He is the Lead Experience Visual Designer at Amtrak Innovation, where they are building the future of rail. Prior, he has led design for the government, state federal, healthcare, finance, real estate, and start-up industry. His work focuses on the product design process, design systems, and design thinking. He finds time for creative side projects for his other passion in hand drawn typography and music.

Lauren works as a service designer at Steampunk, a human-centered design firm serving the federal government. She is also a founding editor of Springer’s AI and Ethics journal and an editor for Data and Policy, an open access journal with Cambridge University Press. She has written for Harvard Data Science Review, Financial Times, and The Guardian, among other publications. In her spare time, Lauren loves running, fostering dogs, and serving on the Board of Alumni and Friends of The London School of Economics, where she was elected Vice President in 2021.

Kathryn is a print and digital graphic designer, currently working for ODNI. As the Design for Good Executive Chair for AIGA DC, Kathryn leads CreateAthon DC event coordination and planning. In addition, Kathryn works with other board members to plan and connect AIGA DC members to the community through acts of service. In her free time, Kathryn listens to audio books, runs, and spends time with family and friends.

A customer and employee experience leader for over 5 years, Jessica Hoang has spent the last 3 years as a multidisciplinary freelance designer pursuing her passion for accessibility and inclusivity. She is a guru for good, leveraging strategic design and research-based execution between corporate teams and local nonprofits to increase social impact through inclusivity, accessibility and social equity. You can find her crushing her next outdoor adventure with Kiba the Shiba, from climbing to travel, with a toolkit of podcasts and books.

Megan Kimmitt is the Creative Director of an award-winning design team at AHIP, where she supports the healthcare industry through advocacy campaigns. She has over a decade of experience leading teams and mentoring designers to execute effective creative materials for the health care, energy, federal agency, and craft brewing industries. Outside of work, Megan volunteers with local non-profits, chases her toddler around at the playground, and visits family and friends in Baltimore.

Samantha Sekellick is accomplished communication professional with expertise in developing integrated campaigns. As the Graphics Specialist for the City of Gaithersburg in Maryland, she oversees branding and graphics for numerous programs, events, and departments. In addition to her graphics work, Samantha is an adjunct instructor at American University's Graphic Design program, integrating design principles, communications, functionality, code, and artistic form to inspire and educate the next generation of designers. With a Bachelor's in Mass Communications and Advertising and a Master's in Psychology, Samantha brings a uniquely strategic and creative approach to her work.

“Attitude determines altitude” has been Natalie’s mantra since justifying to her Middle Eastern parents why she should study art. That included a specialized Fashion Design program, then graduating from VCU’s School of the Arts with a major in Fashion Merchandising and a minor in Mass Communications. Currently, she is an Experience Manager at a design-centered organization, but you can usually find her spending time with her dog, Athena while researching and advocating for environmental sustainability.

A native of Maryland, Eric is your friendly neighborhood pixel pusher. As a Digital Experience Designer for the University of Maryland, he designs/animates graphics for UMD's core websites, campus screens, and social media outlets, along with coding responsive emails. Outside of work, he's an avid moviegoer, comic-book collector, coffee addict and baseball romantic.

Stephanie Rudig is a freelance graphic designer, writer, and illustrator who works with publications, non-profits, agencies, and small businesses. Her focus is on creating vibrant editorial experiences, user-friendly assets for non-designers, and joyful, accessible designers. As a writer, she spotlights DMV artists, covers cultural topics, and critiques contemporary art and theater. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Rhode Island School of Design. Her other interests include making artist books, George magazine, chickens, puns, and her three-legged cat.

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, she and her family immigrated to the suburbs of Maryland in the age of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. When she was only 9, she didn’t know where Bel Air was, and couldn’t keep up with all the chapter books her classmates were already reading in class. It was sometimes isolating until she took solace in art and creative opportunities that broke her out of my shell.  Not shy to explore and take a tumble, and to get back up and keep exploring, she had a whirlwind education and career path accompanied by travels that took her to many places. Besides countless trips around the world, her journey took her to study digital art and art history in Philadelphia, back to Taipei to teach in her hometown, then to London where she received her Masters degree in education within the arts and cultural sector, and most recently Washington DC where she commitment for equity and bridge-building within the arts and humanities domain took her to new heights.

With close to 30 years of professional design and communications experience, Greg Aylsworth is a designer and brand coordinator at the National Park Service. He manages visitor center exhibit projects for park sites across the country. Gene also leads the NPS Brand Ambassador Program, Identity Work Group, and is a member of the Arrowhead Committee, which oversees use of park service intellectual property. Previously, he founded Octoblend, a brand identity consultancy. Gene also served as Assistant Communications Director, Senior Designer, and a brand innovator at The Ohio State University Department of Athletics.

Supreet (Preeti) Kaur is currently a project manager working as a federal contractor with the US Department of Transportation. Her passion for design, web development, and art led her to graduate from The University of Maryland, College Park, with a double BA in Art Studio (Graphic Design) and Art History with a minor in Astronomy. As a member of the AIGA and Graphic Artists Guild, Preeti continues to share her love for graphic and web design with the design community. Preeti also has a passion for community service, and is a sixth-degree black belt cross training in the Sikh and African martial arts.

