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Maryland Board of Architects June 2026 Business Meeting Minutes

DATE: June 24, 2026
TIME: 11:00 AM
LOCATION: 100 S. Charles Street, 3rd Floor Conference Room Tower 1, Baltimore, MD 21201

Video Teleconferencing via:
https://meet.google.com/tbt-uxif-gth
Phone Number: (US) +1 567-250-3071 PIN: 211 193 419#

MEMBERS PRESENT:
Cynthia Shonaiya, Chair, RA
Douglas Polt, RA
Kevin Sneed, RA
Casey Dawkins, PhD
Kuo Pao Lian, RA
Paul Edmeades, RA

STAFF PRESENT:
Zevi Thomas, Executive Director
Raquel Meyers, Assistant Executive Director
Matthew Venuti, AAG, Board Counsel
Aajah Harris, Policy Director
Noraida Lozano, Admin Specialist
Steven Rodrigue-Cartagena, PE Admin Officer

OTHER PRESENT:
Mellissa Cannata, Representative, Amber Books
Thais Bohli, RA
John Corkill, RA

Call to Order

Ms. Cynthia Shonaiya, Chair, called the Business Meeting of the Maryland Board of Architects to order at 11:01 a.m. virtually.

Approval of Minutes

The members reviewed the minutes of the Business Meeting held on May 27, 2026. Motion (I), made by Mr. Dawkins and seconded by Mr. Polt, was unanimously carried by the Board to approve the minutes without corrections.

Complaint Committee Report

Mr. Dawkins presented the following report on behalf of the Complaint Committee:

  • 11-AR-25 – Awaiting order from the Office of Administrative Hearings(OAH).
  • 05-AR-26 – Awaiting a response from the respondent
  • 06-AR-26 – Awaiting a response from the respondent
  • 08-AR-26 – Recommended closure.
  • 10-AR-26 – Awaiting a response from the complainant.
  • 11-AR-26 – New complaint. Recommended closure.

Two conduct reviews:
ARE candidate with initials (SS) – Still pending NCARB’s final decision. Reciprocal Applicant with initials (JF) – No further action was taken.

Motion (II) was made by Mr. Edmeades, seconded by Mr. Lian, and carried by the Board to accept the Complaint Committee Report.

Review of Applications

Applications for the Architectural Registration Exam (ARE)

Mr. Edmeades presented the report for the Architectural Registration Exam (ARE) and reciprocity applications.

There were eleven (11) ARE applications administratively approved:

  • BAUER, Jessica
  • CAMPBELL, Julia
  • CORONADO, Humberto
  • ERHABOR, Sosa
  • ISLAM, Ramisa Maisha
  • KONAN, Jan
  • LI, Jichu
  • LIU, Xuan
  • PANDEY, Sweta
  • PINEDA, Jennifer
  • SIMMONS, Devin

There were two (2) ARE applications approved by the Board:

  • LANDRY, Angelo
  • PETER, Abel

Applications for Reciprocity - None

Motion (III) was made by Mr. Sneed, seconded by Mr. Dawkins, and unanimously carried by the Board to approve thirteen (13) ARE applications, with one denial for candidate (RG) due to an incomplete application. No reciprocity was submitted for this meeting.

Old Business

a. Pathways to Licensures Forum - No Update

b. Annual Business Meeting Candidates FY2027

Ms. Shonaiya followed up with the Board to finalize the ABM FY 2027 candidates discussed at the last meeting. As proposed by the Board, she mentioned that the top candidates include Olivia Davis for Public Director and both Bobbi Jo Duneman and Jakiel Sanders for the At-Large Director positions.

Mr. Sneed looks forward to meeting all candidates again at the upcoming Annual Business Meeting (ABM) to secure the confirmations necessary to finalize his decision as the voting delegate.

c. Annual Business Meeting (ABM) Resolutions FY2027

Ms. Shonaiya recalled the Board's pending decision for Resolution 2026-C. This resolution would update NCARB certification guidelines to add an alternative to the examination requirement for the NCARB certificate for architects licensed through historic exams. She asked Mr. Edmeades’ opinion on this resolution.

