Fred Blackwell, Master of City and Regional Planning 1996
CEO, San Francisco Foundation

Fred Blackwell, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation was former Assistant City Administrator for the City of Oakland. He was responsible for community and economic development; parks and recreation; select public works functions; human services; libraries; liaison to museum services; and community relations, including supporting public safety initiatives. He was also the director of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency (SFRA) since 2007, where he oversaw housing, economic development, and infrastructure investments in the city's eight project areas. Before joining SFRA, Mr. Blackwell was the director of the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Community Development, where he administered the city's Community Development Block Program, focusing on economic and service-focused strategies to meet the needs of San Francisco's low-income families and neighborhoods.

Kofi Bonner, Master of City and Regional Planning 1986, Master of Architecture 1987
Co-Chief Operating Officer, FivePoint

Kofi Bonner is Regional Vice President for Northern California of FivePoint. In this role, Mr. Bonner leads development of The San Francisco Shipyard and Candlestick Point communities, as well as the communities managed for Lennar: Treasure Island and the Concord Naval Weapons Station. Born in Ghana, Mr. Bonner began his career as an affordable housing developer for Oakland Community Housing Inc., and then served as head of redevelopment for the City of Emeryville. He later held the positions of Director of Community and Economic Development and Interim City Manager for the City of Oakland, where he helped lead efforts to revitalize the city's downtown neighborhoods.

Ricardo L. Capretta
, B.A. Architecture 1981
President, Capretta Architecture + Planning + Building

Ricardo Capretta is President of Capretta Properties Inc. since 1992, a Western U.S. real estate development and investment company that has completed over 8,000,000 square feet of commercial transactions valued at over $1.3 billion.  Currently, Mr. Capretta is solely focused on “Net Zero” green design and development of office and residential subdivisions.  Mr. Capretta also attended UCLA and received a MBA in 1981 and a Masters in Architecture & Urban Planning in 1985. Previously, he was a Visiting Professor at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management.  Ricardo Capretta is a licensed Architect in the State of California, the Chairman of the Mill Valley Planning Commission and active with assisting Foster Care children in California.

Vishaan Chakrabarti
, Master of Architecture 1996
Founder, Practice for Architecture and Urbanism

Professor, Columbia University GSAPP

Vishaan Chakrabarti,FAIA, is a registered architect and the founder of PAU. Simultaneously, Vishaan is an Associate Professor of Practice at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation (GSAPP), where he teaches architectural design studios and seminars on urbanism. His highly acclaimed book, A Country of Cities: A Manifesto for an Urban America (Metropolis Books, 2013), argues that a more urban United States would result in a more prosperous, sustainable, joyous, and socially mobile nation. Mr. Chakrabarti has previously served as the Director of the Manhattan Office for the New York Department of City Planning where he successfully led efforts to save the High Line, rezone Hudson Yards, extend the #7 subway line, and reincorporate the street grid at the World Trade Center site after the tragic events of 9/11. He currently serves on the boards of the Architectural League of New York, the Municipal Art Society of New York, and Enterprise Community Partners. He serves on the boards of the Architectural League of New York and the Regional Planning Association. He is a trustee of the Citizens Budget Commission, and is an emeritus board member of Friends of the High Line. He is also a member of the Young Leaders Forum of the National Council on US-China Relations and has served on the National Mayor’s Institute of City Design.

Darrell Chan, B.A. Architecture 1998, Master of Architecture 2004
Executive Director, The Luk Hoi Tong Company Ltd.

Darrell Chan is the executive director of The Luk Hoi Tong Co. Ltd. (LHT), a development company founded in 1926 that specializes in hospitality as well as commercial and residential developments in Hong Kong. Prior to overseeing the company's project development and project management divisions at LHT, he was the Senior Designer at Kwan Henmi Architecture/Planning in San Francisco. Notable projects include the re-construction of the former Luk Hoi Tong Building and Queen's Theatre, well-known as a previous Hong Kong cinematic landmark. Mr. Chan earned both his B.A. in Architecture and Master of Architecture degree from UC Berkeley, where he also met his spouse, Jamie Ho, a fellow CED alumni.

