Jason Pugh, current NOMA president and Gensler senior associate architect, insists, “It's impossible to walk away from a National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) Conference and not walk away inspired.” He speaks from experience, having attended his first NOMA conference in 2008, and he has not missed the annual event since. On top of that, Pugh organized NOMA 50: Detroit Homecoming Virtual Conference and Gala Weekend, which took place October 20-23. "This year is especially important," he says, "we're celebrating 50 years of innovation and hard work since our founding."

Over 1,300 of NOMA's nearly 3,000 members virtually participated in NOMA 50, held at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. Another 200 people attended the event in person. Organized by NOMA staff and volunteers, as well as the NOMA Detroit chapter, over forty educational sessions explored a variety of topic areas.