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MEET THE 2024 AIA CORPUS CHRISTI BOARD OF DIRECTORS & STAFF
Alejandro Garza, AIA, NCARB – 2024 President
Alex grew up in Laredo, TX. He attended Trinity University in San Antonio followed by the University of Texas at San Antonio where he received a Master of Architecture. He is a registered Architect with over a decade’s worth of experience in the architecture and planning industry. Skilled in Building Information Modeling (BIM), Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), sustainable design, project management and document production through all phases of project delivery. Alex worked with firms in San Antonio and Austin before settling in Corpus Christi in 2021. He is currently working with Richter Architects as a Project Architect.
Alex is currently serving with the Texas Society of Architects (TxA) as a member of the TAC committee. Alex enjoys outdoor activities, especially fishing. You will find him at all hours of the night and day fishing for that catch of the day.
Rob Garcia, AIA, NCARB – 2024 President-Elect
Rob grew up in the Corpus Christi area and attended Calallen High School. After graduation he attended Texas A&M College Station where he received a Bachelor’s in Environmental Design – Architecture in 2001. After graduation Rob worked with multiple firms in Texas before moving to the Greater New Orleans, LA area. He continued his passion for architecture working with several firms, as well as becoming and Adjunct Instructor for Tulane University.
“I believe that design can impact lives. I believe we should honor the communities we touch with our work through innovation, respect, collaboration, and artistry of space.”
Rob returned to the Corpus Christi area in 2021 and is now a Studio Director/Architect for Levy Dykema Architects. Rob lives with his family and new puppy, Beaux in the London area of Corpus Christi.
Madeline Layland, AIA – 2024 Treasurer
Architect for Levy Dykema. Madeline is originally from Durham, North Carolina. She moved to Corpus Christi from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma after completing a Bachelor of Architecture from Oklahoma State University. Madeline attained her License of Architecture in 2022, one of the first in the AIACC chapter to do so in many years.
Madeline has also served as the Director for Emerging Professionals for AIACC for the past 2 years. She headed the committee for the AIACC Canstruction team in 2022.
Victor Cruz, AIA – 2024 Secretary
After earning his Master of Architecture from Texas Tech University in 2011, Victor R. Cruz commenced his journey with LaMarr Womack and Associates, LP as an intern. Over the past 12 years, he has played a key role in production management, overseeing and assigning tasks to the CAD team, managing computer systems, including BIM processes and workflows. Victor has been integral to design processes during the Schematic and Design Development Phases of all projects. Victor now holds the esteemed position of Partner at LWA, playing a significant role in contributing to the firm’s overall success.
Outside of design, Victor enjoys Lego building, travel and home renovation projects.
Andrea Riojas, AIA – 2024 Immediate Past President 
Andrea Riojas, AIA is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Design. She has been practicing architecture in Corpus Christi and south Texas for the past 18 years and is a principal architect for CLK Architects & Associates, Inc. Andrea enjoys the opportunity to work closely with clients from the inception of a project until the completion. Her professional work has included a variety of project types throughout south Texas, namely healthcare, commercial, industrial, and religious.
Andrea’s husband, Gilly, is a fellow Aggie and they have a teenage daughter who loves reading plans and picking paint colors. Andrea is happy to serve our local AIA chapter in her role as a board member and looks forward to the opportunity to be an advocate for the architecture profession in the Corpus Christi area.
Connie Rivera, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP – 2023 TxA Director
After growing up in the Coastal Bend and graduating from Carroll High School, Connie attended the University of Texas at Austin obtaining a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1994. She has been practicing architecture in Corpus Christi for over 20 years, currently working with Richter Architects as Project Manager. Her background includes teaching in the Department of Architectural/Drafting Technology at Del Mar College, working with an architectural graphics design company, and managing the operations of AIA Corpus Christi as their Executive Director. She has managed challenging, award-winning preservation projects, and worked with many of her colleagues to facilitate the implementation of the vision of a local community college.
Connie first became active in the AIA Corpus Christi chapter in 2000 serving as Associate Director. She later was hired as their Executive Director and served in that role from 2008 through 2011. After stepping down, she continued to serve on the AIA CC board, becoming chapter president in 2014. During her tenure at AIA CC she was instrumental in the launch of several programs such as Code Academy, Summer Architectural Academy, and Smart Growth Forum.