James R. Crawford, B.A. Architecture 1970
Partner, Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP

Jim Crawford is a Partner and the Project Manager and Senior Technical Coordinator for the Los Angeles office of Richard Meier & Partners Architects. Since 1988, Jim’s role has encompassed general project management including schedule development and monitoring, consultant contracting and administration, technical coordination, code compliance, and construction administration services. Working in close collaboration with Design Partner Michael Palladino, Jim continues to offer his valuable experience to the firm’s projects which range in locations from Southern California and Northern California to Singapore, Malaysia, China, Italy, and Australia. Jim is a former Board Member of Pasadena Heritage and a current Board Member of the Pasadena Museum of California Art.

Jenny Gant Pham, B.A. Urban Studies 2011, Master of City Planning 2013
Development Analyst, CIM Group

Jenny Gant Pham is a Development Analyst at CIM Group, a Los Angeles-based real estate private equity firm with approximately $28 billion of assets under management across all major urban markets in North America. As a member of the development team, she participates in all project phases from acquisition through design, entitlement, construction, and lease-up.  She is currently responsible for the project management of various multifamily, office, hotel and retail assets in San Francisco and Oakland. Prior to joining CIM Group, Jenny specialized in managing high-profile entitlement and joint development projects on behalf of various public agency clients such as LA Metro Joint Development Authority, County of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles, and Port of San Diego. Jenny is an active member of the Urban Land Institute both locally and nationally, as a member of the Urban Development Mixed Use Council (Silver Flight).

Jeff Gherardini, Master of Architecture 1998
Vice President/Construction Manager, Plant Construction Company, L.P.

Jeff is a Partner at Plant Construction and also responsible for Business Development and the overall strategic vision of his projects.  As a Project Executive, he leads teams in all aspects of building, including the renovation of historic structures, seismic reinforcing, hotel renovation, and high-design retail construction.   Some of his best known projects include the Walt Disney Family Museum, the Palace Hotel renovation, Prada Beverly Hills, Apple Broadway Plaza, and the Presidio Theater.  He is a Registered Architect in the State of California and a LEED Accredited Professional.  He has also been an architectural studio critic at UC Berkeley, SCI-Arc, and the California College of the Arts, plus he has been a jury member for the AIA San Francisco, the San Francisco Business Times, the Structural Engineering Association of Northern California (SEAONC), and the California Preservation Foundation. Jeff sits on the City of Hope Real Estate Council and the SFHA Board of Directors.   Previously, he served on the Boards of the AIA San Francisco, San Francisco Heritage, and Olympic Club Building Committee.

Ben Gilmartin, B.A. Architecture, B.A. English Literature 1992
Partner, Diller Scofidio + Renfro
 

Ben Gilmartin is a partner at Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R). He has led the design of some of DS+R’s major works, including the Alice Tully Hall and Fountain Plaza / Columbus Avenue Grand Entrance projects within the transformation of the Lincoln Center campus. He was also a design leader for the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive at the University of California, Berkeley, and was a key contributor on projects such as The Broad museum in Los Angeles, the Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center at Columbia University, MoMA expansion, and The Shed, all in New York. Currently, Ben is Partner-in-Charge of the United States Olympic Museum in Colorado Springs, The New Health Precinct at the University of Sydney in Australia, and a collaborator on three projects in London: the Centre for Music, a new Symphony Hall at the Barbican; a Collections and Research Centre for the Victoria & Albert Museum at Stratford; and P5K, a public space network within the new mixed use development at Greenwich Peninsula. He has taught at the Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, was a longtime contributor to the independent architecture journal Praxis, and is Co-Chair of AIA New York’s Global Dialogues Committee.

Jhaelen Hernandez-Eli, B.A. Architecture 2002
Vice President, NYC Economic Development Corporation | Founder, Hernandez-Eli Architects

As Vice President of NYC's Economic Development Corporation, Jhalen Hernandez-Eli oversees the development and management of the city's industrial and commercial assets. He is also a partner at HE, a design firm based in New York City co-founded with his wife, Juliet Hernandez-Eli. The work of the studio includes residential, commercial, and cultural projects. Hernandez-Eli was a visiting professor at Parsons New School for Design, where he taught design and management seminars in the business program. He has lectured and participated in design reviews at Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, and Pratt among others. He was formerly the Development Director for Diller + Scofidio + Renfro where he was a core member of the operations group that oversaw the strategic management and profitability of the 100-person studio.