A Maryland native, Ariana is a project manager and strategist for product and service design engagements with a background in graphic design and content production. Since returning to the DMV after college, she has worked for various nonprofit organizations including PBS and Pew Research Center. Currently she’s a Digital Producer at AFS Digital Studio/Fjord, working with federal agency clients. She lives with her plant babies and is either crafting, baking, or party planning in her free time.

Kela is a strategist and self-taught designer that thrives between design and business. After leading a marketing team to a successful startup acquisition, she's been using her talents for good in the social impact field - writing SheaMoisture's first impact report, building campaigns for the Ford Foundation, and more. Kela has been featured in esteemed publications like Harvard Business Review, the Women's Entrepreneurship Program at Cornell University, and several other award-winning projects. She looks forward to joining the board and continuing to make space for designers in the DC area.

With over 20 years in the creative business, Emily Christenson is a strategic partner sought after for her design intuition, her collaborative spirit, and her ability to see how her clients’ immediate needs fit into the larger picture of their brand.  She is a communicator, and believes that design should enhance and never impede the message at hand. Before she launched Paintbox Creative, Emily worked as a graphic designer at Fannie Mae and Fairmont Federal Credit Union, and assistant creative director at SQN Communications Design. She has a strong background in branding and print media, publication design, B2B and B2C communications, digital graphics, and large format design. Emily has a M.A. in Publications Design from the University of Baltimore and a B.A. in studio art and anthropology from the University of Virginia.

Glennette Clark is a design researcher for the United States Digital Service, a non-partisan technology group in the Executive Office of the President. Glennette brings human-centered design practices to federal agencies including the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). She is an adjunct professor with MICA’s Design Leadership program. She is the Founder of UXCamps DC & NYC and a member of the District of Columbia Innovation & Technology Inclusion Council. Glennette has a Strategic Design MBA from Thomas Jefferson University and a BA in Journalism from Howard University.

Nabi Bilal is a graphic artist and creative director. He has published and illustrated four children's books, served as the lead animator for a feature film, workshopped with Sesame Street, and is currently developing a series of short films that examine the intersection of religion, politics, and American society. A longtime artistpreneur, he's the co-founder of CreativeJunkFood, a multimedia creative studio that focuses on animation/video, branding & design, and murals & art installations. He enjoys practicing the ukulele and is a firm believer that teamwork makes the dream work.

David Spears is the Design Director at Burness as well as a professor at the Academy of Art University. He completed an artist residency on Building Brands With Type at the School of Visual Arts in August 2021 and received an MFA in Graphic Design in 2016 from the Academy of Art University. For his thesis project, David developed a texting app with animated weather backgrounds that aimed to infuse text messages with nonverbal cues and address the problem of miscommunication. David received his undergraduate education at the University of Pittsburgh, double majoring in Studio Arts and Psychology.

Juan Pablo Madrid is the Senior Director of Design Innovation at Online Optimism, a creative digital agency, where he manages the Design+Development team and explores new technologies. Throughout his time at Online Optimism, he has overseen the launch of dozens of design and interactive projects. Previously he held roles at the University of New Orleans’ Marketing and PR office and PepsiCo in Latin America. Juan Pablo is originally from Guatemala, and prior to relocating to DC, he spent nearly a decade in New Orleans. When not designing, he enjoys brewery hopping, exploring the Smithsonian museums, and visiting Apple stores.

Natalia Celine Arias is a multidisciplinary creative based in Baltimore, MD, with roots in Miami, FL. With expertise in fine art, graphic design, sound, illustration, and film, she possesses a diverse skillset. Natalia holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and has mentored emerging creatives with MICA, the T. Howard Foundation, AIGA DC SHINE, and ADPList. Dedicated to supporting mission-driven organizations through branding, Natalia serves on the design team of higher education nonprofit ITHAKA and owns Play By Celine LLC, uplifting gender diverse, queer, and BIPOC stories in media. Natalia pushes boundaries in design, fostering inclusivity and equity in the industry.

Being a Salvadoran-American creative, he enjoys celebrating the joys of life through art and motion graphics. He is constantly sipping on a cold brew coffee while sketching out new ideas.You can find him reading a good book or playing video games online when he’s not designing. Talk to him about the latest gaming news or NBA action to become best mates!

Antwon Key, an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Maryland, is a graphic designer and photographer. With degrees from Vermont College of Fine Arts and the University of Alabama, he has executed digital campaigns for various institutions. His award-winning project, "Red, White, and Black," appeared in HOW+PRINT Magazine's Best of Design 2019. Currently, Key is interested in Design for Social Change, aiming to educate designers about the impact of their subtle messages on society.

Dara has been the AIGA DC Chapter Administrator for 20 years. She is also a social work graduate student and works in the field of mental health. She continues to provide support to the dynamic, ever-changing board of volunteers with AIGA DC. Her favorite party conversations involve power rangers, baked goods, and military personnel/dog reunion videos.

This role will forge the connections in the community that let us do all the other awesome things AIGA DC does. In an average month, this person will work with the executive team to secure a sponsorship for an event, develop long-term support partnerships for our chapter, and propose new ideas to ensure that the sponsors get value for their ever-so-generous contributions. Accepting applications soon