Darren Franks, Chapter President

As Chapter President, it is with distinct honor that Darren leads the ICAA SoCal Chapter, as together we appreciate the past, share in the present, and build sustainable communities for our future.   As owner of Darren Franks & Associates, a paint contracting firm specializing in the decorative arts, Darren has the good fortune to work with many ICAA members who are highly-talented artists, architects, designers, and builders, on prestigious projects.  He has been a member of ICAA since 2012, and advocates our mission to advance the love, respect and appreciation of classical architecture and art through education and community.  Born in England, Darren lives in Santa Monica with his wife and two sons.

Elizabeth Dinkel, Chapter Vice President

Elizabeth is President at Elizabeth Dinkel Design Associates, Inc. She is recognized by House Beautiful, Elle Décor, Veranda, and California Homes & Interiors as one of America’s leading interior designers. A graduate of Georgetown University, she has played a significant role in the Southern California design community, including serving on the Design Leadership Network (DLN).

Stephen Brodheim, Chapter Treasurer

Stephen joined the board in 2019 and manages the art collection of an LA-based collector. Focusing on 18th and early 19th century neoclassical furniture and architect-designed interiors in graduate school, Stephen received a Master of Arts degree from Dartmouth. A passionate gardener, he has a particular fondness for pink roses and ivy geraniums. Along with his husband John and two rescue beagles Baxter and Balthazar, Stephen lives in a 1926 Spanish Colonial Revival house in the Hollywood Hills.

Valerie Thomas, Chapter Secretary

Valerie Thomas is an LA native and has worked with the design community for over 20 years. She’s guided a number of artisan-based companies, and has been at the helm of west coast projects for Remains Lighting since 2008. She joined the ICAA SoCal in 2009 after attending her first event, a tour of Casa del Herrero in Santa Barbara.  She has served on the Board since 2019 and joined the Executive Committee as Board Secretary (2020-2021).  She studied design at UCLA and the Design Institute of Dublin in Ireland. When she’s not immersed in design she’s likely to be outdoors, backpacking or rock climbing in the Sierra.

Winston Chappell

A fifth generation Californian, Winston Chappell graduated from Harvard University and California Institute of the Arts. Following college, he worked as a designer/builder of custom residences with a specialty in the restoration of historic properties, eventually focusing exclusively on design. His work has appeared in Architectural Digest and has been included in the New Blood 101 and Millennium Models exhibitions at the Pacific Design Center. Since 2005, he has been active in the ICAA SoCal, serving on the Education Committee and the Board of Directors. He also currently serves on the Design Review Board, Pacific Palisades Civic League; Board of Directors, Seven Arrows Elementary School and Little Dolphins Pre-School; and as Docent of the Santa Monica Conservancy.

Russ Diamond

Russ Diamond, owner and President of Snyder Diamond, is a native Angelino whose family run business has served trade professionals and the design community for over 70 years. Graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business economics, Russ went on to earn his MBA from the University of Southern California. He is a founding board member for The Storehouse of World Vision, whose mission is to distribute donated building supply materials to community organizations and schools within the inner cities across the US. Russ continues to serve as a valuable resource and advocate for those within the industry looking for business development advice and leadership. When he is not immersed in work, Russ enjoys a day out on the golf course or spending time at home tending to his beloved Briards.

Erik K. Evens

Erik Evens is a lifelong resident of California, born and raised in Los Angeles. He is the principal of Evens Architects, an independent design studio operating under the aegis of the KAA Design Group, focused exclusively on classical and traditional residential design. His work has been published in a wide array of publications, including Architectural Digest, Luxe, Milieu, Traditional Home and Western Interiors. Erik is a Fellow of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA), and he sits on its national Curriculum and Governance Committees. He is a founding member and two-time former president of the Southern California Chapter of the ICAA. On behalf of the ICAA, Erik has taught the elements and rationale of the classical language of architecture to hundreds of students all over the United States.

Kelley Jackson

Kelley has been an active board member for the ICAA SoCal serving on the Education Committee and as a teaching assistant for New Heights. Upon graduating from The University of Texas in Austin with a degree in Interior Design, Jackson began her career in Manhattan apprenticing with some of the industry’s most legendary interior designers including Charlotte Moss and Stephen Shadley. She started drawing attention of her own early on and was featured in Architectural Digest for the design of her own West Village apartment, credited in Architectural Digest for her work on a Washington, DC residence and for the Green Room for the Emmy Awards 2 years in a row. Continuing the momentum she stepped out on her own, establishing Kelley Jackson Interior Design. Jackson’s diverse portfolio and experience includes a wide range of projects: from a 1930’s Spanish Colonial Revival in Bel Air to a 20,000 sq/ft contemporary home in rural Pennsylvania, a 1920’s Misner style restoration in Palm Beach to a Spanish Hacienda in Southern Texas, a South Hampton Shingle Style historical renovation to ground up construction in Aspen, as well as numerous projects in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Central Texas.

