Architect John Horky, FAIA, has been selected to receive the prestigious 2021 Golden Award from AIA Wisconsin, the state society of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

The Golden Award is the highest honor the professional organization can bestow upon a member architect. The award distinguishes dedicated leaders in architecture and celebrates contributions to the advancement of the profession.

Horky has been active in AIA Wisconsin for 35 years. As former president of AIA Wisconsin, former president of the Wisconsin Architects Foundation (WAF), current AIA national Strategic Council member, a national AIA Fellow, and Principal at Kahler Slater, Horky is a caretaker for architecture as a profession. He leads from service. As John himself says,

Life reveals the richest of meaning to me when serving others.

“John has made significant contributions to the AIA and the profession as a whole,” according to Jennifer L. Lehrke, AIA, Sheboygan, president of AIA Wisconsin. “To some, serving as President of our statewide component might seem like the epitome of their distinguished service. Not for John. For him, it served as a springboard for decades of continued leadership at the state and national levels including chairing AIA Wisconsin’s Firm Award and Fellowship Committees, participating recently in AIA Wisconsin’s Transition & Search Committee, and currently representing the North Central States Region on the national AIA Strategic Council. It has been a pleasure working with John in these capacities over the last several years. He truly is an inspiration to fellow practitioners.”

Horky graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1984 and became a registered architect in 1986. He earned an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1991. Horky worked for the Zimmerman Design Group from 1984 to 1991, joining Kahler Slater in 1991 as a project manager, eventually joining firm leadership in 1998 as a “steward of people.” As the “HR Guy” for Kahler Slater, Horky has helped to cultivate a work culture that has received national recognition, including being named as one of the 25 Best Small Companies to Work for in America for twelve years in a row by the Great Place to Work® Institute, as published in Fortune magazine, in recognition of its outstanding workplace environment.

With over 1,500 members, AIA Wisconsin represents architects in private practice, business, industry, government and education. Founded in 1911, it is the state society of the American Institute of Architects. The first Golden Award was conferred by the Wisconsin Society of Architects in 1986.