Practice is proud to celebrate Isa Mattia’s selection to this year’s Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) School Facilities Leadership Academy (SFLA). The program, a collaboration between CASH and the California’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT), focuses on educating the next generation of leaders in the state’s K-12 and community college markets. Addressing development, construction, and operational issues from the facility and district perspectives over nine months, Isa’s involvement extends her commitment to equitable and inspiring learning environments, deepening Practice’s already significant team as leaders of cutting-edge learning environments.
Creating Alignment Between Personal and Organizational Goals
Isa’s selection in the program was due in part to a seamless alignment between her professional journey, which has centered on revitalizing K-12 campuses across Southern California, and the goals of the SFLA program. Exposure to state-level experts in finance, management, agency partnering, and operations will expand her and the team’s ability to deliver innovative spaces that empower students to thrive. Her belief in the transformative power of design resonates with the Academy’s mission to build leaders who prioritize collaboration and creativity to enhance the state’s educational infrastructure.
In the application process, Isa alluded to her involvement in large-scale modernization and expansion projects including the current Inglewood High School Comprehensive Modernization, and her role as a collaborative interpreter between stakeholders, client representatives, and the design team. Practice Partner Harry Drake, an education design specialist commented,
“SFLA’s focus on leadership training offers Isa an ideal platform to further her skills and contribute at a larger scale to educational development and student success, particularly within areas of cross-discipline collaboration.”
Equity and Mentorship in Leadership Development
Within Practice and across her professional engagements, Isa has a longstanding passion for developing mentorship and equity in the profession. As a Board Member and Awards Co-Chair for the Southern California-based Association for Women in Architecture Foundation (AWAF), she has been instrumental in expanding the non-profit charity’s scholarship and fellowship programs, doubling application submissions, and creating pathways for increased diversity, equity, and inclusion in recipient selection.
In seeking a seat in this year’s SFLA cohort, she referenced the ability for her to share her experiences with peers and inspire and guide future leaders and teams.
“As a California native, I am excited by the potential to grow my leadership capabilities and contribute to our collective mission to improve the State’s schools and colleges. I am equally as eager to share my experiences and insights with my SFLA cohort to transform the impact we can and should have on future design and construction efforts.”
As Isa embarks on this new chapter, we look forward to the ideas and leadership she will bring to the table. Congratulations to Isa Mattia on this well-deserved achievement!
