Carole Wedge Named New CEO/EVP of AIA
Carole Wedge
Boston architect Carole Wedge has been selected as the next chief executive officer/executive vice president of the American Institute of Architects. She succeeds previous AIA CEO/EVP Lakisha Woods, who resigned from the role last December after just under three years on the job.
The search to replace Woods, whose brief tenure was clouded by a scandal involving allegations of financial mismanagement, nepotism, and other charges, formally commenced in March. Woods, who came to the AIA from the National Institute of Building Sciences and now leads the National Glass Association, was eventually cleared of wrongdoing following an independent investigation. Stephen T. Ayers, former Architect of the Capitol (2010–2018), has served as interim EVP/CEO since the resignation of Woods. Wedge will transition into the AIA’s top spot in December, where she will lead a team of 150 employees from the organization’s Washington, D.C., office.
“I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to lead AIA, an organization that has been an important part of my career as an architect,” said Wedge in a statement. “I am dedicated to serving our members by growing our community, championing design excellence, driving positive change, and expanding awareness of the critical importance of our profession and the role architects play in our communities.”
Wedge—an AIA Fellow, member of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), and LEED accredited professional—joins the AIA from architecture and interior design firm Shepley Bulfinch, where she served as chief executive for 17 years. A large national practice, Shepley Bulfinch is one of the oldest architecture firms in the United States; today, as part of an expansion effort lead by Wedge, it has offices in Houston, Phoenix, Hartford, Durham, North Carolina, and in Boston, where it has deep roots as the successor firm of Henry Hobson Richardson’s practice. The AIA touts Wedge’s “dynamic leadership record within the architectural community,” including her service on a variety of boards and executive communities, including the organization’s AIA’s Board of Directors, Architects Foundation, Large Firm Roundtable, the Boston Society of Architects, Boston Architectural College, and Wentworth Institute of Technology. Wedge earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado and a Bachelor of Architecture from the Boston Architectural College.
Evelyn Lee, 2025 AIA President, referred to the selection of Wedge as “more than a shift in leadership.” This “is a new opportunity to accelerate the impact architects make in communities across the country and internationally,” said Lee. “In Carole, we see a leader who will support our members, chapters, and AIA employees, strengthen the profession, and ensure that architecture is shaping a resilient, equitable, and sustainable future.”
The AIA’s months-long search for a new CEO/EVP was led by executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles alongside a 13-person search committee chaired by 2024 AIA President Kimberly Dowdell.
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