Chris Kent, M.L.A. 1993
Principal, PGA Design

Chris Kent is a Principal at PGAdesign Landscape Architects.He enjoys working on a wide range of urban projects from housing to transportation serving both public agencies and private developers.  He has worked in the bay Area for over 20 years and has completed over 100 projects.  He was ASLA Trustee for 6 years, served on the ASLA Government Affairs Advisory Committee, and is currently the Chair of the Albany Planning and Zoning Commission.

Sylvia P. Kwan, B.A. Architecture 1976, Master of Architecture 1978
Principal, DLR Group | Kwan Henmi

Sylvia founded Kwan Henmi Architecture/Planning with her husband, Denis Henmi, in 1980. The firm recently merged with the DLR Group to form DLR Group | Kwan Henmi. The firm has worked on such projects as the Moscone West Convention Center, SBC Park, airport projects in San Francisco and Oakland, and the Bessie Carmichael Elementary School. Ms. Kwan also lends her skills to various organizations and boards, including the American Institute of Architects, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Woman's Forum West, the Friends of Marin Center, and the Norcal Waste Systems Board.

Brian Lee, B.A. Architecture 1976
Design Partner, Skidmore Owings & Merrill

Brian Lee’s hands-on design approach is focused on achieving full integration of the natural and built environment through the most innovative design forms, materials, and construction technologies. Using these simple and essential principles, Lee has designed landmark structures of lasting value and impact around the globe. Directing this international practice — including projects in East and Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East — has honed his collaborative and design leadership skills. Lee’s internationally published and award-winning designs include the China World Trade Center in Beijing (the city’s tallest building); Poly International Plaza in Guangzhou, China; the University of California San Diego Telemedicine Education Building; and the Kia Motors America, Inc. Research and Development Project and Design Center in Irvine, California.

Michael Lin, B.A. Architecture 2001
Financial Advisor, Ameriprise Financial Services

Michael Lin is a financial advisor at Ameriprise Financial Services in San Ramon. He focuses on asset management and retirement & estate planning strategies. He was co-chair of UC Berkeley's 10th and 15th reunion campaign committees for the Class of 2001 and also does work with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. For his great work, Mr. Lin was awarded the UC Berkeley Foundation Young Bear Award in 2011 for outstanding achievement on a fundraising project and successful outreach to the community and alumni. In January 2012, Mr. Lin also received the CAA Bradford S. King Award for Excellence in Service by a Young Alumnus.  He is also currently serving on the planning committee for UC Berkeley’s Sesquicentennial.

Bernadette Ma, B.A. Architecture 
Designer, MdeAS Architects

Trained as an architect at UC Berkeley and Columbia University, Bernadette has had her design and writing works archived at the American Institute of Architects San Francisco's Library and published on CLOG, Abstract, Press of Atlantic City and Philly.com. She has served as a Lecturer in CED's [IN]Arch Advanced summer program and has overseen the development of institutional, commercial and residential buildings. Bernadette is a pioneer member of BerkeleyHaas School of Business' Center for Gender, Equity, and Leadership and serves as a co-chair of the Berkeley Alumni Board of New York. She has traveled to more than 40 countries and has lived in Paris, Portuguese Macau, Hong Kong, Vancouver and San Francisco. Bernadette currently resides in Manhattan where she is a Designer at MdeAS Architects.

Clarence Mamuyac, B.A. Architecture 1981, M.Arch 1985
Principal and President, ELS Architecture and Urban Design

Clarence met Donn Logan, principal of ELS Architecture and Urban Design, while in graduate school at U.C. Berkeley, and became an intern for the firm in 1983, then an employee after receiving his Master of Architecture degree from Berkeley in 1985. Now he is member of the firm’s board of directors and leads the firm’s sports, recreation, wellness, and aquatics market sector. He strongly believes in the capacity of well-designed, ecologically sustainable sports and recreation centers to serve their communities, and he has developed public participation strategies for getting these centers built in a variety of contexts, including many underserved neighborhoods. Sometimes that means attending local church services or talking with local police officers to get the word out to community members. His projects include the Countryside Park Pergola and Pavilions in Sacramento (a collaboration with his father’s firm); the Irvington Community Center in Fremont, California; several athletic facilities for Stanford University, the Waterman Community Center in San Bernardino, California, and the East Oakland Sports Center in Oakland, California.