John P. Margolis

John P. Margolis was born in Boston, Massachusetts into an academic family full of intellectual and artistic diversity. He holds a bachelor’s degree with a Major in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Master of Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and is licensed in Massachusetts. His passion for classical and traditional architecture led him to the ICAA in 1990. Since then he has held numerous Board positions and also served as New England Chapter President of the ICAA for five years. He was recently elected to Fellow of the ICAA and has a Certificate in Classical Architecture. In 2019, John joined Appleton Partners as a Senior Project Manager in their Santa Barbara office where he interprets traditional approaches to the Southern California climate. John also enjoys sketching, watercolor painting and creating environments for timeless and harmonious living.

Brian Pinkett

Brian Pinkett is a partner at Landry Design Group where he has worked over 26 years. He earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University, which included studying in Rome with the late architectural historian, Colin Rowe. Brian also serves on the Board of Directors at The Legacy Kids Project and is a member of to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Los Angeles Conservancy. An avid photographer and athlete, he is active with the American Photographic Artists and has played some of the best golf courses around the world.

Ashleigh B. Ranney

Ashleigh Ranney is the Director of Development at Barth Partners responsible for leading the execution of project development from concept design through construction.  Ashleigh is a registered Architect and previously worked at Peter Marino Architect where she was the Project Director of one of the firm’s residential design studios. While at PMA, her most notable projects in the Los Angeles area represented a mix of residential and retail work for clients such as 11201 Chalon Road, Chanel, and LVMH.  Prior to joining Barth Partners, Ashleigh was a Senior Project Manager at Cumming Corporation leading the Project Management team focused on the residential portfolio in the southwest region. Her portfolio included new construction and renovation work of affordable housing mixed-use projects, market-rate multi-family condo and apartment developments, and luxury private single-family residences.  Ashleigh holds her MBA from Columbia Business School at Columbia University and her Master of Architecture & Bachelor of Architecture from The School of Architecture at Tulane University.

David Rinehart

David Rinehart is a Los Angeles-based architect with broad experience in the design of multi- and single-family residences, mixed-use developments, institutional buildings, as well as master planning and urban design. Mr. Rinehart joined Moule & Polyzoides, Architects and Urbanists in early 2019, following over ten years at Robert A.M. Stern Architects in New York. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Environmental Design degree in the History, Theory, and Criticism of Architecture and Urbanism from Yale University, where he was awarded a Beinecke Rare Books & Manuscript Library Fellowship and served as a curatorial assistant for the Yale School of Architecture. Mr. Rinehart is a registered architect in the State of New York, a member of the Society of Architectural Historians, and a Fellow of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, where he has served as an Instructor since 2015. He has taught workshops on classical architecture at universities across the country and has been a lead instructor for the ICAA’s Regional Intensive and Summer Studio in Classical Architecture. He serves on a number of national ICAA committees including the Classicist Committee and the Governance Committee, and is currently Co-Chair of the Events Committee for the Southern California Chapter.

Kurt Roessler, AIA

Project Executive at the construction management company, the I-Grace Company.  I-Grace CEO, David Cohen, along with Marc Appleton, was a cofounder of the ICAA Southern California Chapter in 2004.  Prior to I-Grace, Kurt worked in New York City on a multitude of projects ranging from The Fitzroy to 111 West 57th Street.  Kurt was also a Project Architect for retail projects at Tiffany & Co., where he oversaw the construction of flagship stores across the globe.  His projects have also included the Paris locations of the Ritz and Peninsula Hotels. Kurt, a registered architect in New York State, holds a Master of Architecture degree from the Rhode Island School of Design.

Sonya Adams, Chapter Director

Born and bred on the east coast, Sonya moved to the sunnier climes of California in 2015 from New York City.  Her eclectic career trajectory has taken her from tour manager, artist manager, and brand strategist; to decades-long event producer. Passionate about architecture and art, Sonya began working with ICAA in 2018 to produce the annual Legacy Awards.  She is now the Director of Southern California Chapter and brings her enthusiasm to membership outreach, and expanding the New Heights program.  Her favorite building in Los Angeles is Griffith Observatory, where you will often find her on the surrounding dusty trails.