Illya Azaroff, FAIA, elected AIA’s 2026 President

Illya Azaroff, FAIA, has been elected to The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Board of Directors, as 2025 President-elect/2026 President.

Azaroff, is an architect, geographer, and professor at the New York City of Technology. The founding principal of +LAB Architect, a firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles, his mission is to amplify the voices and visibility of underserved communities globally.

Internationally acclaimed for his leadership in disaster mitigation, resilient adaptation, and regenerative design, Illya earned recognition as a 2023 Star of Oceana for his impactful, award-winning work in the Pacific and Caribbean. 

His commitment extends to governing the institute, where he has led at every level, from founding committees to serving as the 2021 AIA New York State president. Having chaired the COP28 delegation to Dubai, he currently holds the position of Chair of CCADE - Committee on Climate Action and Design Excellence and serves as an at large director on the AIA National Board. 

"I believe that we need to be the change we want to see in the world. The urgency of our time demands action. Our role as Architects has never been more pivotal in shaping the future of our communities. In our daily practice, we lead transformative efforts, drive innovation, and unravel complex problems through design thinking, "said Azaroff. 

He continued, “our collective mission, as the AIA is profound—to create a world that's resilient, sustainable, and equitable. I believe that the institute must act as a catalyst, propelling each member forward, providing the resources crucial for success. It's time to accelerate our impact, sparking transformation in every community globally.”

Azaroff received his Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Architecture from Pratt Institute. He also earned a Bachelor In Applied Science and Bachelor of Arts from University of Nebraska.   

Joshua Flowers, FAIA was elected as the 2025-2026 Secretary while Matthew Toddy, AIA was elected as 2025-2027 At-Large Director. The terms for all three elected officials begin on December 13, 2024. 

Flowers, FAIA is a registered architect and licensed attorney and is Legal Counsel for Gresham Smith. Flowers has served in leadership roles across levels of the AIA. He is the 2024 Vice Moderator of the AIA Strategic Council where he leads AIA’s efforts to study issues impacting the future of the profession. Flowers was president of AIA Tennessee in 2019 and AIA Memphis in 2012. 

As secretary, Flowers will focus on advancing shared imperatives, communication and transparency, facilitating change. Flowers said, “clear and open channels of communication are essential not only for decision-making processes but also for promoting inclusivity and collaboration across the local, state, and national levels of the AIA." 

Flowers received a Bachelor of Architecture and Juris Doctor Degrees from the University of Tennessee where he served as editor of the Tennessee Law Review.

Toddy is a Principal at Elevation Studio. He served on the 2024 AIA National Conference Advisory Group, the 2020-2021 Young Architects Forum Advisory Committee, the 2020 Equity and the Future of Architecture Committee and was the 2023 Young Architects Forum Chair. 

As an active member of AIA Columbus and AIA Ohio, Toddy was the 2022 President of AIA Columbus. Mostly recently, Toddy was recognized with the 2023 Mentor Award from  AIA Ohio. 

"We must work together to elevate architects in our communities into positions of influence. By raising public awareness, connecting with key stakeholders, and equipping architects to be citizen leaders, we can advocate for the importance and value of design in shaping our communities," said Toddy. 

Toddy earned both his Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Architecture from The Knowlton School of Architecture at The Ohio State University. 

Complete leadership information can be found on AIA’s website.