Lydia Tan, B.A. Architecture 1983
Managing Director of Real Estate, Oakland Athletics

Lydia Tan is Managing Director of Real Estate for the Oakland Athletics, where she is leading the organization’s efforts to create a new ballpark district at Howard Terminal and redevelopment of the Oakland Coliseum.

Prior to joining the A’s, Ms. Tan was Senior Vice President and U.S. Head of Development at Bentall Kennedy, one of North America’s largest real estate investment advisors. She has also served as Executive Vice President and Director of Northern California Operations at Related California and Executive Vice President at BRIDGE Housing Corporation, where she led teams focused on all aspects of the development of mixed income and affordable housing communities, as well as large-scale redevelopment efforts.

Ms. Tan is a member of the Board of Directors of the S.H. Cowell Foundation, SPUR, Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, and the Stanford Real Estate Council. In addition, she and her husband are Resident Fellows at Stanford University, where they work to create an enriched residential experience for 270 undergraduate students.

Ms. Tan holds B.A. in Architecture from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford University. She is a registered architect in California.

Warren Techentin, B.A. Architecture 1990
Founder, Warren Techentin Architecture [WTARCH]
Adjunct Professor, University of Southern California School of Architecture

Warren Techentin, is a licensed Architect and the founder and principal of Warren Techentin Architecture [WTARCH] based in Los Angeles. Warren’s work is informed by his long standing interest and study of housing, urbanism, performative infrastructures, and pop culture and their effect on form, space, sustainability, and the participatory dimension of architecture. Warren has worked a wide variety of multi-family housing projects in addition to houses, commercial/institutional spaces, and educational projects. Warren is also a full-time, Adjunct Professor at the School of Architecture at USC where he teaches advanced studios on housing and urbanization. Warren frequently serves on architectural committees and juries throughout North America and is actively involved in a variety of Architectural and philanthropic organizations including Materials&Applications, the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urban Design, and the AIA. Warren holds a B.A. in Architecture from the University of California Berkeley, a Masters of Architecture (MArch), and a Masters of Architecture in Urban Design (MAUD), both from Harvard University.

Barbara Wachsman, Master of City and Regional Planning 1983
Director of Health Management, The Walt Disney Company

Barbara Wachsman is a Senior Executive, Director of Health Management at The Walt Disney Company in Burbank.  She is the former Senior Vice President at AON Consulting, which focused on health and benefits consulting. Barbara has been a tireless volunteer for the College of Environmental Design over the years, having served on the Board of Directors of the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design Alumni Association.

Allison Williams, Master of Architecture 1976
Founder and Principal, AGWms_studio

Architect Allison Grace Williams FAIA, has amassed an international portfolio of large-scale civic, cultural and research facilities. While in practice at SOM, Perkins+Will and AECOM, Williams’ inventive instincts and interdisciplinary design leadership generated award-winning buildings that bridge culture, technology and the environment and that convey the values and traditions of their audience and place.

Her most successful projects and the work of the organizations and institutions with whom she collaborates are in huge part, a commentary on the order of priority they place on the relevant issues of our time. They are reflective of their sponsor's concern for sustainable environments and for inclusive, equitable and socially just outcomes. 

Williams established AGWms_studio in 2017. It is built on her history as a respected team leader who enlists the power of ideas and design thinking as creative tools in mission-strategic problem solving. Her clients have included corporations, institutions and other design professionals at critical moments in their creative process, defining issues, articulating and prioritizing choices, filtering and consolidating ideas. 

In addition to design consulting and pro bono efforts, Williams is an adjunct lecturer at Stanford University, a frequent keynote speaker, and academic lecturer, in a tapestry of continued design practice. Most recently she served as a juror for the AIA's Committee on The Environment, 2019 COTE Top Ten Design Awards and for The 2019 Architecture at Zero Design Competition. 

