American Institute of Architects, Central Illinois Chapter Honors Award Winners

Taken from the Springfield Business Journal, January 2006

AIA Central Illinois, a chapter of the American Institute of Architects, presented its 2005 Service awards during a dinner held Nov. 15 at the Children’s Museum in Normal. The council biannually recognizes Central Illinois chapter individuals who have made a significant contribution to the collective reputation of architecture through excellent service to the profession, education, and the community. Two Springfield-area architects were recognized.

Outstanding Educator, Marc Mitalski, P.E., S.E., Assoc. AIA

Marc Mitalski, Associate AIA, visiting assistant professor and the Dean E. and Avis F. Hilfinger Faculty Fellow in Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Architecture, received the Outstanding Educator Award.

Mitalski’s dedication to the profession is evident from his work with the youth at the Popsicle bridge competition, to his involvement in the Discover Architecture program with prospective students, to his advanced structural planning teachings. Mitalski is also the founder and President of PREPA.R.E., Inc. which provides structural engineering services and educational workshops to the architectural community and has helped countless architects pass the General Structures and Lateral Forces sections of the Architectural Registration Examination (A.R.E.). The seminar and booklet that Mitalski has prepared is well thought out and clearly explains these complicated concepts.

Outstanding Professional Member, Paul O’Shea, AIA

Paul O’Shea, AIA, chief architect at Crawford, Murphy, & Tilly, Inc, received the Outstanding Professional Member award. Among his many accomplishments noted by the jury, O’Shea has held the AIA Illinois Springfield section president position for three separate terms and his continual growth and professional development serves as an example of a fulfilling and successful career in architecture. The city of Springfield has also greatly benefited from O’Shea’s involvement with the national Regional/Urban Development Assistance Team (R/UDAT) which twice visited Springfield.

The R/UDAT Team and local steering committee headed by O’Shea has inspired much change and improvement in the downtown Springfield area. He has also chaired both the Downtown Beautification Committee and the Springfield Chamber of Commerce.

Outstanding Young Architect, Eric Cluver, AIA

Eric Cluver, AIA, architect at Farnsworth Group, Inc. in Bloomington, where he specializes in health care, was recognized with Outstanding Young Architect Award for the development of a “portable testing station” for licensing exam preparation, an innovative idea that will benefit young architects for years to come.

Cluver’s generosity, leadership and devotion to the profession are self-evident and the testing station is one example of his unyielding commitment to the profession, especially emerging professionals. Cluver’s accomplishments also include his service on the AIA Central Illinois Chapter board of directors. In 2005, he served as their Young Architects Forum representative and in 2006 he will serve as their board secretary. Cluver graduated from Rock Valley College with an AAS in Building Construction Technology and Southern Illinois University with an AAS in Architectural Technology and BS in Architectural Studies.

President’s Award, Doris Reeser, AIA

Doris Reeser, AIA was recognized with the President’s Award for her planning and implementation of the very successful “Evening with Sarah Susanka” on the University of Illinois campus in the fall of 2004. Popular author Sarah Susanka, AIA came to the U of I campus and gave a dinner and public presentation to more than 600 attendees. The event convened architects, students and the general public and was by all accounts a success. Reeser is an architect for the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign campus in the facilities and services construction division and has been a licensed architect for 25 years. She is also currently the Bloomington-Normal AIA Section president and member of the AIA Central Illinois board of directors. She is also an LEED-accredited professional