2026 AIA National President
Illya Azaroff, FAIA
+lab architect pllc
Illya Azaroff, FAIA, is an architect, geographer, and internationally recognized leader in disaster response, climate adaptation, resilient design, and regenerative planning strategies with over 30 years experience.
He is the founder of +LAB architect whose mission is to build resilient capacity while giving underserved communities greater voice and visibility. He is a professor at New York City College of Technology (CUNY). He works with cities, governing bodies, and design teams around the world to build resilient capacity. Illya often receives foreign delegations on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.
He has served AIA in several key roles, including as the 2021 AIA New York state president, on the Strategic Council (2016-2018), and as founder of DFRR Design for Risk and Reconstruction committee at AIANY (2011-2021). He previously worked in Germany, Italy, and Holland. Illya has a Master of Architecture degree from Pratt Institute and bachelor's degrees in geography and architecture from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
Colleen Healey, AIA
Colleen Healey Architecture
Colleen Gove Healey, AIA, is an award-winning architect with more than 25 years of experience designing distinctive modern residences throughout the Washington, DC metro region and along the East Coast. Her work has received over 75 local and national design awards and has been recognized by Forbes in its Top Architects by State list. An AD Pro, Colleen’s projects have been widely published in dezeen, The Wall Street Journal, Interior Design, Washingtonian, Dwell, Residential Design Magazine, and The Washington Post.
She earned her Master of Architecture from the University of Maryland and has taught at both the University of Maryland and the Corcoran College of Art and Design. Deeply engaged in the architectural community, Colleen currently serves as Co-Chair of the DC area CRAN (Custom Residential Architects Network) Committee and has contributed to numerous design award juries at the graduate, state, and county levels.
Colleen is the founder and principal of Colleen Healey Architecture, a nationally award-winning design firm focused on timeless modern residential architecture that reflects the individuality of each client. The firm is known for creating light-filled, thoughtfully crafted spaces that balance innovation with livability. Providing comprehensive architectural services—from schematic design through construction administration, including furniture and finish selections—the practice delivers cohesive, enduring homes rooted in clarity, function, and refined detail.
2026 Central States Design Awards Jury Chair
Cody Farris, AIA
Duvall Decker
Cody is an associate and Studio Design Director for Duvall Decker with over 20 years of experience in the field. Since joining Duvall Decker in 2006, he has played a significant role in the design and delivery of a broad range of building and projects in Mississippi and the Southeast. Cody's unwavering commitment to design quality has created many of the firm’s successful projects such as the new Federal Courthouse in Greenville, Mississippi (a GSA Design Excellence project), the new Springdale, Arkansas Municipal Complex (a Walton Family Foundation Design Excellence project), the Baddour Center Transitional Homes project, which was recently recognized in “The State of Housing Design” by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, and is leading the renovations for the Jackson Public School District in Jackson, Mississippi. Cody is a mentor in the studio, advancing the team’s growth and thoughtfully elevating the success and community impact of every project.
