Moody Nolan, the country’s largest African American-owned architecture firm, is pleased to announce the promotion of Dawne David-Pierre, AIA, NOMA, NCARB, LEED AP, to Director of Operations of Moody Nolan New York. Since joining the studio in 2020, Dawne has played an integral role in facilitating the double-digit growth of the team. Dawne previously served as interim director of operations, demonstrating extraordinary leadership and support across her teams and leading to her permanent role as director of operations and associate principal. Looking toward the future, she is eager to continue expanding both the team’s scope of work as well as the firm’s positive impact on the surrounding community. 

“As we continue to enhance our footprint nationwide, Moody Nolan relies on strong, dependable and ambitious leaders like Dawne to pave the way for our studios to expand our mission of delivering high-performance design,” says CEO and President Jonathan Moody of Moody Nolan. “Dawne fearlessly pursues projects that make a holistic difference to our stakeholders at every level, and we look forward to watching her excel in this role.”

With 25 years of professional experience in the industry, Dawne has a unique design perspective that promotes inclusivity while pioneering design solutions for the future. Dawne received her undergraduate degree in architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin, leading her to garner diverse work experience in residential, educational, research and learning, and healthcare projects. Her hands-on work spans all project phases, with particular interest in programming, client and consultant coordination, and construction administration. Dawne has managed the successful delivery of key projects across New York state, including upgrades to the Ambulatory Surgery Center at Interfaith Medical Center and the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Strategic Plan. 

“Witnessing the evolution of our New York studio, as well as Moody Nolan as a whole, has been one of the biggest rewards of my professional career,” says Dawne. “I’m thrilled to lead the studio into a new chapter and to continue cultivating our local impact through purposeful design in the built environment.”

Alongside project work for clients including NYC Health + Hospitals and Empire State Development, Dawne takes pride in leading the team to seek out pro-bono work in the local community. The team recently undertook feasibility study work for CHiPS, a food pantry in Brooklyn that also provides housing for single pregnant mothers, to help the organization prioritize improvements to maximize efficiency post-pandemic. Additionally, Moody Nolan New York partnered with the Bed-Stuy Gateway BID to develop design solutions for their Winter Wonderland, an open-air holiday market which has supported local small businesses and dozens of vendors annually since its debut in 2020. 

Outside of her role in the office, Dawne enjoys getting involved in the community alongside her children, providing her with localized context to develop design languages specific to the communities the team serves. Dawne is also heavily involved in professional industry organizations, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA).