Barb Anderson-Kerlin Named AIA President of St. Louis Chapter

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Barb Anderson-Kerlin, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, has been named as the 2018 president of the St. Louis chapter of the American Institute of Architects. A senior associate project manager for HOK’s St. Louis practice, Anderson-Kerlin brings more than 30 years of experience into her new leadership role with the AIA.

“One of my biggest goals this year is to continue to guide the chapter to reflect the changing St. Louis architecture community,” said Anderson-Kerlin. “Another main focus will be to support AIA’s four strategic plan initiatives: knowledge, prosperity, sustainability and workforce.”

Anderson-Kerlin has served on the board of the St. Louis AIA since 2015 and chaired the chapter’s Volunteer Speaker’s Bureau, which seeks to introduce the design industry to underserved communities.

“Barb has been a bright, positive influence on our board of directors,” noted Steve Anton, AIA St. Louis’ outgoing president. “She routinely shares insightful perspectives on issues important to our membership.”

A mother of two grown daughters, three stepdaughters and one stepson, Anderson-Kerlin also hopes to use her leadership role in AIA to champion greater equality within the design industry.

“Decades ago I was told, ‘You need to decide if you want to be a good architect or a good mother, because you can’t be both,’” said Anderson-Kerlin. “While the issues women face have changed over the years, inequity, particularly as design leaders, still exists. With an increasing number of women graduating with degrees in architecture, the best thing we can do for the future of the profession is to support each other, mentor talented, young women and empower them to be leaders.”

At HOK, Anderson-Kerlin has overseen design teams working on complex commercial and residential projects.

“We’re incredibly proud of Barb,” said Eli Hoisington, AIA LEED AP, design principal at HOK’s St. Louis office. “Her commitment to the profession makes her an excellent choice to lead AIA St. Louis. We feel extremely lucky to have her leading and strategizing alongside us every day.”

In addition to her involvement with the AIA, Anderson-Kerlin has served on the Missouri Gateway Chapter of the U.S. Green Build Council and currently serves on the Habitat for Humanity St. Louis board.

HOK is a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm. Through a network of 23 offices worldwide, HOK provides design excellence and innovation to create places that enrich people’s lives and help clients succeed. DesignIntelligence consistently ranks HOK as a leader in ​​sustainable, high-performance design and technology innovation.

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