Alfred Vidaurri Jr., NCARB, NOMA, FAIA, of Fort Worth, Texas, was inducted as the president of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) at its 2021 Annual Business Meeting. Vidaurri is the first Latino president in the organization’s history; in this role, he will lead the organization that supports the 55 U.S. architectural licensing boards in their mission to protect the public health, safety, and welfare.
“I am honored to be the first Latino president in this organization’s 102-year history,” said Vidaurri. “But I look forward to the day when we no longer have to call out the first, or the second, or the third, but can celebrate the vision of the individual.”
During his term as president, Vidaurri will focus on two issues essential to architectural regulation: how the path to earning an architecture license should evolve to meet the needs of the future; and how NCARB can support greater equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) along that path. Under his leadership, the organization will complete its Analysis of Practice, a profession-wide study that informs changes to NCARB’s programs and services; and continue to develop NCARB and the National Organization of Minority Architects’ (NOMA) joint Baseline on Belonging study, as well as the assessment of next steps.
“As we look toward the future of NCARB, we are faced with several critical opportunities to enact valuable and meaningful change,” said Vidaurri. “I am eager to see NCARB embrace its role in the profession as a voice for diversity, evolution, and forward-thinking development.”
Vidaurri was appointed to the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners in 2004, serving seven years as chair. He served in various regional leadership positions—including chair, vice chair, treasurer, and secretary—before being elected by his peers to NCARB’s national Board of Directors in 2015 as the director of Region 3. Following his term as regional director, Vidaurri served as treasurer, secretary, second vice president, and first vice president/president-elect of NCARB.
A dedicated volunteer within the profession, Vidaurri began offering his time and expertise to NCARB in 2005 as a member of the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) Subcommittee. He has since contributed to a variety of NCARB initiatives, including the Ethics and Diversity Collaborative task forces and the Futures Collaborative, as well as the Credentials, Examination, Procedures and Documents, and Regional Leadership committees. He has chaired the Audit, Broadly Experienced Architect, and Education committees, and the Program Continuum Advisory Collaborative.
In addition, Vidaurri represented NCARB on several National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) visiting teams, which evaluate college architecture programs, and at the 2013 and 2020 NAAB Accreditation Review Forums. Vidaurri also oversaw the creation of a pilot program for the Tri-National Agreement, which facilitates reciprocal licensure among the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Vidaurri is a vice president of Freese and Nichols Inc., which was the first architecture and engineering firm to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. He is also a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), U.S. Green Building Council, Texas Society of Architects, and AIA Fort Worth. Vidaurri was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2015, and was awarded the NCARB President’s Medal for Distinguished Service in 2014.
A graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington’s Master of Architecture program, Vidaurri has held numerous positions with various local, community, and state organizations. He holds an NCARB Certificate and is licensed to practice architecture in Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Oklahoma.
