Jeremiah Tolbert
Lecturer in Architecture
- Biography
Jeremiah Tolbert,II, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP is the founding principal of Tolbert Architects Inc. which has developed a reputation for designing a range of major public and private buildings, high-tech/startup tenant improvements, university and institutional projects, and high-end custom homes and affordable and workforce housing.
He is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley and is the past President of the American Institute of Architects East Bay chapter where he resided over the third largest chapter in the state of California as the youngest president the board ever had. He is a former teacher of the ARE's (Architecture Registration Exams) and promotes education on vital design topics in the community as well as supports outreach for current and aspiring architects. During his presidency, he started an annual week-long Architecture Youth Camp in CED where he introduces architecture to underrepresented youth of color in the Greater Bay Area. He also created a new undergraduate course in partnership with Professor Trapenberg Frick and the West Oakland Youth Center called The Ripple Effect: Community Design and Empowerment Process (ED131). He has been the personal architect to Silicon Valley Developer John Arrillaga Sr. for over a decade and has done over 150 million dollars’ worth of work for his personal and philanthropic foundation. Prior to starting his own firm in 2010, he worked at a design firm in San Francisco, CA. He currently sits on three nonprofit advisory boards; Fam1st Family Foundation, Self-eSTEM, and Coalition of Black Excellence. All three nonprofits promote opportunities through education and exposure to empowering communities of color.