January 1 ushered in the new TxA Board of Directors for 2025. Along with the president and president-elect, our Board’s Executive Committee is made up of the treasurer, secretary, and four vice presidents, who all serve two-year terms. Meet our six executive committee officers below!
Michael E. Allex, AIA, joins the Board as Secretary. He is a principal at ROFA Architects in the Rio Grande Valley. He has served TxA as a Chapter Director and Vice President of Professional Development. Additionally, Mike has been a member of the Publication and Honor Awards Committees, and chaired a Professional Development Task Force. Mike is deeply committed to his community where he has served as Chairman of the Board for various volunteer organizations including: The Harlingen Chamber of Commerce, Harlingen Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals, and Harlingen Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals. He was the past Treasurer for The Harlingen Economic Development Corporation, and he is currently the President of Loaves & Fishes of the Rio Grande Valley.
Gabriella Bermea, AIA, NOMA, returns to the board as the Vice President of Practice and Recognition. Gabriella is a senior associate at Perkins Eastman with a passion for educational design, philanthropy, and advocacy. She is deeply rooted in community advocacy and equity efforts within the state and has served on leadership roles with AIA National, Texas Society of Architects, Pflugerville Education Foundation, NCARB, and the ACE Mentor Program of America.
Samantha Markham, AIA, returns to the Board as the Vice President of Communications. She is the North Texas K-12 Market Leader for Stantec and also serves as a project manager for K-12 clients around DFW. Samantha has served in multiple roles at TxA and AIA Dallas, including the Young Architect Representative for Texas, TxA Chapter Director for Dallas, TxA’s Education Outreach Chair, and AIA Dallas Director of Education.
Laura Sachtleben, FAIA, joins the board as the Vice President of Advocacy. She is a Director at Landscape Forms and is deeply passionate about education, resilience, and advocacy. She has chaired multiple TxA committees including the Government Affairs Committee and the School Safety Subcommittee, and served locally as the AIA Houston Chapter President in 2023.
Maurice Thames, AIA, NOMA, joins the Board as Vice President of Professional Development. Maurice is a principal at Stantec in Plano. He has been an active member of the TxA EDI Committee and has held leadership positions with NOMA Dallas Chapter and the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) NTX Chapter. Additionally, he serves as a TAC Executive Trustee for Dallas. Maurice also finds joy in mentoring for the ACE Mentor of America Plano/Frisco Chapter.
Dana Walton, AIA, joins the Board as Treasurer. Dana is principal and founder of Design Peridot in Amarillo. Her past roles with TxA include serving as a Chapter Director, and as a member of the Texas Architectural Foundation Board, Finance Committee, and the Public Outreach Task Force. Locally, her involvement includes serving as VP of Development for the AIA Amarillo chapter, to impactful roles in community boards including the City of Amarillo Construction Advisory and Appeals Board, Downtown Design and Advisory Board, and the West Texas A&M University College of Fine Arts and Humanities Board. Dana is deeply committed to her community, evidenced by her involvement in numerous nonprofit boards and co-chairing major fundraisers like AMoA Alliance’s Christmas Roundup and the Amarillo Symphony Ball.