Tinker Ma, LLC announces that Principal Tilman (Trey) Wheeler, FAIA has been named to The American Institute of Architects College of Fellows. This is among the highest awards given by AIA, and only 3 percent of architects achieve this honor. Mr. Wheeler joins two other Chattanooga architects as the third architect in the city to hold this distinction.
Chattanoogan and Baylor graduate James R. Franklin (1932-2013) was named to Fellowship in 1988 as a member of the AIA Washington D.C. chapter. Samuel Manning Patton of Chattanooga became a Fellow when the Western Association of Architects merged with AIA in 1889. Mr. Wheeler is the first architect to be named to Fellowship through the current process as a member of AIA Chattanooga.
Mr. Wheeler has been recognized for leading the Institute through persistent advocacy, shaping policy and statute, and teaching others to work effectively to create change. He has completed two terms as AIA Tennessee president and served as AIA TN’s Government Advocacy Committee chair for 11 consecutive years. Mr. Wheeler has also represented Tennessee on AIA National’s State Government Network for 11 years.
“Trey has fostered a sense of ownership and enthusiasm among membership to advocate for the profession and the built environment, “said Ashley Cates, executive vice president of AIA Tennessee. “His contribution to AIA is a testament to the transformative power of effective leadership.”
Beginning in 2015, Mr. Wheeler has led AIA Tennessee’s long-term efforts to shape the Historic Preservation Grant pilot program and advocate for a Historic Preservation Tax Credit. As a result, more than $25 million in funds through the Historic Preservation Grant Program has successfully leveraged more than $32 million in private funds for the preservation of some of the State’s most celebrated structures. Mr. Wheeler also collaborated with AIA National staff to develop AIA’s P3 Legislative Resource Guide, a widely circulated document both nationally and internationally that has profoundly impacted P3 legislation worldwide.