About the Program

Beginning in 2013, the AIA|DC chapter undertook an initiative to develop a program which would help train and nurture the next generation of leaders.

The year-long program consists of nine individual half-day sessions attended by a competitively selected group of 16 emerging professionals (an emerging professional is defined as someone who has graduated from college with an architecture degree and is within 10 years of their first licensure).

Prospective participants must go through an application process for selection where proven career success, community involvement and the individual’s firm support will be considered.

Facts about the Program

  • The curriculum focuses on core professional skills such as entrepreneurship and firm management, working together and collaboration, the art of negotiation, client development, community leadership, industry trends, and developing your future within the practice. The selected scholars to the leadership program are responsible for planning and participating in each of the individual sessions. The program will be kicked off by a “Boot Camp” session to introduce the participants and to develop the curriculum for the year.

    Sessions will be held monthly from 12:00pm – 5:00pm, January through September.  A full list of courses and specific dates are described in the 2024 Session Schedule.

  • The program’s success is directly related to the attendance by the participants and therefore attendance is mandatory. Each participant of the program will be required to sign an Agreement Form that will require a signature from one of the participant’s principals of their firm. Provided due notice to the Executive Committee, with extenuating circumstances, each scholar will be allowed one excused absence. If two sessions are missed, a fine of $50 will be sent to the participants firm. A further absence will result in an additional $50 fine and expulsion from the program.

    Attendance is mandatory for all scholars at the first meeting of the group “Bootcamp” as well as the final session and closing reception.

  • It is intended that this program will have AIA CE credit made available for its participants.  A total of 45 CEU’s will be provided, 22 of which are intended to be HSW.

AIA National Recognition

In 2018 at AIA Grassroots, the AIA|DC CKLDP was recognized with the recognized with the AIA CACE Component Excellence Award for Knowledge Sharing Initiatives. Watch a brief video of this accomplishment and an overview of the program here.

the Program
Co-Founders

  • Principal & Senior Director, OTJ
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    Sean Stadler, FAIA, is a Principal and Senior Director at OTJ and an architect licensed in 11 states, with more than 30 years of experience in the design and planning of mixed-use, commercial, residential, hospitality, civic, adaptive reuse, and historic preservation projects. Early in his career, he served as a design leader for the American Airlines Center for the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars, a nationally significant project that brought him from his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, to Washington, DC, in 1999 to work with the renowned firm of David M. Schwarz.

    Sean spent 24 years at WDG Architecture, where he rose to Design and Managing Principal and played a critical role in guiding the firm’s growth. He helped shape its strategic direction, build high-performing teams, and cultivate long-standing client relationships. His leadership extended beyond design into firm operations, marketing, and business development, strengthening organizational clarity and elevating the firm’s brand and market presence.

    Sean’s work is driven by creativity and a commitment to vibrant urban environments. Recent projects include the 278-key Hilton Tempo at 1776 K Street and One K Street, a 352-unit luxury multifamily development. His award-winning portfolio includes the AC|DC Marriott and the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters.

    In 2020, he was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows for professional contributions, including co-founding the AIA|DC Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program, nationally recognized.

  • Associate Principal, Quinn Evans
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    Ryan McEnroe is an Associate Principal with Quinn Evans, the 2024 AIA Architecture Firm Award recipient. Quinn Evans is a women-owned firm with more than 200 professionals in six office locations that specializes in cultural, institutional, commercial, and educational projects, including museums, historic parks, theaters, mixed-use buildings, government buildings, schools and campus facilities, libraries, and major civic landmarks and infrastructure. His work at Quinn Evans has included design of the bird house and several renewal projects at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoological Park; the National Native American Veterans Memorial at the National Museum of the American Indian, the Hirshhorn Museum Sculpture Garden Revitalization; both also for the Smithsonian; the Statue of Liberty Screening Facility for the National Parks Service; and the U.S. Botanic Garden Production Facility for the Architect of the Capitol.

    Ryan has been active with the AIA’s Young Architects Forum, where he served as national chair in 2020, and previously served as the knowledge director and regional director. He is a co-founder of the AIA|DC Chapter’s Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program (CKLDP), which now boasts over 1,000 alumni across the country, and is a past national director of the American Institute of Architects Students (AIAS). He has been an active volunteer with the National Council of Architectural Registration Board (NCARB) and the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

    Ryan was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2023.