The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) has appointed Phoebe Yee, AIA, as its new Board Chair, marking a significant leadership transition for one of the country’s leading organizations dedicated to advancing women in architecture and the built environment. Yee steps into the role after serving on the board for five years and shadowing former Chair Angelica Baccon, Principal at SHoP Architects, over the past year.
Leadership Backed by Design and Development Expertise
Yee currently serves as Executive Vice President of Design at Related California, where she has spent more than two decades overseeing large-scale residential, mixed-use, and mixed-income developments across the state. Her background combines architectural training with executive-level development leadership, positioning her at the intersection of design excellence, operational strategy, and equity advocacy.
Her appointment reflects BWAF’s continued emphasis on bridging architecture, real estate, and development sectors to accelerate systemic change. Yee has underscored the importance of strengthening cross-sector alliances to ensure that the built environment reflects the communities it serves. As cities evolve, representation in public and private spaces remains central to advancing equity and inclusion.
Strategic Vision for the Foundation’s Next Chapter
Under Yee’s leadership, BWAF aims to broaden national awareness of its mission, strengthen fundraising efforts, and expand its capacity to provide grants, resources, and institutional support to women and women-led organizations.
The leadership transition also coincides with additional board developments, including the appointments of Jhaelen Herdandez-Eli and Lissa So to the Board, as well as Anazette Ray as the Foundation’s new General Counsel—moves that signal continued organizational growth and governance expansion.
Leadership Awards Debut at The Shed
Yee’s first major appearance as Board Chair will take place at the upcoming BWAF Leadership Awards at The Shed in New York City on April 16. The event will honor industry leaders whose work has advanced innovation and equity across architecture, development, and public service.
Among the honorees are Sharon Prince of Grace Farms; Susan de França of Prudential Douglas Elliman; Erleen Hatfield of Hatfield Group; Julia Gamolina of Madame Architect; Amale Andraos of WORKac; and Tess McNamara of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
About the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation
Founded in 2006 by the late architect Beverly Willis and headquartered in New York City, BWAF works to elevate women’s contributions to architecture and related fields while shaping future discourse on the built environment.
Its programs include Emerging Leaders and Firms workshops, Friends of BWAF networking events, nationwide roundtable discussions, and the “Built by Women” mapping initiative, which documents and promotes women-led projects through curated tours. The Foundation also produces the “New Angle: Voice” podcast and maintains archival platforms such as the Pioneering Women website to preserve the legacy of women architects and designers.
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