The Accent on Architecture Gala

February 5, 2010
Andrew Mellon Auditorium
Washington, DC

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The American Architectural Foundation, in association with the American Institute of Architects, held the 2010 Accent on Architecture Gala on Friday, February 5th. The night was certainly memorable as those who attended braved a historic blizzard in order to honor the Mayor of the City of Charleston, South Carolina, the Honorable Joseph P. Riley Jr. His inspirational keynote presentation certainly warmed the crowd – it was not hard for those in the audience to feel his passion and unwavering dedication to the people of Charleston. Mayor Riley’s civic leadership is truly exceptional, and it was the honor and privilege of the American Architectural Foundation and the United States Conference of Mayors to announce the creation of the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Award. This award will recognize mayors whose commitment to excellence in city design reflects the outstanding example set by Mayor Riley.

Attendees also enjoyed the remarks of the Chair of the AAF Board of Regents Sandy Diehl; AIA President George Miller, FAIA; Vice President and Editorial Director of McGraw Hill Construction and Editor in Chief of Architectural Record Robert Ivy, FAIA; CEO and Executive Director of the United States Conference of Mayors Tom Cochran; and AAF President and CEO Ron Bogle, Hon. AIA. The program ended with a special presentation by White House Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs David Agnew, who read a letter from President Barack Obama honoring Mayor Riley. Those who attended left with a reenergized commitment to using architecture and city design as a tool for improving lives and transforming communities.

The 2010 Accent on Architecture Gala would not have been possible without the generous support of the following sponsors:

Principal Benefactor

McGraw-Hill Construction

Supporters

	United Technologies
	The American Institute of Architects

Benefactors

	Armstrong Ceiling & Wall Systems
	Forsgate Industrial Partners
	Gensler

Contributors

The College Board

Jacobs

K&L Gates

STUDIOs Architecture

Weidlinger Associates, Inc.

About Mayor Riley

The Honorable Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Mayor of the City of Charleston, SC

Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. was a founder of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD), a national initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the United States Conference of Mayors and the American Architectural Foundation. First elected Mayor of Charleston in December 1975, Mayor Riley is serving an unprecedented eighth term. Under his leadership, Charleston has experienced a remarkable revitalization of its historic downtown business district, with the building of the beautiful Waterfront Park, the development of nationally-acclaimed affordable housing, and significant growth in Charleston’s size and population. Washington Post columnist David S. Broder said, “...what has been achieved here under his leadership is extraordinary,” adding, “...it is mainly the way that Charleston treats the social problems that all old cities share that has made Riley’s long reign so remarkable.” Mayor Riley received the 1994 Thomas Jefferson Award from the American Institute of Architects for “his exceptional leadership and ‘Jeffersonian’ vision in redefining the promise, and ultimately the future, of our nation and its cities.” In July 2000, he was honored as the first recipient of the Urban Land Institute’s J. C. Nichols Prize for Visionary Urban Development.

Mayor Riley is an inspirational example of why AAF dedicates its efforts to improving lives and transforming communities through leadership development in design. Each day, civic leaders across the country make key decisions that shape our built environment in fundamental ways. Through its programs, AAF seeks to inform those leaders about the power of design to elevate the quality of life in their cities.