Washington, DC – January 16, 2019 – Please join us in welcoming Charlie Klecha, 2014-2015 AIAS National President, as AIAS’ Interim Executive Director. Charlie brings a broad set of experiences to the support of the design community and associated professional and advocacy organizations, currently serving as Interim Executive Director of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). He also, along with his wife, Dr. Julie Lesnik, recently launched a new nonprofit called “Octopus & Ape”—an educational digital media channel aimed at making scientific topics accessible and engaging for a broad public audience—and brings his association management and event production expertise to the support of other nonprofit organizations on a contract basis.
Charlie received his Bachelor’s degree from the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance at the University of Michigan in Production Management and Lighting Design, and a Masters degree in Architecture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In his final year of graduate school, he was elected to serve a one-year, full-time appointment in Washington DC as National President of the AIAS. Since moving back to Detroit, he accrued about half of the experience needed for his professional license to practice architecture before accepting a staff position with AIA Detroit, the metropolitan chapter of the American Institute of Architects, where he served as Managing Director for two years before taking up his current roles.
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About the AIAS
The American Institute of Architecture Students is a non-profit, student-run organization dedicated to programs, information and resources on issues critical to architecture and the experience of education. For more information, visit www.aias.org or call Kimberly Tuttle at (202) 808-0036.
