with ramps and connected trails. "The satisfaction of seeing so much enjoyment in that project may have planted the seed for my interest in architecture," he muses. Now Dayton tackles memorable projects like the Lumpkin’s Slave Jail, also known as the "Devil’s Half Acre," interpretive museum in Richmond, Virginia. "It is undoubtedly the most humbling and important project I’ve worked on in my career," Dayton remarks. "A project with this much emotion and historical complexity really highlights the importance of listening, observing, asking questions and doing research to create meaningful and timeless architecture." Dayton is eager to seek out new experiences. After completing a big project, he says, "I jump on a plane and go somewhere I’ve never been and venture to do something I’ve never done."

Jamie started his career in precast concrete at High Concrete Group over 23 years ago. He earned an Associates' Degree from York Technical Institute and furthered his education by earning a BS in Business from Albright College. He enjoys working with precast concrete because it is the most versatile product in the world. Precast concrete has the ability to turn your design dreams into a reality.

When Jamie is not working, he can be found on the golf course or spending time with his son.

Shannon Kaplan, PE is a Partner at AKF, an MEP/FP engineering firm specializing in innovative design solutions for the built environment. Shannon specializes in the design and analysis of high-performance systems for buildings with an emphasis on daylight harvesting and on-site renewable energy. She has over 20 years of experience in the design of LEED® Certified and high-performance projects with a focus on net zero energy. A collaborative person by nature, she has led teams for several award-winning net zero energy buildings including Millersville University Lombardo Welcome Center. Shannon partners with clients early in the design process to help them understand cost implications of their decisions and develop solutions to meet financial and sustainability goals. She has helped develop innovative tools such as low-energy building user guides to achieve energy goals. Shannon has also spoken at professional conferences on energy and sustainability and has authored several articles in various trade journals.

For over 30 years, Barbara Mullenex has focused her career on people; an attribute that embodies the Perkins Eastman manifesto of Human by Design. Recognized by many for her unique contributions to hospitality, residential, mixed use and workplace projects, her professional legacy will be one of passion for mentorship, inclusion, growth and change. Barbara joined Perkins Eastman as a studio leader in Washington, DC in 2013 bringing with her an expertise in strategic planning, organizational strategy, talent development, and outcome based management for projects of all scales. In 2015, she joined the firm’s Board of Directors, and is now the Managing Principal in Washington, DC – Perkins Eastman’s second largest office. As a local and international leader, she is responsible for actively supporting and strengthening the firm’s mission and values through consistent communication and participation with clients, support organizations, and philanthropic associations.

Through her collaborative leadership approach, Barbara has maintained a focus on producing creative and innovative solutions for her clients. She builds inter- and intra- organization teams that effectively work together to share information, make decisions, and solve problems to achieve mutual goals. Barbara has lead the design and management of numerous high-profile projects for clients such as Marriot, WeWork WeLive, Global Holdings, and World Bank. From large, complex projects to the most intimately scaled spaces she brings clarity of vision, consistency of intent and focus on purpose.

In addition to her expansive portfolio of work, Barbara is committed to leadership through service and has been recognized for her philanthropic and community engagement. She serves on the Executive Committee and Membership Committee of the Federal City Council, is a member of the Economic Club of Washington DC, and the International Women’s Forum. In her commitment to bringing the arts into our daily discourse she has served on the Board on the National Symphony Orchestra and is currently Vice Chair of the Maryland Youth Ballet Board. She has earned service awards that include Washington Business Journal’s CEO Leadership in Philanthropy, and the Corporate Award from the March of Dimes Heroines in Technology. Guided by her passion for mentorship, Barbara has dedicated much of her career to fostering the growth of those around her. Whether participating in events such Learn From the Best with ULI Washington’s Young Leaders Group, or clearing a path for our work force’s next generation, her commitment to every individual’s personal and professional growth has made her the leader she is today.

Bob Fox is a leader in the architecture and interior design

industry and is well respected for his open-minded and

innovative approach to workplace design.

In 2003, Bob founded FOX Architects, an award-winning

architecture and interior design firm focused on the

commercial office sector. His commitment and drive helped

position the firm in the forefront of workplace building

design and technology. Bob serves as a trusted advisor to

clients ensuring their strategic objectives and executive

expectations are achieved.

Seven years after starting FOX Architects, Bob launched

Work Design Magazine, a digital publishing company

dedicated to exploring the issues, innovations, and ideas

that shape the places we work. The magazine connects

workplace practitioners from around the world through

weekly content, webinars, and events. Today, readership

has grown internationally to more than 35,000 leaders,

architects, facility managers, dealers, end-users, and

consultants.

Bob possesses more than 30 years of experience, is an active

member of the design community, and speaks regularly at

industry events focused on the future of the workplace.

As Preconstruction Manager for Bozzuto Construction Company, Christine Wu is responsible for the initial budgeting and planning of projects during preconstruction, which includes managing the line item budget, as well as Value Engineering efforts.

Christine joined the Bozzuto team in 2016 with over 15 years of diversified experience in all aspects of the building industry. Her experience encompasses roles as an architect, an owner’s representative, as a project manager and as a preconstruction manager. Christine earned her Master Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Architecture, as well as her Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture Studies, from Washington State University.

Erin McDannald, CEO and co-owner of Lighting Environments and its sister companies, Elevated and Environments, has guided clients throughout the entire lighting design and construction process for over two decades.

Trained as an interior designer, McDannald joined Baltimore’s New Design Light firm in the sales department in 2003 before becoming co-owner in 2009. Under her leadership, the company rebranded to Lighting Environments to reflect the company’s expansion into lighting technology offerings for all built environments. Honored as a 2022 Bisnow “Innovator of the Year” in commercial real estate, Erin is recognized as a top female leader in DC’s real estate field.

Now a pioneer for IoT (Internet of Things) integration and building and workplace management, McDannald is leading today’s workforce through powerful digital transformation with the Elevated™ app.

Elevated, a proprietary building management application, grants users unmatched access and awareness of their built environments. Elevated’s all-in-one interface supports interactive, engaging spaces and supports real estate ROI.

Environments is an IoT integrator and software development company offering full-scale adaptable solutions that support businesses from end-to-end, from energy management to health monitoring.

With every development and service, Erin McDannald and the Lighting Environments brands continue to innovate for spaces that are expertly designed, well-connected, and flexible for each user and occupant.

As the Architectural Design Manager - Capitol Region for Guardian Glass, Tuan Tran primarily works with architects and designers to select and specify coated architectural glass to meet thermal performance and aesthetic design requirements. Tuan joined Guardian Glass in 2013 as the Northeast Technical Advisor with twenty years of experience designing extruded aluminum fenestration products for YKK AP and Kawneer. He enjoys all aspects of façade design but is particularly drawn to glass due to its unique material properties and fabrication versatility. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Design from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

With over 25 years’ experience, Andie works to curate workplace experiences for employees and clients while optimizing spend and streamlining effectiveness. She has helped organizations develop strategy and drive concepts to execution with deep expertise in providing strategic leadership. This is accomplished with incorporating defensible data points as well as cultural considerations to create holistic recommendations for the built environment. Her training in Six Sigma and LaMarsh Change Management solutions enables Andie to develop measurable results that impact the user experience.

Significant clients include WMATA, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), MITRE, NBCUniversal, Johnson & Johnson, Morgan Stanley, Shell and others