Meet the team leading the charge to ensure architects are at the policymaker’s table to affect positive and equitable social, environmental, and economic outcomes for the profession and the commonwealth. This includes lobbying state lawmakers, their staff, and other government officials and agencies to provide architects’ guidance on policies that impact the built environment and in turn the health, safety, and welfare of all Pennsylvanians. AIA Pennsylvania members’ technical expertise and experience are critical to the priority issues as charted by the Government Affairs team and informed by the membership’s feedback each two-year legislative session cycle.
Lend your expertise to one of our government affairs committees and join us for our annual grassroots advocacy events – Architects Action Day set for March 23, 2021 and District Days in July.
Stephen Swarney, JD | Executive Director, AIA Pennsylvania
Stephen M. Swarney, J.D. started at AIA Pennsylvania in September 2013 with a mission to make architects the voice of the construction industry. Swarney is a registered lobbyist and has an extensive network that includes members of the Pennsylvania House and Senate and their staffs as well as design and construction related advocacy organizations. In his role at AIA Pennsylvania, Swarney demonstrates extensive knowledge and experience in strategic planning, legislative advocacy, legal activity and grassroots activism. Swarney is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and the Pennsylvania Association of Government Relations. He received his Juris Doctor Degree from the Widener University School of Law, a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration from Mansfield University and has completed Graduate Coursework in Organizational Leadership in the areas of Government and Community Relations. Steve resides in Harrisburg with his wife and three children, and spends some of his spare time as a PIAA Football Official.
Amal Mahrouki | Director of Legislative Affairs, AIA Pennsylvania
Amal is an Association Management and Government Relations professional with a talent for building coalitions and strengthening relationships through advocacy. Known for her dynamic personality and making a lasting impression, Amal has developed great relationships in the Harrisburg community with legislators, staff, lobbyists, association professionals, and the occasional artist. Amal has been with AIA Pennsylvania since September of 2014. She started as the Manager of Member Relations and Advocacy and was promoted to the Director of Legislative Affairs in January of 2017. Amal graduated from DeSales University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre. She spent the first three years of her career as a professional actor in live theatre before she began her work in Pennsylvania politics in 2013.
Scott Compton, AIA, NCARB, LEEP AP | Government Affairs Committee Co-Chair
Scott is a Principal with Compton Insights, an architecture and planning firm focused on sustainable solutions to extend the lifecycle of existing buildings and campuses. With over 30 years of experience in architectural design, systems integration, facilities management, and historic preservation, Scott has managed the assessment of facilities for institutional, governmental, and commercial clients nationwide.
A Citizen Architect, Scott currently serves as the Pennsylvania Representative to the AIA National Strategic Council (class ’23) and was most recently Chair of AIA National’s Corporate Architects and Facility Managers Advisory Group (CAFM). Locally, Scott served as the 2018 President of AIA Pennsylvania, and continues serving as Co-Chair Emeritus of their Government Affairs Committee, and AIA Pennsylvania Director to the AIA Philadelphia Board.
He is a regular presenter at regional conferences and has offered testimony on architectural topics to Pennsylvania House and Senate legislators on school construction lifecycles and historic preservation tax credits. For the past few years, Scott has been working to bridge the advocacy efforts of AIA Pennsylvania, Green Building United, the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, and AIA Philadelphia for legislation impacting the built environment.
Adam Trott, AIA | Government Affairs Committee Co-Chair
Adam J. Trott, AIA is Owner and Principal of AJT Architect in his hometown of Erie, PA. Mr. Trott started his firm in 2011, after serving as Managing Partner of TJF Architect in Erie. He is NCARB certified and holds registrations in the Erie Tri-State area of Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio.
Mr. Trott is very active in the Erie Community being President of Bike Erie, President of Connect Urban Erie (CU Erie), President of the E.C.A.T.O. Building Code Appeals Board (Erie County Association of Township Officials), Secretary of the Fairview–Harborcreek–Millcreek Townships Building Code Appeals Boards, and Past President of the Erie Kiwanis Club, Erie Connect Plus Respect (Erie CPR), the St. James School Board and the St. Gregory’s School Board of North East, PA. He is a Life Member of the Penn State Alumni Association and is a current Architect Mentor for the Penn State School of Architecture Student Mentor Program.
Mr. Trott has co-authored many op-eds on the urban condition of Erie and continues to make many media appearances speaking out on urban issues of Erie advocating for social justice and the value of repurposing existing buildings and structures to preserve neighborhood heritage.
The following government affairs subcommittee and taskforce chairs serve as key advisors and subject matter experts.
Let Amal Mahrouki know if you are interested in lending your expertise to any of the committees outlined below.
- James Mehaffey, AIA | Building Codes Subcommittee Chair
- Brian Smiley, AIA | Subcommittee on the Environment (sCOTE) Chair
- R. Jeffrey (Jeff) Straub, AIA | School Construction Subcommittee
- Adam Trott, AIA | Practice Encroachment Taskforce
- Mary McClenaghan, AIA | Legal Reform Taskforce
- Bruce Johnson, AIA | Licensure Subcommittee
- A. Stevens (Steve) Krug, AIA | DGS & Procurement Subcommittee
- Ken Doyno, AIA | Housing Subcommittee
- Scott Compton, AIA | Historic Preservation Taskforce
- Al Comly, AIA and Larry Fabbroni, AIA | Disaster Assistance Committee