Dean's Council

The Dean's Council, a leadership group of ambassadors and friends of the School of Architecture and Planning, is fully engaged in the intellectual life of our School. Here, members of the Council - Diane Georgopulos, Richard Perlmutter and Franklin Dickinson, with Korydon Smith, UB professor and chair of architecture, visit our studios in Crosby Hall.

The Dean's Council, a leadership group of ambassadors and friends of the School of Architecture and Planning, is fully engaged in the intellectual life of our School. Here, members of the Council - Diane Georgopulos, Richard Perlmutter and Franklin Dickinson, with Korydon Smith, UB professor and chair of architecture, visit a studio in Crosby Hall. 

The Dean’s Council is a leadership group of friends of the School of Architecture and Planning dedicated to raising the global profile of the School and advancing its academic programs and research enterprise. Members of the Dean’s Council include distinguished alumni and leading professionals, from firm executives to educators. As champions of the School of Architecture and Planning, members leverage their diverse expertise and leadership positions to forge new connections and build the School's network of support.

  • Madeline Burke-Vigeland, FAIA, LEED AP
    6/21/21
    Chair of the Dean's Council, Maddy is a Studio Director in Gensler's New York office as well as a Firmwide Leader of Gensler’s Community Sector. She has built a reputation for successful collaborations, both with high-profile clients and peer design firms, resulting in projects that have significant impact on cities and communities.
  • Ivor Cummings
    7/5/22
    Ivor Cummings (MArch/MUP '86) is a vice president and head of project and program management at Turner & Townsend, the leading independent global construction and management consultancy, delivering professional services as specialists in major programs, project controls, cost and project delivery.
  • Charles L. Davis II, PhD
    3/27/23
    Charles L. Davis II, PhD (MArch '02, BPS '00), is a leading scholar on race and architecture, a distinguished alumnus of UB, and former member of our faculty. He rejoins the Dean's Council after serving as one of its founding members, from 2013-17.
  • Franklin E. Dickinson, AIA
    7/5/22
    Franklin E. Dickinson, AIA, serves as senior vice president, architecture & construction, at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury good company. He holds both a Master of Architecture (1985) and a Bachelor of Professional Studies (1983) from the University at Buffalo. In addition, he is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design's Advanced Management Development Program in Real Estate. 
  • Diane Georgopulos, FAIA
    10/7/19
    Diane Georgopulos (BA '73) worked for 27 years as an architect at MassHousing, the country’s leading affordable housing finance agency. Before her retirement from the agency in 2016, she served as head of its Design and Construction Department, overseeing construction lending for a $3 billion rental portfolio.  
  • Marsha Henderson
    10/7/19
    Marsha Henderson is a graduate of the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences.  Following graduation, she began a career in financial services and was associated with three national organizations over a 34-year career. 
  • Peter F. Hunt
    10/7/19
    Peter F. Hunt is chairman and CEO of Hunt Real Estate Corporation.  Under his leadership, Hunt Real Estate Corporation’s combined sales volume has risen to over $1.8 billion.  
  • Gary J. Jastrzab, AICP
    7/5/22
    Gary J. Jastrzab (BA '76), one of the first graduates of the School of Architecture and Planning, is the retired executive director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, holding over four decades of experience in a variety of planning, project management, and public policy development initiatives. 
  • Bradley A. Lukanic, AIA, LEED AP
    10/7/19
    Bradley Lukanic is chief executive officer and lead strategist of CannonDesign, a global design firm with 16 offices and more than 1,000 employees worldwide. An award-winning designer, Lukanic has been with CannonDesign since 2009 and was executive director of its education practice prior to his appointment as CEO.
  • Clark Manus, FAIA
    10/7/19
    Clark Manus (BA '74) is CEO of Heller Manus Architects and former president of the American Institute of Architects. The convergence of these two leadership roles has enabled Manus to manifest broad design thinking on issues pertaining to the urban and regional context. 
  • Suzanne Marie Musho, AIA, NCARB
    7/5/22
    Suzanne Marie Musho (MArch '93, BA '90) is a licensed professional architect, design leader, and entrepreneur with significant experience leading large global teams in strategic planning for major building projects.
  • Dennis Penman
    10/7/19
    Dennis Penman is managing principal of Penman Development Partners. He previously served as executive vice president and principal at MJ Peterson Real Estate, and executive vice president and Principal of Ciminelli Real Estate Corporation.
  • Richard Perlmutter
    10/7/19
    Richard Perlmutter (BA '76) is founding principal of Argo Development Company. Located in Rockville, Md., Argo is a full service real estate enterprise that provides acquisition, development and finance expertise for both commercial and multi-family projects. 
  • Robert Skerker
    10/7/19
    Bob Skerker is a business and community leader whose interests focus on the intersection of community resources and assets that can be leveraged for economic development and regional growth.
  • Rishawn Sonubi, AIA, NCARB
    6/15/22
    Rishawn Sonubi, AIA, NCARB, is a partner at Buffalo-based Young + Wright Architectural, and has held roles including associate and senior project manager since joining the firm in 2006.
  • Dale White
    7/5/22
    Dale White (BAED '05) is a real estate developer with more than 15 years of experience leading equitable, green community development projects He currently serves as principal for acquisitions and development at Bastogne Development Partners, where he leads affordable housing projects in urban markets across the United States.
  • Lena Ning Zhang, AIA, LEED AP
    10/7/19
    Lena Zhang is a principal at Z Studio Architects in San Francisco, providing full architectural services in the Bay Area for high-end residential and small commercial projects. 

Former Dean's Council Members

Randy Asher
Louis P. Ciminelli
George Gellman
Mark Mendell, FAIA, MRAIC
Alphonso O'Neil-White