Announcing our 2024 Honored Citizen, Jon Schleuning

Jon Schleuning, 2024 Honored Citizen

April 29, 2024

Every fall, the Oregon architectural and building community comes together to celebrate the work and legacy of some of our most impactful contributors. Our 2024 Honored Citizen, Jon Schleuning, has been instrumental for nearly 50 years in raising public awareness of architecture and its impact on environments.

Jon, a proud native Oregonian, has exhibited great leadership deeply rooted in the values of Portland and the Pacific Northwest. He received the 2014 Medal of Honor from the American Institute of Architects' Northwest & Pacific Region and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. His work spans professional, civic, and volunteer engagements that continue to impact the region in numerous ways.

Jon is most prominently associated with co-founding SRG Partnership, Inc. His passionate, high-energy direction has produced a team-based approach that consistently advances results combining design excellence with experience, function, performance, and context. His many projects include the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, and the Mount St. Helens Visitor’s Center. Notably, the Portland International Airport prior to the current renovations bears Jon’s transformational influence. Through his active leadership in the 1980’s, PDX pioneered the Oregon Market concept, featuring locally-made products at market prices. This daring new strategy very quickly attained unprecedented economic success, making PDX a regional gateway and model for other airports nationwide.

Civically, Jon has challenged tradition to integrate solutions that elevate the human spirit, catalyze communities, and reduce our carbon footprint for individual structures and district-wide scales. His innovative mark is evident in the design and evolution of the Portland Downtown Plan, which he accomplished through a mayoral appointed position. He served on numerous committees and review boards, and advised leaders on projects that led to Pioneer Courthouse Square and the Arts District, including the Portland Art Museum, Oregon Historical Society, and Portland’5 Center for the Arts. His voice ensured design and architectural expertise were present in these specific civic initiatives.

In addition to these accomplishments, Jon dedicated his leadership to design and civic focused organizations, including the AIA, the City Club of Portland, and as a founding member of the Architecture Foundation of Oregon. We are proud to have the opportunity to honor such an impactful member of our community.

"Jon's lasting contribution should not be measured by the number of projects he has completed but by the many people he has impacted. His focus has never been on the past, but on working towards a sustainable future. His legacy lives on through those he has inspired who continue to positively impact the Oregon community and beyond."

- Robert Hoang, Bora Architects, AFO Board

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Announcing AFO's newest award

Oregon's Next

With great excitement, AFO is proud to announce the Oregon’s Next Awards. At our annual Honored Citizen celebration, AFO will recognize 3-5 emerging professionals that have shown an outstanding dedication to the designed and built industry through community service and collaboration.

We welcome you, our community, to nominate individuals for Oregon’s Next. As we collectively work towards welcoming more voices into the architecture, engineering, and construction fields, who stands out as embodying this welcoming, inclusive mindset?

Nominations will open in May, and we encourage statewide recognition.