| THEME SPEAKERS As always, this year’s theme presentations feature topics and speakers of great distinction. The American Institute of Architects and the Boston Society of Architects are delighted to welcome three very prominent members of the architecture community to discuss this year's theme, We the People. Ambassador Andrew Young Ambassador Andrew Young is founding principal and chair of GoodWorks International. He has brought his long-held mission of facilitating economic development in the Caribbean and in Africa to an active role in GoodWorks. Ambassador Young has held a variet of leadership positions over the past several decades. Beginning his career as an ordained minister and top aide to Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movement, he went on to be elected to three terms as a U.S. congressman before being appointed U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Subsequently he served two terms as mayor of Atlanta and assumed a leadership position as cochair of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. In 1994 then-President Bill Clinton appointed Ambassador Young chair of the $100 million Southern Africa Enterprise Development Fund. Ambassador Young travels extensively to meet with officials and other individuals interested in improving the economic situation in Africa and the Caribbean. He has headed numerous missions to Africa and continues to use his extensive network to facilitate new business developments. His interest in international affairs is not limited to Africa and the Caribbean, however. He speaks and attends conferences focusing on global affairs. Millard Fuller From humble beginnings in Alabama, Millard Fuller rose to become a young, self-made millionaire. A graduate of Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., and the University of Alabama Law School in Tuscaloosa, he and a college friend began a marketing firm while still in school. Fuller's business expertise and entrepreneurial drive made him a millionaire by age 29. But as the business prospered, his health, integrity, and marriage suffered. These crises prompted Fuller to reevaluate his values and direction. His soul-searching led to reconciliation with his wife and to a renewal of his Christian commitment. Millard Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity International in 1976. His leadership helped forge Habitat into a worldwide Christian housing ministry. For his ministry in housing, Fuller received many awards and accolades-World Methodist Peace Award from the World Methodist Council, the Bronze Medallion from the Points of Light Foundation, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award from the state of Georgia and the King Center, among them. In 1996 then-President Bill Clinton awarded Fuller the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, calling Habitat for Humanity "...the most successful continuous community service project in the history of the United States." Thomas Vonier, FAIA, RIBA Thomas Vonier, FAIA, RIBA, is a founding member of the International Center for Urban Security in Barcelona. His work on urban security set terms of debate on new security measures for city centers, beginning with a series of articles, "Mean Streets: Going from Protected enclaves and Urban Control Zones," which appeared in Urban Land (Washington, D.C.) and l'Information Immobiliere (Geneva, Switzerland). With offices in Washington, D.C., and Paris, Vonier supports clients and global interests in project development, security management, and industrial operations. He has served as an advisor to the senior management of private corporations, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations worldwide. A leading proponent of effective design for security, Vonier was appointed an independent architect to lead groundbreaking research on improving the security of U.S. embassies.  |
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