Ray Stubblefield, AIA

My journey into architecture and the AEC industry began at the tender age of four building my own basketball hoop — I was too impatient to wait for my dad and that drive, initiative, and sense of pride to get things built still fuels me today. My cousin introduced me to sketching and drawing at eight years old, and I immediately fell in love with the arts. Strangely enough, it was an exit plan at the Saint Louis Art Museum that opened my eyes up to building plans and the world of architecture. These early childhood events lead to me setting my eyes on becoming an architect and attending Kansas State University.

760 Ralph McGill Blvd / New City Properties

After architecture school, I briefly worked for Treanor Architects (St. Louis, MO), obtaining civic and government building experience. However, the majority of my career was spent working in commercial retail, restaurants at LK Architecture (Wichita, KS), cutting my teeth in construction documentation, spec writing, construction administration, and permitting. While in Wichita, I became a licensed architect, LEED-certified, NCARB AXP Supervisor, an active member of the City of Wichita Building Codes Standards and Appeals, and was named to the 2017 Wichita Biz Journal 40 Under 40.

760 Ralph McGill Blvd / Ray Stubblefield

In 2018, we moved to Atlanta, and my architectural experiences changed. I worked for THA Consulting (becoming Park Smart Certified) as a parking consultant and then for HKS as a construction administrator. The past four years allowed me to obtain experiences in commercial mixed-use, hospitality, healthcare, and parking structures – from conceptualization through construction.

Now, I’ve transitioned to opening a new office for Galloway & Company. A full-service design AE firm with offices in Colorado, Utah, California, Kansas, and now Georgia. This new opportunity is tough, challenging, and rewarding, allowing me to enhance my professional and personal development.

Neuhoff MXU / New City Properties

Relocating to Atlanta I feel a new sense of opportunity, engagement, and connectivity to a profession that didn’t always give me a sense of belonging. I never was engaged in the AIA (nor any other architectural organizations) until moving to Atlanta, and it’s been a great experience getting involved. I’m a 2022 graduate of the AIA Georgia Christopher Kelley Leadership Program, participating as an AIA Atlanta GT Mentor, ACE Mentor, NOMA Project Pipeline Mentor, and NOMA Atlanta Parliamentarian. I love mentoring young people, hanging with my family, and officiating sports.

Recent advice

The most recent advice given to me was by Dean Hyers (Sage Presence) at the 2022 Aspire conference. As I was leaving the conference, I ran into Dean and explained the impact his presentation had on me especially as it pertains to opening a new office in Atlanta for Galloway & Co. Dean simply said, “Don’t quit, don’t ever give up.” Simple, powerful, and applicable to every aspect of our careers and life. Perseverance is the key to success.

UK MXU / Signet Real Estate Group