These Honorees of the Distinguished Service Award Have Exemplified the Mission of AIA Chicago Through Outstanding Service to the Profession and the Community
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: David Chase, (312) 376-2745, dchase@aiachicago.org
December 2, 2025, CHICAGO – AIA Chicago, one of the largest and most influential local chapters of The American Institute of Architects with a membership exceeding 3,500 individuals—including licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners—today announced the recipients of the 2025 Distinguished Service Award. This year, the AIA Chicago Board of Directors bestows this honor upon two recipients: the national organization Arquitina, founded by Alicia Ponce, AIA, and architect Julie Hacker, FAIA.
These recipients are recognized for their exceptional leadership in mentorship, their dedication to increasing equity within the profession, and their long-standing commitment to design excellence in the Chicago region.
Arquitina is recognized for its measurable impact on diversifying the architectural profession across the country. Founded in Chicago in 2020 by Alicia Ponce, AIA, alongside 15 fellow Chicago architects, Arquitina has grown into a national 501(c)(3) organization committed to increasing the representation of licensed Latina architects. Led by architects and supported by allied engineers, developers, and contractors, the organization operates on the ethos of “lift as you climb,” cultivating vital networks of mentors and mentees. When Arquitina began its work, fewer than 1% of U.S. architects were Latina. Today, assisted by ten cohorts that have helped 18 women earn licensure, that statistic has risen to 2%.
Julie Hacker, FAIA, a partner in the award-winning residential firm of Stuart Cohen & Julie Hacker Architects LLC, is honored for her decades of service to architectural education, preservation, and mentorship. Her work is the subject of two books, including 2023’s “First Additions Strategies of Adding On,” and she has served on both National and Local AIA Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) Boards and previously as the VP of Sponsorship/Development on the Chicago AIA Board. Hacker’s commitment to the future of the profession is exemplified by her role as the longest-serving mentor in the AIA Chicago Bridge Mentorship Program. Furthermore, she served six years as a Preservation Commissioner for the City of Evanston, which recently named her a “Cultural Ambassador.”
“The 2025 Distinguished Service Award recipients represent the profound impact that dedicated advocacy and mentorship have on our field,” said Jen Masengarb, Assoc. AIA, Executive Director of AIA Chicago. “Julie Hacker’s sustained commitment to guiding emerging professionals, combined with Arquitina’s proven success in changing the demographic landscape of licensure, embody the highest ideals of service to the architectural community.”
Since 1955, the AIA Chicago Board of Directors has recognized individuals and organizations who have given outstanding service to the Chicago architectural community as a whole, including service to the profession, public service, and education. Honorees are selected based on significant contributions to the built environment, including the advancement of initiatives that promote excellence in architecture or activities that raise public consciousness of the importance of excellent design.
The 2025 Distinguished Service Award honorees will be celebrated at the Building Together: Awards Program on Thursday, December 4, 2025 at the Chicago Architecture Center at 111 East Wacker Drive in Chicago. Tickets can be purchased by visiting AIAChicago.org/BuildingTogether.
About AIA Chicago With a membership exceeding 3,500 individuals—including licensed architects, architectural designers, and a broad network of industry partners and students—AIA Chicago is one of the largest and most influential local chapters of The American Institute of Architects in the country. AIA Chicago offers comprehensive support for the architecture profession, including lectures, continuing education courses, award programs, and advocacy. It also fosters community through specialized Knowledge Communities and Affinity Groups, and communicates with both members and the general public via its magazine, Chicago Architect, an electronic newsletter, and social media.
With more than 100,000 members nationwide, The American Institute of Architects is the largest, most influential network of architecture professionals in the country. Each AIA Chicago member is also a member of AIA Illinois. Learn more about AIA by visiting www.aia.org.
