2024 Class of Fellows, Joseph Imamura, FASLA, Potomac Chapter

Architect of the Capitol, Washington, D.C.
by Architect of the Capitol

Potomac Chapter - Category: Leadership/Management

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Potomac Chapter - Category: Leadership/Management

Joe Imamura is a skilled practitioner, mentor, educator, volunteer, and leader, spanning multiple levels of government - city, state, federal, and tribal nation - and disciplines. A registered Landscape Architect, as well as an architect, certified planner, and trained engineer, he holds the unique honor of being the only Landscape Architect and the first minority to serve as the Special Delegate of the Architect of the Capitol. During his 16-plus years in the federal government, he has quickly earned a series of promotions that led to his leadership role at the Architect of the Capitol. Before then, he worked with Native American tribes and state officials through the General Services Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs to design and build cemeteries for disadvantaged and underserved veterans in rural areas of the country. Imamura's current role designates him as a commissioner for the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission established by Congress, an agency representative to help guide policy on the U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and a zoning commissioner on the Board of Zoning Adjustment for the District of Columbia. Imamura is an award-winning educator, having spent more than a decade as an instructor and researcher at two universities. He also volunteers his time and leadership as a county commissioner on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in Virginia. Imamura's leadership and broad influence demonstrate a lifelong campaign to build public trust and increase recognition for the critical role Landscape Architects play in shaping federal policies, programs, and key project decisions at the highest level of government.