Volunteer Highlight: Michael Penzel. AIA Assoc.

As an ongoing initiative, we continue to highlight our key members and volunteers for the amazing work that they do. Michael Penzel. AIA Assoc. is a great example of a dedicated and excellent volunteer!

About Michael Penzel. AIA Assoc.

Michael Penzel graduated from Philadelphia University (now Jefferson University) and works as a Project Coordinator at Moody Nolan in Philadelphia. Michael works on a variety of project types but has a strong interest in Higher Education and Community Impact projects, believing strongly that the spaces we create should serve not just the building tenants but the neighborhood it belongs to as well. Outside of work hours Michael has returned to his University to teach Visualization courses as an adjunct professor. Teaching students how to feel comfortable exploring new softwares and looking for answers rather than focusing solely on what the end product looks like. Having completed 5 of the 6 Architectural Registration Exams Michael is one exam away from licensure. As a licensed Architect Michael will continue to grow within the industry and seek to be a part of projects and teams making meaningful positive impacts. 

A big advocate for community involvement, Michael has served as Director of the AIA Philadelphia’s Emerging Architects (PEA) committee from 2020 to 2023. Challenged with the world changing Pandemic, Michael along with the committee board updated and re-energized many PEA events to make them safe to attend and attract the new audience of Emerging Professionals. Proud of his work with the committee Michael stays involved as a committee board member and oversees events such as Spooktacular, a safe trick or treating experience for the families of the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center. He now sits on the AIA Philadelphia Board of Directors as an At Large Director with a focus on cross disciplinary inclusion. Aiming to bring more aspects of the AEC industry under the same banner to share knowledge, resources and community. 

Upcoming Ideas

During his time as Director of the Philadelphia Emerging Architects committee Michael has seen the importance and benefits for professionals in the design community to not only expand their bubble outside their office walls but also to expand it outside of just architects. We work with various members of the AEC industry daily and our professional organizations should better reflect that. Through successful networking events with the Philadelphia Emerging Architects and the emerging professionals of groups like DVASE and the GBCA, the feedback shows how excited the attendees were to talk with the other emerging professionals and to return to a similar type of event. Though many agree with the sentiment of cross disciplinary events, there is a struggle to find a convenient way to connect with the right people to make it happen. As a Director At Large, Michael is working to find solutions to better connect people across organizations and causes because if two groups within the AEC community both want to put on an event that highlights the same cause it does not make sense to hold two separate events with only half the amount of potential turnout. Michael is looking at ways to best consolidate contact information that can be easily shared and updated to make it easy for groups to combine efforts when planning and producing events. After all, it will always be more beneficial to unite resources and energy rather than reinvent the wheel.

Cheers to Michael for all the work he does in helping better our profession!