Kansas City Architectural Foundation

The Architectural Foundation Board

Rick McDermott, AIA, NCARB, President
A Principal of RDM Architecture founded in 1979, Rick McDermott received a Bachelor of Arts from Kansas State University, College of Architecture, Planning and Design and certification from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). He was elected President of the Kansas City Architectural Foundation in 2006; is a past President of the Kansas City Chapter of the American Institute of Architects; past Chairman of the Heart Forest Foundation; past member of the Main Street Design Review Board; former member of the Ward Parkway Homes Association Board of Directors; former member of the Board of Directors of Union Hill Arts, Inc.; and past Board of Directors member of the Center for Understanding the Built Environment (CUBE).

Richard Farnan, AIA, Vice President
A native of Weston, Mo, Richard Farnan graduated from the University of Kansas with a B. Architecture in 1973.  Beginning a career in Kansas City with Kivett & Myers, he continues to work today with HNTB Corp.  Farnan serves as a lecturer and studio critic at the School of Architecture at KU.  A veteran of several charitable organizations serving at-risk youth, he was one of the original members of the AIA Scholarship Committee. He is a member of the Kansas City Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and has served the chapter as a former Director, Chair of the Selection, Urban Design, and Design Committees, and was recently elected Vice President of KCAF.

Kevin Harden, AIA, Secretary
Kevin Harden is a principal in the architecture firm Gastinger Walker Harden Architects. He has been actively involved in the community and has served as President of the American Institute of Architects, Kansas City, Chairman of the Leadership Group Centurions of the Chamber of Commerce, and is serving as the Chairman of the Mission Hills, Kansas Planning Commission. Kevin is a graduate of the University of Kansas, School of Architecture and Urban Design.

Vicki Graft, Treasurer
Vicki Graft, a certified public accountant (CPA), provides consulting, administrative and compliance services for qualified employee benefit plans. She has a BBA degree in finance from Kansas State University, and an M.A. degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. Graft is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, ESOP Association and American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries.

David Boutros
A native Kansas Citian, David Boutros is a historian and Associate Director of the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Kansas City which holds a large collection of materials relating to the built environment, including more that 300,000 sheets of architectural drawings. He earned a M.A. in History and a M.P.A. from UMKC. Boutros has been active with local and regional historical and preservation organizations for more that 30 years.

Kathleen Burke, AIA
Kathy Burke is a Principal with Gastinger Walker Harden Architects. She received a Bachelor of Environmental Design (1979) from the University of Kansas School of Architecture and Urban Design. She has served as president of the Kansas City Architectural Foundation and the American Institute of Architects; and been active with the Union Hill Neighborhood Association Board and the Union Hill Design Review Committee.

Arthur Davis III
Art Davis has over 22 years experience in the public and not-for-profit sectors, most recently spending as Associate Director for the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City responsible for coordinating support for revitalizing Kansas City’s Downtown and urban core neighborhoods.  Previously, Davis was City Administrator of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and also worked in various administrative capacities for the cities of Lenexa, Kansas, and Dallas, Texas.  Davis obtained his BA in Public Administration and Political Science from William Jewell College, and a MA in Public Administration from the University of Kansas. In 2005, Art Davis formed the Art Davis Group LLC to provide management and community consulting services for cities, counties, and other governmental and non-governmental entities.  He is also a partner with the Kansas City Property Company LLC, a firm focused on development and revitalization of small and medium sized commercial buildings in the Kansas City region.

Dawn Kirkwood
Dawn Kirkwood has been Executive Director of the Kansas City Chapter of The American Institute of Architects since January, 2002. In this capacity, she is responsible for operational and programmatic functions of the Chapter. With a strong background in organizational development and the establishment of strategic partnerships, Kirkwood’s focus is on extending the influence of architects in community and built environment issues. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Kirkwood also has an MBA from the University of Iowa.

Marvin Manlove, AIA
A Principal with Kansas City based 360 Architecture, Marvin Manlove has actively used his degrees in Architecture and Interior Architecture from Kansas State University in service to many of the communities leading businesses. His is often involved with businesses in establishing strategic plans and designs for real estate and office planning. Manlove is a Board member of the Kansas City Area Economic Development Council and serves as the 2006 President of the American Institute of Architects in Kansas City.

Daniel Serda, PhD
Daniel Serda serves in a dual appointment as executive director of the Kansas City Design Center and assistant professor in the Graduate Program in Urban Planning at the University of Kansas. He holds a Master in City Planning (MCP) and Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Studies from MIT, and A.B. in Government from Harvard University. He is a native and current resident of Kansas City, Kansas.

Past Board Members

Tom Bean, AIA

William Bruning**

David M. Brey, FAIA

Tim Cahill, AIA

Casey Cassias, AIA

Joan Dillon

Herb Duncan, FAIA

Judith Elsea

Denise Farris

Michael Fickel, FAIA

Kirk Gastinger, FAIA

Ginny Graves, Hon. AIA

Cary Goodman, FAIA

John E. Hoffman, Jr., AIA

Stuart Hutchinson, AIA

Susan Richards Johnson, AIA

Clarence Kivett, FAIA

Glen Leroy, FAIA

Steve McDowell, AIA

Katherine McKnight, ASLA

Larry Morriss

Dan Musser

Tom Nelson, FAIA**

Gary Nevius, AIA

Vicki Noteis, AIA

Sean O’Byrne

Judi Paxton

Eric Piper, AIA

Andy Scott

Chip Schmelzer

Lucy Smith

Ed Sterling

Ancely Swade

Michael Swann, Hon. AIA KC

Patricia Thomas

Fred Troug, AIA

Janet Tupper

Anita Valdivia

Cindy Frewen Wuellner, FAIA**

Linda Ervin Young, Hon. AIA

Becky Cotton Zahner, AIA

Frank Zilm, FAIA**

**Served as President