Three new leaders elected to AIA Board of Directors

Three new leaders have been elected to The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Board of Directors, to serve terms beginning on December 4, 2026.

AIA delegates elected:
•    Joyce Owens, FAIA, 2027 President-elect/2028 President;
•    Jonathan Matthew Taylor, AIA, 2027-2028 Secretary 
•    Sarah Woynicz, AIA, 2027–2029 At-large Director

Joyce Owens, FAIA | 2027 President-elect/2028 President
Owens is an internationally respected architect and founding principal of Architecture Joyce Owens | Studio AJO, a Florida-based architecture and interiors firm established in 2007. She is widely recognized for award-winning, climate-sensitive design — particularly resilient coastal and island homes, resorts, and commercial projects. Before founding her U.S. practice, she was co-founding partner of Azman Owens Architects in London, where her clients included Boris Johnson, Alexander McQueen, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. A dedicated AIA leader at the local, state, and national levels — including AIA Florida President and Strategic Council member — she was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2018.

Jonathan Matthew Taylor, AIA | 2027-2028 Secretary 
A seasoned AIA governance leader, Taylor brings decades of sustained service at the national, regional, and chapter levels. At the national level, he has served on the AIA Secretary's Advisory Committee, Resolutions Committee, National Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and Strategic Council — helping steward the Institute's bylaws, rules, Code of Ethics, and public policy positions. At the state and local chapter levels, Taylor has served on both boards of directors, including as chapter secretary and president, and led comprehensive bylaw rewrites at both levels. His commitment to governance as continuous stewardship — shaped over more than a decade and reinforced by mentorship from prior Institute leaders — defines his readiness to serve.

Sarah Woynicz, AIA | 2027–2029 At-large Director
Woynicz is an architect, author, and changemaker committed to the power of design to improve lives. A Virginia Tech Bachelor of Architecture graduate with a minor in Leadership and Social Change, she serves as vice president and project manager at HKS. Her practice centers on how places, policy, and practice drive belonging. Active across AIA at the local, state, and national levels, she has chaired the AIA Young Architects Forum and served on the Strategic Planning Committee for the 2026–2030 AIA Strategic Plan. She is also founder of Pride by Design and co-founder of Out in Architecture, advancing LGBTQIA+ equity, visibility, and representation in the profession.

Learn more about AIA leaders.