On October 30, 2024, Debra Gerod, FAIA, LEED AP received the prestigious Gold Medal Award from the American Institute of Architects’ Los Angeles Chapter (AIA|LA) for her achievements in furthering the profession of architecture. The Gold Medal was bestowed upon Debra by Annette Wu, AIA –2024 president of the chapter –in recognition of her enduring dedication to the AIA, her influence on and advocacy of the profession and her lasting contribution to the region through the realization of iconic partnering on significant, complex projects and project teams. Projects include the current renovation of the historic Pasadena Central Library, the Wilshire Boulevard Temple Audrey Irmas Pavilion with OMA, the Tower Theatre Adaptive Re-Use with Foster + Partners, the Reimagining of the La Brea Tarpits with Weiss Manfredi, amongst many others. Her reputation as a go-to partner for civic projects is so well known that she received her Fellowship in the AIA on this basis over a decade ago. In addition to these collaborations, Debra has also led transformative civic, cultural, transportation and infrastructural projects, such as the Airport Metro Connector Transit Center Station with Grimshaw and the L.A. River Bikeways and Greenways projects.
