Architect LoriAnne Jones Achieves ‘Hall of Honor’ Distinction at Alma Mater

DIGroup Architecture, New Jersey’s largest majority Black-owned architectural firm, is proud to announce the induction of LoriAnne Jones into the ‘Hall of Honor’ at John P. Stevens High School in Edison, NJ. 

The Hall of Honor began in 1998 to acknowledge the accomplishments of alumni who exemplify the ideals of the school and serve as excellent role models for the students. “As a student I remember the Hall of Honor display was something to behold, so I am incredibly touched to have been nominated and selected for the 2022 Hall of Honor class,” said Ms. Jones.

She went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from NJIT with a Bachelor of Architecture and interned at several architectural firms while working toward licensure. Once licensed, she became an Associate at a regional A/E firm and then went on to earn her MBA with a double concentration in Strategy and Leadership, and Entrepreneurship from Rutgers Business School.
In 2017, LoriAnne joined DIGroup Architecture, whose mission is to help communities create positive change through architecture. She works with clients in Education and Healthcare, specializing in community health center design.

During her term as Section President of AIA-Central NJ from 2020-2021, she became the first Black female to be named the Young Architect of the Year by AIA NJ, a coveted title for exceptional leadership and significant contributions in the field of architecture. She was a featured panelist in AIA NJ’s six-part Diversity in Architecture Series, guest reader in their Storytime series for children, as well as a guest on the podcast What’s Going On? Episode 18: Opening Doors to a Career in Architecture for Young People of Color through Mentoring. She also has been a Board Member, Team Leader, and Mentor of the ACE Mentor Program of New Jersey since 2010, which exposes students to careers in architecture, construction, and engineering.

Her innate spirit of diversity, community, collaboration, as well as commitment to the profession is reinforced by her lineage. Her grandmother, who started as a draftswoman, managed and operated an architecture firm in Georgetown, Guyana, and today, LoriAnne works alongside her father’s management consultancy firm on community-based design projects.

“Given the challenging diversity profile in the architecture profession, where African American women represent only 0.4% of the licensed architects in the country, I am exceptionally proud to be one of them,” said Ms. Jones. Vincent Myers President of DIGroup Architecture added, “her leadership and contributions have positively impacted many minority students and have given them exposure and an opportunity to explore a profession they may not have otherwise considered. She has risen above her own challenges as a Black woman to embrace and help others learn about the profession she loves.”