PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Dear PhilaNOMA Members and Supporters,

There is a particular feeling when you walk into a room and realize someone held the door open for you long before you arrived.

Black History Month invites us to recognize those architects, planners, builders, and community leaders who did exactly that. They held doors open when the hinges were rusted shut. They drew lines on paper when they were not yet allowed to sit at the table where the paper was placed.

PhilaNOMA exists because of that perseverance.

But honoring history is not simply about reflection. It is about stewardship. Our responsibility is to widen those doors further — not just for Black architects, but for every professional who believes diversity produces better architecture and stronger communities.

This month, I encourage our members to bring someone new into our circle. A colleague. A student. A consultant. A client partner. Someone who has not yet realized PhilaNOMA belongs to them as well.

We will also begin expanding conversations around business ownership and firm development. Representation must include representation at ownership tables. When minority architects thrive as entrepreneurs, our influence becomes sustainable.

Finally, we are strengthening our communication platforms to ensure opportunities, resources, and mentorship pathways are easier to access. Open doors must also be clearly visible.

If you have ever benefited from someone who believed in your potential before you fully
believed in it yourself, this is your moment to become that person for someone else.

PhilaNOMA is not simply preserving legacy. We are building inheritance.

And there is room for everyone inside.

Warm regards,

Ian Smith 

President, PhilaNOMA