Emerging Professional of the Year: Trey V. Meyer, AIA

In recognition of his commitment to the profession, the Toledo Chapter of the American Institute of Architects is pleased to announce that Trey V. Meyer, AIA, has been named Emerging Professional of the Year for 2024.

Trey Meyer is an Architect with The Collaborative, working out of the Toledo, Ohio office.  Trey holds a Master of Architecture from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Cincinnati. Since becoming a licensed architect in 2017, Trey has built a dynamic career, primarily rooted in the Midwest. His professional journey includes roles as a project coordinator at FRCH (Nelson) in Cincinnati, OH and an Associate Architect at Moody Nolan in its Chicago and Columbus offices.

With a diverse portfolio spanning multi-family residential, retail, commercial, healthcare, and education projects, Trey has partnered with clients across the country, including Chicago Public Schools, Ohio State University, Macy’s Corporation, Related Midwest, and others. As a business professional that serves many unique clients, he prides himself on contributing his range, diligence, and perceptiveness to project teams and has a talent for proactively discerning said clients’ individual needs. 

Growing up in rural Northwest Ohio, Trey understood the importance of mentorship and contributing to the community from an early age. In high school, his art teachers encouraged him to explore architecture – helping hone his talents in art and appealing to his curiosity in “how things are made.” His collegiate mentors pushed him to explore the built world beyond Ohio, leading him to internships in cities such as New York City, NY and Charleston, SC. His first internship was a role he landed at The Collaborative in Toledo, a firm he proudly rejoined as an Architect almost a decade later, in the same region and community that first inspired him to pursue architecture.

Service to the community is a thread of continuity in Trey’s career, of which he is most proud. As his mentors did before him, Trey is glad to give back to his personal and professional communities, encouraging those with an early affinity for architecture. He has participated in numerous events, including Chicago’s “My Block-My Hood-My City” youth program; CANstruction; National Organization of Minority Architect's (NOMA) Project Pipeline sessions; Cincinnati's Design Lab; and Eastland Fairfield Tech’s (Gahanna, OH) Architecture/Construction Management mentoring program. As someone who appreciates the continuous evolution of the field and an occupation that encourages continuous learning, Trey has been eager to simultaneously participate and lead as a mentor and advisor. He has helped steer and execute a variety of student engagement programs and endeavors, exposing the field to students of all ages (elementary to collegiate) and socio-economic backgrounds.

Trey has been fortunate to lead a variety of education-centered programs throughout the Midwest. While at Moody Nolan, he led an 'Architects-in-Schools' program at Whittier Elementary in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, hosted through the local AIA chapter. Expanding this K-12 outreach at Moody Nolan’s Columbus office, he developed a two-day program called 'High School Design Workshop', with support from Ohio State University and Columbus's The Center for Architecture and Design.  In Toledo, Trey joined AIA Toledo’s High School Design Competition committee, where he currently helps organize and plan the annual competition.

Trey V. Meyer, AIA
Architect at The Collaborative Inc.

Trey is an advocate of the architecture profession. As a 'Licensure Champion' while at Moody Nolan, he supported ten of his colleagues in earning their licenses in 2021 alone. He has also served on AIA Chicago’s Community Interface Committee, co-chaired AIA Columbus’s Emerging Professionals Group, and now helps organize discussions for The Collaborative’s Emerging Professionals. 

Trey and his wife, Allie, reside in Ottawa Hills with their daughter Frankie and golden retriever, Daisy. In his free time he enjoys sketching, enjoying a cocktail (or two), and spending time at Clear Lake, Indiana with his family.

Trey V. Meyer, AIA, will be honored as AIA Toledo Emerging Professional of the Year at AIA Toledo’s Annual Meeting & Honor Awards Celebration on December 12, 2024.