The Public Service Award acknowledges the impact that an individual or group can have on the world of Architecture.
The 2022 Honor Recipients:
Joseph Cassidy, P.E.
Connecticut Dept. of Administrative Services, Office of the State Building Inspector (Ret.)
Joe Cassidy retired from public service as Connecticut’s State Building Inspector in the summer of 2022.
During his time in office, Joe shepherded and pushed forward code changes to make sure that our state kept up-to-date with the newest model building codes. He fostered a spirit of cooperation with his colleagues in the Office of the State Fire Marshal, other state agencies, and throughout the construction industry. He made himself available to teach seminars and keep communication open with AIA Connecticut and other industry associations. Architects benefited from the prompt and direct communication and responses from him and his staff.
During the pandemic he stayed on beyond his retirement to maintain continuity of service and see us to the adoption of the 2022 Connecticut State Building Code. We are grateful to have public servants like him who clearly put their mission first to the benefit of the entire construction industry and public.
Nominated by: Milton Gregory Grew, AIA
Anna M. Swinbourne, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Hill-Stead Museum
As the Executive Director of the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, Connecticut, Dr. Anna Swinbourne is advancing, with energy and enthusiasm, the legacy of Theodate Pope Riddle (1867-1946), one of America’s first female licensed architects.
Under Dr. Swinbourne’s leadership, the museum completed the adaptive reuse of its carriage and stable barn structures, recognized in 2021 by AIA Connecticut with an Elizabeth Mills Brown Excellence Award. Its new galleries and education spaces allow Hill-Stead to bring its collections to the public and mount new shows, including its 2022 exhibition, A Perfect Perch: The Architect’s Chair.
Dr. Swinbourne has been instrumental in expanding Hill-Stead Museum’s programming to attract a wider audience. In the summer of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Hill-Stead created an outdoor performing arts series that featured 28 events, 12 collaborators, over 100 performers, and more than 2,000 visitors. In addition, Dr. Swinbourne was an arts educator, serving as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History at Trinity College and an Art History Instructor at Miss Porter’s School, where she taught the history of art and architecture.
Nominated by: Charles G. Mueller, AIA, ALA
The 2022 Honorable Mention Recipients:
Chris Franco
President Board of Directors
Greenwich Point Conservancy
The Greenwich Point Conservancy was formed in 2003 in response to deterioration of a number of historically important structures at Greenwich Point mostly relating to the estate of Mr. and Mrs. J.
Kennedy Tod. To date the Conservancy has worked with the Town to restore successfully a number of structures, including the Innis Arden Cottage which has received numerous awards for excellence in historic preservation and adaptive reuse, including a Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation Award for Excellence in Historic Restoration, an American Institute of Architects Award for Restoration and Adaptive Reuse, and a Greenwich Historical Society Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation. Then the Conservancy saved the Feake-Ferris House c1645ii from demolition and are currently working on the 1896 Chimes Building.
As President of the Board of Directors Chris was certainly integral impetus in these preservation efforts bringing his selfless passion to recognize and champion these treasures. Chris continues
to advance the work on the Chimes Building today with the restoration of not only the building but the bells, the oldest of this type of musical mechanism found in North America Through Chris’ work we have been reintroduced to amazing pieces of our collective histories.
Nominated by: Katherine LoBalbo, AIA
Karraine Moody
CEO, Habitat for Humanity
North Central Connecticut Chapter
As the Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut, Karraine Moody is passionate about making a major difference in her community. She believes that through adequate housing, other accomplishments can be made including education attainment, career growth, civic engagement and family stability. Karraine graduated from Trinity College with a self-designed degree in Community Development from Trinity College in 2001. Karraine has held positions with Hartford Public Schools, United Technologies and managed her own consulting firm for a number of years. Karraine has received several awards and accolades, but what is dear to her heart, is the opportunity to create homeownership for families and build sustainable communities.
Karraine is very well connected to the Hartford area community, which magnifies the support that the North Central Chapter receives. Most recently, Karraine was excited to announce that HHNCCC won the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2022 Housing Innovation Award in Affordable Homes category for its Forbes Street home located in East Hartford. The home was designed utilizing insulated concrete forms with the goal of being zero energy. She is looking forward to building more zero energy homes in the future.
Nominated by: Angela Cahill, AIA