Maryland Board of Architects May 2026 Business Meeting Minutes
DATE: May 27, 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
MEMBER ABSENT:
Gretel Lott, CID
Paul Edmeades, RA
STAFF PRESENT:
Zevi Thomas, Executive Director
Raquel Meyers, Assistant Executive Director
Matthew Venuti, Board Counsel
Noraida Lozano, Admin Specialist
Steven Rodrigue-Cartagena, PE Admin Officer
OTHER PRESENT:
Mellissa Cannata, Representative, Amber Books
Magdalena Rudnicka, Maryland Department of Labor
John Corkill, Architect
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, via Google Meet, Phone Number: (US) +1 567-250-3071, PIN: 211 193 419#.
Approval of Minutes
The members reviewed the minutes of the Business Meeting held on April 22, 2026. Motion (I) was made by Mr. Sneed, seconded by Mr. Polt, and 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 the Administrative (OAH).
- 05-AR-26 – Followed up with the respondent
- 06-AR-26 – Awaiting a response from the respondent
- 07-AR-26 – Issued response to the respondent and recommended closure
- 08-AR-26 – Awaiting the outcome of a civil case.
- 10-AR-26 – Followed up with the complainant and await the outcome of a civil case.
- One conduct review – Still pending NCARB’s final decision.
Motion (II) was made by Mr. Lian, seconded by Mr. Polt, and carried by the Board to accept the Complaint Committee Report.
Review of Applications
Applications for the Architectural Registration Exam (ARE)
Ms. Shonaiya presented the report for the Architectural Registration Exam (ARE) and reciprocity applications.
There were eight (8) ARE applications administratively approved:
- BROWN, Italia
- PENA, Dasanie Chea
- HENDRICKSON-WISE, Jordan
- SOFAN, Asma
- OLAYINKA, Oreoluwa
- THIERO, Fatoumata
- PENA, Dasanie Chea
- VITO, Rose
There were three (3) ARE applications approved by the Board:
- DE WIT, Emile
- MONTERO, Monica
- LARRAIN, Diego
Applications for Reciprocity - None
Motion (III) was made by Mr. Dawkins, seconded by Mr. Sneed, and unanimously carried by the Board to approve eleven (11) ARE applications. There were two (2) pending ARE applications: candidate with initials (JB) requires clarification regarding accrued part-time hours on the ERC forms, and another candidate with initials (HC) who needs to clarify the date his Bachelor of Architecture degree was conferred. No reciprocity was submitted for this meeting.
Old Business
Pathways to Licensures Forum
Mr. Dawkins reported that the Pathways to Licensure Forum committee met with representatives from the Morgan State University School of Architecture on May 8, 2026. The committee plans to meet again with the Morgan State University representative in August to finalize the schedule for this year’s fall Licensure Forum event.
Annual Business Meeting Resolutions FY2027
Ms. Shonaiya gave an overview of each NCARB Resolution below.
Resolution 2026-A – MRA (Mutual Recognition Agreement) with the UK (United Kingdom).
Resolution 2026-B – This resolution would update 6 policies previously passed by the membership to reflect terminology and practice.
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.
The Board has agreed with Ms. Shonaiya to support Resolutions 2026-A and 2026-B, as both are straightforward. However, she has encouraged the Board to examine Resolution 2026-C more closely to fully understand the implications of what is being proposed.
Annual Business Meeting (ABM) Candidates FY2027
The ABM candidates’ overview was presented by Ms. Shonaiya as follows: Sylvia Kwan of California for Vice President and Shannon Himes of Ohio for Member Board Executive Director, who is running unopposed.
The Board has unanimously expressed a preference for Olivia Davis from Kentucky over Jean Otto from Minnesota for the position of Public Director. This decision is based on her extensive experience and her active engagement with the NCARB Board of Directors.
Ms. Shonaiya has indicated that since the Maryland Board falls under Region 2, Robert Cosserelli, who is leading Region 2, will assume the position of Region 2 Director.
Ms. Shonaiya requested each member to identify their top two candidates for At-Large Director positions. Mr. Sneed, who is representing the Board’s voting delegate, has reviewed the eight candidates for At-Large Director positions and provided his feedback on each.
The following Board members have provided their top two candidate selections, with their third-choice preference noted as follows:
Sneed:
- Jakiel Sanders
- Bobbi Jo Duneman
- Emmanuel Moreno
Lian:
- Bobbi Jo Duneman
- Jakiel Sanders
- Emmanuel Moreno
Dawkins:
- Jakiel Sanders
- Bobbi Jo Duneman
- Pedro Alfaro Jr.
Shonaiya:
- Bobbi Jo Duneman
- Jakiel Sanders
- Greg Wynn
Polt:
- Bobbi Jo Duneman
- Jakiel Sanders
- Dmitriy Kazakov
Mr. Sneed agreed, as suggested by Ms. Shonaiya, to contact Mr. Edmeades and Ms. Lott to obtain their feedback regarding the NCARB resolutions and the candidates before the upcoming Annual Business Meeting.
New Business
Recognition for Mr. Paul Edmeades
The Board agreed to hold the next meeting on June 24, 2026, in person to formally recognize Mr. Edmeades’ over 20 years of service as a Board member. During this meeting, the Board plans to present him with citations from the NCARB President, the Region 2 leadership, and the Maryland Secretary of State in honor of this significant milestone.
Correspondence - None
Executive Director’s Report
Mr. Thomas reminded the Board of the ongoing legislative preparation within the agency, which includes revisiting amendments previously proposed by the Board. Specifically, he noted that the current six-month statute of limitations between the filing of a complaint and the Board's initiation of charges is often insufficient. Consequently, the Maryland State Board of Architects legislative committee, with Mr. Venuti, has worked to amend this clause to extend the grace period, allowing the Board adequate time to conduct thorough investigations and perform proper due diligence.
He also introduced Steven Rodriguez-Cartagena, who is the new board administrator for the Board for Professional Engineers.
Board Counsel’s Report
Mr. Venuti reported the recent legislative updates. HB 1016 has been enacted to nullify non-compete clauses for licensed architects employed by organizations with more than 30 employees. While the initial proposal in February aimed to apply this restriction to all employers of that size, the legislation was amended on March 20, 2026, specifically mentioning licensed architects.
Executive Session – None
Mr. Corkill, a registered architect from the AIA Maryland, shared that the chapter is currently working to renew a resolution urging the national AIA to advocate for more states to offer alternative pathways to architectural licensure. He reiterated his request for the Maryland Board to leverage its influence and leadership within NCARB to support this initiative.
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 12:08 p.m.
The next Board Meeting will be on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.