She later served with the Texas Society of Architects (TxA) beginning in 2015 as Chapter Director, and continued as VP of Professional Development, VP of Advocacy and finally as President in 2020.
Connie enjoys running, reading, traveling and visiting car shows and road rallies with her son.
Eric Rivera, AIA – At Large Director
Eric grew up in Corpus Christi and graduated from Carrol High School. He attended Texas A&M University in College Station. He is a licensed architect in the state of Texas with experience in all phases of planning and design for many different project types ranging from private, high-end residences to commercial structures in both the public and private sectors, and various building types for area counties and municipalities. He worked with several local firms including Dykema Architects, WKMC Architects and Hanson Professional Services, Inc., before opening his own firm, Rivera Architectural Services, PLLC in 2021. Eric received his Registered Accessibility Specialist license in Texas in March, 2021.
Taylor Mauck, AIA – At Large Director
Taylor is a long time residence of Corpus Christi. He graduated from Calallen High School, Del Mar College with an AAS in Architectural Technology, attended two years at University of Houston, School of Architecture and graduated in 1986 from The University of Texas at San Antonio with a BFA (concentration in architecture).
He came back to Corpus and started working for Island Architects in 1987 and has been a principle of the firm for the past ten years.
He has served on the Corpus Christi Zoning Board of Adjustments five terms and one as chairman. He has also been a member of Padre Island Rotary Club.
He enjoys traveling, hiking, biking (both kinds) and anything outdoors. He is married and has two adult children.
John Montalvo, Assoc. AIA – At Large Director
John is a senior construction manager with over 40 years of experience in the construction industry in civil and architectural engineering, architecture, construction, construction management and inspection, and program management. He has deep roots in Corpus Christi and grew up around construction starting in junior high school helping his dad on weekends and summers working as a carpenter’s helper on small residential and commercial projects. After graduating from King High School, he attended Del Mar College before obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Design from Texas A&M University then his Master of Science in Architectural Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.
While in grad school he worked for the director of the Construction Industry Institute as a graduate research assistant researching and drafting chapters for a National Science Foundation publication on the Japanese construction industry and was selected for a graduate internship with the Taisei Corporation (a large full service engineering, architecture and construction company) in their Tokyo, Japan headquarters in their research and development division.
After grad school, John worked for a large national general contractor, Hensel Phelps Construction Co., traveling around the country and overseas working on a wide variety of large and complex projects ranging from military engineering schools, aviation and light rail to high tech multi-billion dollar design-build semiconductor facilities, quickly rising through the ranks to work concurrently in their program management, general construction and international divisions in California and Texas before shifting careers to settle down in Houston to start a family. John went on to work for 23 years and counting with Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam, Inc. (LAN), initially with their former architectural division and then in their infrastructure division first in their Houston and Conroe, Texas offices and currently in their Corpus office, working on a wide variety and numerous architectural, aviation, port, coastal, infrastructure, program management, civil and architectural engineering projects. He is a former board member of the Houston Hispanic Architects and Engineers and past president of the Nueces County Historical Society.
Nallely Chavarria, Assoc. AIA – Associate
Director For Emerging Professionals
Nallely is an architectural intern at Richter Architects. She moved to Corpus Christi about a year ago, and fell in love with the laid back lifestyle here! Spending time with family and friends, traveling, and being involved in her local church are a few things that she enjoys doing in her free time. In 2021, she graduated from Texas A&M University (whoop!) and now is on the path to licensure. As Associate Director, she is looking forward to connecting and providing mentorship to other emerging professionals in the area!
AIA Corpus Christi Staff
Executive Director
Suzan began serving as the part-time AIACC Executive Director in 2021. She was a Flight Attendant for Southwest Airlines for over 25 years, retiring in 2022. She has a BA in History from Texas A&M University College Station. Her love of history is also why she started Italy With Friends Tours over 15 years ago. Guiding small group tours to Italy and Southern France is her true love and before the pandemic, she spent several months a year in Italy. History and architecture go hand and hand, so serving as the Executive Director for AIACC provides many opportunities for learning new and interesting subjects. Suzan grew up near Sinton, Texas and currently lives on her family’s ranch near Lake Corpus Christi with her many friends that include cats, longhorn cattle and chickens, and yes, they all have names.
