March Professional Member of the Month

Kerry Weig

INVISION

Principal & Managing Architect

1. What is the most exciting and energizing aspect of your current position?

INVISION is an amazing place to work. Hands down, the most exciting and energizing aspect of my current position is our culture-it is one of focus on the client, working smartly, and creation of opportunities, all while creating beautiful architecture. My position lets me explore each of these facets in many unique ways. I love seeing the application of our culture unfold in our projects and learning more about the people through their development.

2. What was the last interesting podcast you listened to?

I’m totally a podcast lady. They have helped me survive The last interesting podcast I listened to was Losing 100 Pounds with Corinne. While it was interesting, I’d probably rather share my favorite podcast which is Brendon Burchard’s The Brendon Show. It’s all about high performance, which I could listen to night and day. (My favorite magazine is Harvard business Review!:))  I’ve converted tools and tips and the High-Performance Planner into a digital format in OneNote, combined it with my spiritual journal and daily task planner to set the stage for most days. It’s been a great resource for me to keep focused, keep on track with my short and long-term goals, and keeping gratitude and prayer at the forefront of my life. 

3. What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

The professional accomplishment I am most proud of would be a service award from the Memorial Union at Iowa State. It was so meaningful to me because I stood side by side with some of the amazing people that I developed relationships with over my project work within the MU and represented service, not design. Service means so much to me and has a high value when I list accomplishments.

4. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

I’ve learned so much about being a woman in a professional practice in the 2o+ years since I have graduated, it’s hard to sum up it up. To all you ladies out there- You rock, girl. Do not waste one minute doubting yourself. You are where you are meant to be-make the most of that opportunity today, not tomorrow. Align yourself with people that make you laugh and will help you grow. Be grateful. Enjoy life. Live your life. 

5. We are Iowa Women in Architecture; who were the female role models that inspired you? 

My role models start at home with my girls. I watch them take on the world with a joy and intensity I’ve taken 46 years to not even come close to achieving, and they are 16 and 9. They are my heroes. In the profession, I’ve been always grateful to Kate Schwennsen who was a masterful instructor and has always had sage advice to offer on navigating this field as a woman. I also admire Mindy Aust and Danielle Herman for blazing trails in all that they do. For the younger population reading this-get to know these two ladies. You will be glad to have crossed paths with them and they are guaranteed to inspire. 

February Professional Member of the Month

Courtney Koch

CMBA Architects

Principal

1. What is the most exciting and energizing aspect of your current position?

I love working with people, whether that’s colleagues or clients, I am most energized when collaborating! Being able to solve problems and help clients realize their vision is exciting!

2. What was the last interesting podcast you listened to?

I absolutely love Cy Wakeman and her No Ego podcast always delivers!!

3. What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

Being able to lead our team at CMBA and help shape our future is what I am most proud of. We have an amazing team and getting to work together is so rewarding!

4. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

Go for it with tenacity and remember a positive attitude always helps!!

5. We are Iowa Women in Architecture; who were the female role models that inspired you? 

I have amazing women in my life that continue to inspire me every day, but the ultimate role model is my mom. She is the true embodiment of working hard but always making sure there was time for her family. She always believed in and supported what I was doing and that pushed me to keep going.

January Professional Member of the Month

Alyanna Subayno

Neumann Monson Architects

Intern Architect

1. What is the most exciting and energizing aspect of your current position?

The most exciting part about architecture is that it constantly evolves. In school, we were always progressing towards a more complex, and in-depth understanding of the field – the situation is similar in practice. As a recent graduate, I do recognize that there’s a learning curve, and while that may be daunting, the idea of learning something new every day is the most appealing part of the work.

2. What was the last interesting podcast you listened to?

Asian Boss Girl, Episode 64: My Asian American Identity. The podcast talks through the experiences of a modern-day Asian American woman – from identities to career paths to lifestyles, etc. Episode 64, in particular, reflects on growing up ethnically Asian in America. I resonated a lot with this episode and could recall the ways I navigated certain situations because of my identity – whether that be in school or the interactions I had with friends or my community.

3. What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

I’m really proud of where I currently am and the work I’ve gotten to do since being at Neumann Monson. It’s rewarding to be a part of a team that’s constantly evolving along with the practice. This mindset is embedded into the studio and it has really allowed me to get involved in the firm.

4. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

Be open. Be flexible. Seek and take every opportunity, especially the unexpected ones.  

5. We are Iowa Women in Architecture; who were the female role models that inspired you? 

My mother and grandmother, of course – who were really the first ones that paved the way for me. Kate Thuesen, an architect at DLR’s Des Moines office, is another individual I look up to; she was one of the first people I sought advice from when I started to experience and see the inequities around me – especially being a woman and person of color in a male-dominated field. I also think of the great mentors I had at my internship last summer at ZGF’s Portland office – Erin, Amy, Cassie, Nicole, and Rachel; the five of them became a great support system during my time there.

