CMG’s Betsy del Monte, FAIA, LEED BD+C was recently recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Dallas and Architecture and Design Foundation for this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The AIA Dallas’ Lifetime Achievement award is the highest honor given to an architect by the organization, the nation’s sixth-largest AIA chapter. Betsy was selected for her enduring dedication to sustainability, resiliency, and climate impact. It was especially notable that she was the first woman to receive this award and that her recognition was for the total impact of her work and contributions, not necessarily for the buildings she has designed.
Betsy has been involved with the AIA for over 17 years. She was named a fellow by the AIA and served on the AIA Strategic Council from 2018-2020. She was also the 2021 national chair of AIA’s Committee on the Environment.
As a sustainability consultant with CMG, Betsy co-leads the firm’s sustainability consulting efforts and works with design firms to integrate greater sustainability and resiliency outcomes throughout their practice. She began her career as a design architect with Philip Johnson Architects in New York and then became principal and director of sustainability at Dallas-based The Beck Group. Betsy later developed the curriculum for a master’s degree in the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University.
Decades ago, architects didn’t take environmental concerns as seriously, so Betsy began to pave the way as green building, sustainability, and LEED design principles became more mainstream. She continues to be a leading voice in sustainable architecture and climate impact.