The executive director of the Architectural League of New York, Rosalie Genevro, who brought an association of architects founded in the 19th century firmly into the 21st through a vibrant program of exhibitions, lectures, conferences, competitions, grants, research, and advocacy, will step down in June 2023. Genevro shepherded the League—begun by two dozen New York architects in 1881—into realms that advanced the shifting values of the profession, with an increasingly strong focus on sustainability, equity, cities, and communities. An architectural historian and urbanist, Genevro has led the League since 1985.

The influence of the League stretches far beyond New York, through its recognition of emerging architects from around the globe, and through its role as a platform for progressive designers. Using a variety of means—from convening small groups that address key issues to creating the award-winning online platform Urban Omnibus—the League, under Genevro’s leadership, has encouraged architects to engage more deeply in the most urgent concerns of the day. In a statement, architect Frances Halsband, who was president of the League when Genevro began as executive director, recalled, “From the beginning, her passion for urban life, her dedication to civic value, her commitment to real collaboration, to hearing all voices, were already shaping the League and the world around us.”