December Professional Member of the Month

Jessica Reinert

AIA Iowa

Executive Director

1. What is the most exciting and energizing aspect of your current position?

The most energizing aspect of leading AIA Iowa is working with our member volunteers. Each member has such a passion for what they do and the profession of architecture, seeing that motivates me to keep moving forward with the work I do at the Chapter.

2. What was the last interesting podcast you listened to?

Anything and everything by Brene Brown, her research is fascinating to me and I find her podcasts and books thought-provoking as well as inspiring.

3. What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

The professional accomplishment that I am most proud of is earning the CAE, the American Society of Association Executive’s Certification of Association Executives credential. For association professionals, passing this exam is a similar accomplishment to passing the ARE in the architecture profession.

4. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

My advice would be to look towards other leaders, female or male, that are trustworthy and genuine in their interest in mentoring you and truly want to see you succeed.

5. We are Iowa Women in Architecture; who were the female role models that inspired you? 

I am thankful to have many positive female role models in my life. The first for me was my Grandmother, Clara Berensmann. She was born in 1909, graduated from high school in 1928, and went on to college from there, which was rare for a woman to do during that time. After one year of college, her family asked her to return home and help her family, so she was not able to graduate. Growing up aware of this, her story was part of what inspired me to attend college. My graduation was partially for her, in a way I finished what she had started.

November Professional Member of the Month

Danielle DeBoer

IMEG Corp.

Structural Project Engineer

1. What is the most exciting and energizing aspect of your current position?

The most energizing aspect of my current position is the people I work with and work for. As a supervisor, it’s exciting to help people grow in their careers. There’s so much knowledge to learn and share in our industry and seeing others succeed is a joy of mine. As a project manager, I will never stop being in awe of seeing a building you have coordinated and worked so diligently on for months actually be built and transformed into a space that people utilize every day.

2. What was the last interesting podcast you listened to?

My recent favorite is “Fake Doctors, Real Friends”, which is a Scrubs re-watch podcast hosted by Zach Braff and Donald Faison, the lead actors of the show. Scrubs is one of my favorite shows from growing up - I really enjoy the nostalgia, the camaraderie of the hosts, and all the behind the scenes details of shooting the show. I’m also a sucker for any true-crime podcast or fantasy podcasts like The Adventure Zone.

3. What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

I am most proud of passing the 16-hour exam to get my structural license. This is a little cheesy, but I am also genuinely proud of each building I get to be a part of, especially in the education sector. I love that our work is giving students a better learning environment and opportunities for their successful futures.

4. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

Seek out mentoring relationships and people you can learn from. Never be stagnant - try to do something new each year that you did not the year before. And last but not least, a good email organization is critical!

5. We are Iowa Women in Architecture; who were the female role models that inspired you? 

At IMEG, there are several women in leadership from the beginning of my career who have been inspirations. Kelly Altes, Katie Goldberg, Abby Pertzborn, and Heather Heidenreich exemplify what it looks like to be a great consultant, a technical expert, a strong leader, and an advocate for their own passions outside of work. I hope to give the support and guidance to others as they have given and continue to give to me.

October Professional Member of the Month

Bobbi Jo Duneman

FEH Design

Architect

1. What is the most exciting and energizing aspect of your current position?

Engaging with the public is the most exciting and energizing aspect of my current position. My firm has a unique design workshop process that brings us into the communities of our clients to get their input on the designs. We spend a day or two hand drawing concepts for them and presenting them. It is a really rewarding experience to meet the people who our work benefits.

2. What was the last interesting book you read?

Honestly, I haven’t taken the time to read very much lately. The last interesting book I listened to was “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” by Hank Green. A lot of the storytelling I consume though is through podcasts while working on drawings or doing projects around the house. I enjoy a wide variety of them including but not limited to true crime, political, and mental health podcasts.

3. What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

I’m proud of finishing my exams this past spring and getting my license. I also am proud whenever I can use my unique skills like graphic design and architectural photography to provide additional value to my firm.

4. How do you define success? And measure it?

As a recovering perfectionist, I’m working on redefining success for myself. My new definition involves doing my best every day and accepting that each day’s best effort doesn’t have to be the same as the day before or the day after. In addition, being exhausted at the end of the day isn’t a way to determine if I did my best that day.

5. We are Iowa Women in Architecture; who were the female role models that inspired you? 

My piano teacher from childhood was an amazing female role model for me. She was a retired schoolteacher that taught piano in her home because she loved teaching. Although she passed away years ago, she continues to inspire me to do the things I love. I hope to be as happy, kind, and caring as she was when I am older.