Kurt Roessler, AIA, Chapter President

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.

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).

John P. Margolis, Chapter Secretary

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.

Ashleigh B. Ranney, Chapter Treasurer

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.

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.

Jim Coyle

Jim is a licensed architect in his home state of Florida and Senior Project Manager at Tim Barber Architects. He earned a B.Arch degree from the University of Notre Dame, where he participated in the Rome Studies Program. He worked in Winchester, England, and New York City before moving to LA in 2017. Jim was a member of the SoCal Neoclassicists from 2019 to 2023 and recently became co-chair of the chapter’s Events Committee. He has taught with New Heights, ICAA’s youth education program, since 2020. In 2023, Jim was awarded the Christopher H. Browne Scholarship and attended the ICAA Drawing Tour in Newport, RI. Jim previously participated in both the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Diversity Scholarship Program and the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Community Leadership Boot Camp. He is an active docent at both Hollyhock House and the Schindler House.

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.

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.

Valerie Thomas

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.

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.