“You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines.”
– Shirley Chisholm
The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) was initially established to address the challenges faced by African American architects during the Civil Rights era. Over the years, it has transformed into a comprehensive advocacy organization that supports underrepresented professionals across various demographics.
NOMA was founded in 1971 by 12 African American architects from different parts of the country who met, some for the first time, at the AIA (American Institute of Architects) National Convention in Detroit. They recognized the desperate need for an organization dedicated to the development and advancement of minority architects and built a foundation centered on education, mentorship, and developing underserved communities.
Today at NOMA’s helm are LTU’s College of Architecture and Design graduates, president-elect Saundra Little, FAIA, LEED AP, BSArch ’94, MArch ’98, and the 2021 Distinguished Architecture Alumni awardee, and executive director, Tiffany Brown, BSArch ‘04, MArch ‘07, MBA ’15, the 2025 Distinguished Architecture Alumni awardee.
“As the incoming President of NOMA for 2027 and a leader in the architectural profession, I recognize how NOMA’s foundational principle of ‘unity for the marginalized’ positions us to uplift women, Latinos, and other minority groups within the architectural community,” said Little.
“Our mission is to expand the ‘Architectural Pipeline’ to include and support individuals beyond just race. NOMA’s strength lies in its ability to act as a “central hub” for all ethnic demographics that are underrepresented in the field of architecture.”
After finding NOMA while she was an architecture student, Little’s dedication to its mission moved her to take on the roles of NOMA Detroit chapter president, the Midwest Vice President on the national NOMA board for two and a half terms, president-elect in 2026, and, in January 2027, president of the national organization.
Little is a principal in the Detroit architectural firm of Quinn Evans, an award-winning architect for projects in adaptive use, renovation, and redevelopment. She is a founding member of the Advisory Board of Design Core Detroit, an organization that promotes and celebrates Detroit’s architectural legacy. She co-founded Noir Design Parti, an organization that documents the Stories of Black Architects in Michigan.
“Our mission is to expand the ‘Architectural Pipeline’ to include and support individuals beyond just race. NOMA’s strength lies in its ability to act as a “central hub” for all ethnic demographics that are underrepresented in the field of architecture.”
– Saundra Little, NOMA President-elect
Brown is a long-time member of NOMA and a founding member of NOMA Detroit. Her journey of leadership has led her to become the first full-time executive director of NOMA. She cited NOMA’s four strategic goals: Identity and Mission (Clarifying and Communicating Purpose), Organizational Excellence (Strengthening Governance for Effectiveness), Member Value and Engagement (Empowering and Engaging Members), and Business Model (Aligning for Sustainability and Impact).
Having experienced the lack of role models in her profession, Brown founded and serves as CEO of the nonprofit organization 400 Forward. Launched in 2017, 400 Forward introduces young girls to architecture, provides scholarships and wrap-around services to college students, and pays for study materials and licensing exams for African American women in architecture.
Little said, “The story of Lynda Haith is significant for understanding the perspectives of African Americans in architecture, but it is equally important to inspire students from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Acknowledging the history of ethnic demographics can promote greater diversity in our profession. Architecture must be understood through a lens that extends beyond a Eurocentric viewpoint.”
CoAD alumna, Lynda Haith, BSArch ’72, was the first black woman to bridge the 50-year gap after the first black man, Donald White, became an architect.
NOMA sees the future of the profession in the eyes of today’s architecture students and encourages and supports their professional development through NOMAS (National Organization for Architecture Students) chapters around the country. NOMAS LTU‘s president is junior architecture student Natalie Silos. She said, “Our mission is to recognize and uplift architecture students who may get lost among the general architecture student body, help them in finding a community of people who look like them and who might experience the same issues as they do.”
First formed in 2014, NOMAS LTU has flourished and waned over the years. Faculty Advisor Lee-Su Huang wanted to reinstate the chapter and, says Silos, “Today, we have official status as a student organization from LTU and NOMA National.”
Huang is proud of the NOMAS students’ independence and effectiveness in organizing and managing communications and events. “I don’t have to micromanage,” he said. He emphasized the importance of developing soft skills and leadership abilities beyond academics, which they get in their classroom. Huang takes a hands-off approach, allowing students to handle operations while he provides strategic guidance.
Joined by fellow junior Zack Rugenstein as vice president, Kate Brinkmeier as secretary, Julia Kosek as social media manager, and Madison Pounall as recruitment manager, Silos’s goal is to grow the chapter from its current 11 members, “by being inclusive rather than exclusive, by offering opportunities to interact with industry leaders, hosting exciting events, and competing nationally at NOMA conferences.”
To compete and attend national NOMA conferences, NOMAS LTU members must raise funds for those invaluable experiences. Eight students have begun planning their team project for competition at the NOMA Conference in Miami next fall. As their submission, the team will work together this summer to reimagine Historic Virginia Key Beach, which holds a physical living area, a marine research center, and a cultural center along the beach and dunes. NOMAS LTU has launched an ongoing fundraiser to defray travel and project costs. “We have an open donation fundraiser going on through the university for anyone to donate towards our cause,” said Silos. “Any amount of a gift is greatly appreciated, no matter how big or small.”
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