In 2018, Williams was awarded The Norma Sklarek Award in Architecture by the AIACC.

Judd Williams, B.A. Visual Design1990
Designer, Three Degrees

In 1975 Mr. Williams’s waterbed frame design was accepted into the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery exhibit and Craft Multiples. This led to a career in designing and building furniture with Gary Foltz dba Williams & Foltz. They created simple modular knock down furniture built to last and recombine over time with a Greene and Greene aesthetic. When personal computers became popular he led the thinking about home office ergonomic notions into the broader furniture industry. Closing his company in 1989 he became a pioneer in stay at home fathers and has raised his girls. This provided time to volunteer with a range of school and nonprofits most notably the Discovery Council of the children's museum, College of Marin Foundation, City of Mill Valley Emergency Preparedness, and CED Alumni Association and Art Practice Alumni. He is currently working on a range of issues to further the transition from petrochemical fuels to twenty first century energy sources.

John Wong, B.A. Landscape Architecture 1974
Managing Principal and Chairman, SWA Group

John Wong is Managing Principal and Chairman at the SWA Group in Sausalito, California. He has directed an array of projects, from the design and crafting of small gardens to the large-scale planning and design of neighborhoods, towns, and new communities. He has extensive experience in both North America and Asia — particularly in Japan, Korea, and China. In 2010, Mr. Wong made an appearance in the movie Mission Impossible — Ghost Protocol alongside Tom Cruise (Mr. Wong designed the 27 acres of gorgeous gardens that provided a backdrop for Tom Cruise's stunt on the Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai). Over the past two decades, Mr. Wong has led more than 125 campus improvement projects at Stanford University. He sits on the Design Review Committee for the UC Berkeley campus.

Joseph O. Wong, Master of Architecture 1974
Founding Principal, JWDA

Joseph O. Wong founded JWDA (Joseph Wong Design Associates), a San Diego-based firm, in 1977 to provide excellent professional services in architecture, planning, and interior design. Mr. Wong has served on the Board of Directors for the Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC), a San Diego Redevelopment Agency, and is also a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. JWDA has been recognized with numerous local and national awards of excellence such as AIA Honor Awards, National Design-Build Institute Honor Awards, and Gold Nugget Grand Awards. In addition, JWDA has an active presence in Asia and the Pacific Rim with offices in Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Kenneth P. Wong, B.A. Architecture 1977
COO & Director of International Dev., Related Companies

Kenneth P. Wong is Chief Operating Officer and Director of International Development of Related Companies where he is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day administrative, corporate and business functions, and the company’s national and international expansion activities. Mr. Wong has over thirty years of diverse experience having overseen the development of a broad range of real estate assets from retail shopping centers to theme parks and planned communities both in the U.S. and international markets and representing well over $20 billion worth of assets. His executive experience includes both development and operating companies, both public and private, bridging the worlds of real estate, entertainment, design and technology.

Darrin Woo
Co-founder, Blake's

Darrin is a co-founder at Blake’s, a real estate investment firm focusing on urban redevelopment projects in Hong Kong.  Trained as an urban planner at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London, he is interested in historic neighbourhoods and led a number of retail and residential development projects in Sheung Wan including TwoTwoSix and 208 Hollywood Road. It’s latest projects are located in Sham Shui Po, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the city. He is also a director at Woo Hon Fai Group, a single family office investing in hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.

Thomas Yee, B.A. Architecture 1973
Chairman of the Board, Principal, Studios Architecture 

Throughout his more than 30 years as an architect, Tom has demonstrated superior capabilities in the design and management of large-scale, complex projects and the coordination of sizable design and consultant teams. An outstanding designer, he also has a proven track record of producing exceptional results within strict budgetary and schedule constraints. His design work revitalizes traditional architectural forms, drawing inspiration from alternative shapes and materials, as well as light and structure. Tom's experience encompasses corporate, civic, and university projects, along with a substantial portfolio of headquarters and regional offices for leading law firms. He has also led the design of multiple commercial and cultural projects within China.