Alfred Vidaurri Jr., FAIA, NCARB, AICP, vice president of Freese and Nichols, Inc., has been elected as secretary of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) board of directors. Each year, the NCARB’s member board members from all 54 licensing jurisdictions across the country elect its five executive leaders to lead the organization.
“It has been my privilege to serve the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards in various capacities, and being elected as secretary of the board of directors is a great honor,” said Vidaurri. “My involvement with Freese and Nichols’ continuous improvement journey, corporate marketing and branding, and my ownership in a large architecture/engineering firm has given me a unique perspective on the industry. Serving on the NCARB board gives me an opportunity to share my skillset and continue exploring innovative ways to help shape the future of licensure.”
Vidaurri, who leads Freese and Nichols’ facilities practice, is an award-winning architect with extensive experience in comprehensive planning, interior design and sustainability. During his 20-plus years at the firm, he has expanded its practice areas to include higher education, healthcare, campus planning and sustainability, and added services in landscape architecture, interior design and urban planning.
Before being elected secretary, Vidaurri served as director of NCARB’s Region 3: Southern Conference, which comprises 12 states and territories. He has also dedicated time to other NCARB initiatives and task forces, including Audit, Broadly Experienced Architect (BEA), Examination, Education, Procedures & Documents, and regional leadership committees, as well as the Ethics Task Force.
Additionally, Vidaurri has served as an NCARB visiting team representative for the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), conducting site visits to schools of architecture pursuing reaccreditation. Through the BEA Program, he has also represented NCARB in various meetings with Canada and Mexico to advance the Tri-National Mutual Recognition program, which facilitates reciprocal licensure between the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Appointed by then-Gov. Rick Perry, Vidaurri served on the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE) from 2004 to 2015, where he was chair from 2009 to 2015 and vice chair from 2006 to 2008. The nine-member TBAE oversees the examination, registration, education and professional regulation of architects, interior designers and landscape architects.
Licensed in Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Georgia, Vidaurri is a registered architect, interior designer and certified planner. He has earned several professional certifications and awards, including an NCARB Certificate, American Institute of Architects’ College of the Fellows and the NCARB 2014 President’s Medal for Distinguished Service. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from the University of Texas at Arlington.
NCARB is made up of the architecture licensing boards of the 50 U.S. states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The council is dedicated to assisting professionals reach their career goals; assisting Member Boards in carrying out their regulatory duties; and protecting the public’s health, safety and welfare.
Freese and Nichols, Inc. is a professional consulting firm serving clients across the Southwest and Southeast United States. With sustainability in mind, Freese and Nichols plans, designs and manages infrastructure projects. It is the only architecture/engineering firm to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Learn more at www.freese.com.
