New Director of Mayors’ Institute on City Design Named
WASHINGTON — The American Architectural Foundation is pleased to welcome Story Bellows as Director of the Mayors' Institute on City Design. She replaces Jess Zimbabwe, who became the Executive Director of the Daniel Rose Center at ULI earlier this year.
Bellows graduated from Colgate University and received a master's degree in City Design and Social Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science. During her studies, she was a coordinator for Urban Age, a series of interdisciplinary conferences supported by the London School of Economics that brought together experts to explore urban issues in global cities.
A native Chicagoan, Bellows served on the Executive Committee of the Urban Land Institute-Chicago where she led the Young Leaders group for the two years. Bellows was also a visiting fellow at Archeworks, an alternative design school in Chicago.
Bellows comes to AAF from OWP/P, a three-hundred person Chicago-based architecture and engineering firm. Bellows led the research group at OWP/P and was a leader in the development of the OWP/P Open Hand Studio, a program that offers pro-bono assistance to improve the quality of the built environment, and OWP/P Engage, a group focused on increasing the firm's exposure to and engagement with Chicago's design community.
"Story's contribution to OWP/P and the Chicago design community as a whole demonstrates her ability to take on complex issues and make a difference in how we approach urban design," said John Syvertsen, president of OWP/P. "As the new Director of the Mayors' Institute on City Design, she will now bring her expertise to cities all around the nation."
"I have worked with Story for several years and know first-hand the skills, knowledge and passion she will bring to the Mayors' Institute," said Ronald E. Bogle, president and CEO of AAF. "From an extraordinary and competitive field of 186 applicants, Story has emerged as the candidate who can work to move MICD to a higher level of impact as we work to support Mayors in creating more livable cities."
"I look forward to working with our country's top mayors and finest designers to explore ways the built environment can enhance and revitalize American cities," said Ms. Bellows. "The Mayors' Institute is one of the most significant public design programs in the country, and I am honored to have been selected by AAF to guide its success."
"The Mayors' Institute on City Design is a premier national program in helping address challenges in America's urban communities," said Maurice Cox, the National Endowment for the Arts Director of Design. "We are excited with the selection of Story as the new Director of MICD and look forward to continuing to build this great program in partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the American Architectural Foundation."
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