News

Jul 22, 2010

NCARB Elects Louisiana Architect Ronald Blitch, FAIA, as Second Vice President

Continuing his record of service to his profession, aspiring architects, and his community, Ronald B. Blitch, FAIA, FACHA, NCARB, was elected second vice president of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) at the organization’s Annual Meeting and Conference in San Francisco, CA, in June.

In his new role, Blitch will serve on the NCARB Board of Directors, assisting its president and the Council with strategic leadership. This past year, Blitch served as the chair of the Council’s Committee on Examination, which oversees the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®), and was the ARE representative on the Committee on Procedures and Documents.

He is also a long-time member and current president of the Louisiana State Board of Architectural Examiners, and has served as an officer for the Council’s Southern Conference (Region 3), including as chair in 2009-2010.

In his 16 years in leadership roles with NCARB, Blitch has also chaired the ARE Subcommittee and the ARE Technology Subcommittee. Additionally, he has worked on the ARE Cut Score Subcommittee, the ARE Grading Subcommittee, and the ARE Specification Task Force, which upgraded the ARE exam based on findings from the 2007 Practice Analysis of Architecture.

As work begins this year to produce the new Practice Analysis, Blitch will lead the effort as chair of that task force. The Practice Analysis is an in-depth study that details the trends defining the future of the profession based on survey responses from thousands of participants.

Blitch is president of the design firm Blitch Knevel Architects, Inc., of New Orleans, LA. Earning his NCARB certification in 1978, he is registered to practice architecture in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania. He holds a bachelor of architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame, where he won the Henry Adams Award, bestowed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

His service to his profession also includes responsibilities with the AIA. Distinguished as a Fellow with AIA, he has served as president of AIA’s Louisiana component and chair of AIA’s Design for Aging Knowledge Community. He has also helped plan AIA’s national convention through the years, including work at present for the 2011 meeting.

His contribution to the community includes his work on the board of regents for Our Lady of Holy Cross College, New Orleans, as well as his numerous roles for philanthropic, educational, and municipal entities.

About NCARB
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards comprises the architectural registration boards of all 50 states as well as those of the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NCARB assists its member registration boards in carrying out their duties and provides a certification program for individual architects.

NCARB protects the public health, safety, and welfare by leading the regulation of the practice of architecture through the development and application of standards for licensure and credentialing of architects. In order to achieve these goals, the Council develops and recommends standards to be required of an applicant for architectural registration; develops and recommends standards regulating the practice of architecture; provides to member boards a process for certifying the qualifications of an architect for registration; and represents the interests of Member Boards before public and private agencies. NCARB has established reciprocal registration for architects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and is engaged in similar discussions with additional countries.