May 1, 2007

NOMAC Profile: Michael A. Rogers





Michael Rogers became the youngest President of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) in Oct. of 1994. He had served nationally as the NOMA Vice President, Midwest Regional Vice President, Membership Chair (14 yrs), and NOMA Convention Chair. For the Illinois NOMA Chapter he held the positions of President, Vice President and Secretary after joining as a student member in 1980. He is currently secretary of the NOMA Foundation.

Mr. Rogers practices at McDonald’s Corporation where he has more than 28 years of tenure. He has worked on design and construction projects that have produced more than 1000 built structures throughout the United States and Canada.

He is a 1983 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago where he has a degree in Architecture and also holds a certificate of Construction Management from Triton College. He holds architectural licenses in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Michael Rogers is the past President(2010)of AIA Illinois. He is currently a member of the AIA Illinois Empowerment Committee. He has served the Northeast Illinois Chapter as Director, Vice-President and 2002 President and also has chaired its Public Awareness and Nominations committees. He has received the AIA Illinois Nothnagel Award for Public Service and the AIA Northeast Illinois Outstanding Professional Member Award.

Mike grew up in Chicago’s Robert Taylor homes which was the nations largest public housing development and second most impoverished (2nd lowest per capita income) community in the country at the time. He is especially committed to providing mentorship and motivation to the youth in economically depressed areas as well as the redevelopment of such areas. He has been a guest speaker at schools from elementary through college and championed community engagement and advocacy.

In his community Michael has been appointed as Zoning Board Chair, Plan Commission Chair, and Youth Committee Chair and was also elected as a Village of Bellwood Councilman where he served 2 terms in the municipal government. He has since been elected as a Village of Maywood Councilman where he now lives and serves. In 2001, he was named Proviso Township Citizen of the Year runner-up.

Michael and his work has the distinction of being featured on WGN TV, WTTW-TV, and in Progressive Architecture magazine, The Daily Herald, Jet magazine and a number of other publications.

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