AIA Oregon has appointed Stuart Emmons, AIA LEED AP as the new State Disaster Assistance Coordinator. State disaster coordinator(s) are AIA members that will establish/ maintain a relationship with state and/or local county Emergency Management Officials, their state or local AIA component, and AIA National. Coordinators work with their component to establish/ maintain a roster of potential volunteers and assist in Disaster Assistance Trainings. Coordinators must take any state-required trainings or certification courses. In some cases, the disaster assistance point person will become the state disaster coordinator.

Stuart has 35 years of architectural and planning experience and is licensed as an architect in all western states. Emmons has focused much of his career on housing, and for the last decade has been involved in innovative prefab modular housing for people experiencing homelessness, workforce housing, and emergency housing for disasters. In addition, Stuart is experienced in preparedness for natural disasters, especially seismic and tsunamis. On a personal note: Emmons was close to the epicenter of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake in Los Angeles, and studied the impacts and responses to that event directly; and has done research on tsunami and earthquake preparedness during his time on the Oregon North Coast in the last 3 years.

Emmons is active in several Oregon communities and is a former candidate for Portland City Commissioner. Emmons holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and a Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University.