Kimberly Dowdell, HOK

Since she was a child growing up in Detroit, Kimberly Dowdell, the former president of NOMA and principal in the Chicago office at HOK, saw how the built environment can improve the quality of urban life, leading her to pursue degrees in both public policy and architecture. This summer, amid Black Lives Matter protests and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, NOMA—with Kimberly at the helm—addressed these twin crises by emphasizing the importance of mentorship, representation, inclusivity, and equity. This shift to advocacy and empowering communities has been a big part of Dowdell's journey, allowing her to tap into a reservoir of resilience, she says, that keeps her fighting for another day to do the work that’s so important.

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