Mr. Edmeades stated that the Resolution 2022-C update is appropriate, and he supports this addition to the guidelines. He explained that while the traditional process for licensure remains valid, this initiative effectively modernizes the approach, ensuring the Board does not inadvertently disqualify experienced candidates who are applying for the ARE later in their careers. Holding a certification through a historic examination does not diminish one's professional qualifications.

Ms. Shonaiya noted that these candidates utilized jurisdiction-specific processes rather than the standard pen-and-paper exam. She is interested in learning more about which specific jurisdictions utilize these alternatives and the nature of those processes.

Ms. Shonaiya also requested Mr. Corkill’s insight into Resolution 2026-C. Mr. Corkill expressed his support for NCARB’s efforts to innovate alternative experience pathways and noted that Wyoming has become the 16th state to adopt these measures. He is now advocating for Maryland to resubmit a resolution urging the national AIA to engage the remaining 34 states that currently mandate six years of college, encouraging them to adopt similar experience standards.

The following delegates confirmed their attendance at the 2026 NCARB Annual Business Meeting to be held on June 25-27 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

  • Cynthia Shonaiya
  • Kevin Sneed
  • Zevi Thomas
  • Kuo Pao Lian
  • Casey Dawkins

New Business

a. Recognition for Mr. Paul Edmeades

The Board expressed its appreciation to Mr. Edmeades for his 20 years of service as a Board member, whose term concludes at the end of June 2026. Ms. Shonaiya invited him to attend the next meeting on August 26, 2026, so the Board may personally and formally honor his service to the Maryland State Board of Architects. The Board looks forward to Mr. Edmeades’ full recovery and being able to attend the next meeting.

b. Vacant Position for Consumer Member

Ms. Shonaiya announced that Ms. Lott has resigned from her position as a consumer member of the Maryland State Board due to her relocation to D.C. The Board is looking forward to filling the current vacancy.

c. New Board Member

Ms. Shonaiya introduced and acknowledged the presence of Thais Bohli, a registered architect and new member, whose official term starts July 1, 2026.

Correspondence - None

Executive Director’s Report

Mr. Thomas reported that the Board has provided the list of newly licensed architects from the past six months to AIA Maryland as requested. They intend to use this information to reach out to and publicize new licensees in the State of Maryland.

Additionally, he took the opportunity to express his gratitude to Mr. Edmeades for his generous time and the knowledge he had shared with the Board.

Board Counsel’s Report

Mr. Venuti encouraged Mr. Edmeades to continue serving on the legislative committee. He plans to schedule a meeting in June 2026 to address two primary objectives: finalizing items for the October 1st legislative deadline and completing the comprehensive rewrite of the Maryland Law and Regulations for the State Board of Architects. Mr. Edmeades stated he would be willing to serve as a committee member, upon the Board's approval. Mr. Venuti informed Ms. Shonaiya that stakeholders are eligible to serve on Board committees. Ms. Shonaiya subsequently granted her approval for Mr. Edmeades to serve.

Mr. Venuti reiterated that HB 1016 has been enacted to nullify non-compete clauses for licensed architects employed by organizations with more than 30 employees. He noted that the statute explicitly references both licensed medical professionals and licensed architects. While the rationale behind this specific inclusion remains unclear, the requirement currently applies to all architects working for any employer in Maryland with a staff of more than 30, regardless of whether the organization is an architecture firm.

Executive Session – None

Adjournment

There being no further business to discuss, Motion (IV) was made by Mr. Polt, seconded by Mr. Sneed and unanimously carried by the Board to adjourn the meeting at 11:40 a.m.

The next Board Meeting will be on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.

___With Corrections __X__Without Corrections
Cynthia Shonaiya, Chair - Signature on File
Date: 8/26/2026