Cheryl Lynn McAfee, , (born c. 1958), is an American architect. She is the

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of McAfee, an architecture firm founded by her father Charles F. McAfee. In 1990, she was the first women to receive an architecture license in the state of Kansas. McAfee was named one of the "Top Women Architects" by

Ebony magazine ''Ebony'' is a monthly magazine that focuses on news, culture, and entertainment. Its target audience is the African-American community, and its coverage includes the lifestyles and accomplishments of influential black people, fashion, beauty, an ...

in 1995. McAfee led the design and construction of sports venues of the

1996 Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

in Atlanta. She is also known as Cheryl Lynn McAfee-Mitchell.

Early life and education

Cheryl Lynn McAfee was born in c. 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, to parents Gloria Myrth Winston and Charles F. McAfee. Her sister Charyl Frena McAfee-Duncan is also an architect and works at McAfee. She graduated with a

B.Arch The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) is a bachelor's degree designed to satisfy the academic requirement of practising architecture around the world. Australia Architectural education in Australia varies depending on the university offering th ...

in 1979 from

Kansas State University Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

; and with a master of architecture degree in 1981 from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. She had interned at

The Architects Collaborative The Architects Collaborative (TAC) was an American architectural firm formed by eight architects that operated between 1945 to 1995 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The founding members were Norman C. Fletcher (1917-2007), Jean B. Fletcher (1915-196 ...

(TAC) under Sarah P. Harkness, before and during her attendance at Harvard University. In 1994, she married Reginald C. Mitchell.

Career

She started working at McAfee (formerly Charles F. McAfee Architects, Engineers, and Planners firm) in 1981. In 1990, she was the first women to receive an architecture license in the state of Kansas. She relocated in 1990 to Atlanta to prepare to lead the design and construction for all 33 sports venues of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. After the end of the Olympics, she worked to convert the Olympic Stadium into

Turner Field Turner Field was a baseball stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia. From 1997 to 2016, it served as the home ballpark to the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium in 1996 to serve as the c ...

. In 1995, Mc Afee was elected as president of

National Organization of Minority Architects The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) is a professional organization for individuals practicing architecture and allied professionals to advance justice and equity in communities of color. History In 1968, activist and executiv ...

(NOMA) and was the first female president. She was the principal architect on the joint design effort for the

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , also known as Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport, Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield, Hartsfield–Jackson and, formerly, as the Atlanta Municipal Airport, is the primary internatio ...

from 2000 until 2015. McAfee was elected to the Fellow of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

(FAIA) in 2003. In 2004, McAfee was the chair of the design commission in the city of Atlanta.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McAfee, Cheryl L. Living people 1950s births People from Wichita, Kansas African-American architects 20th-century American architects 21st-century American architects 21st-century American women American women architects Architects from Georgia (U.S. state) Fellows of the American Institute of Architects Harvard Graduate School of Design alumni Kansas State University alumni

Early life and education

Career

See also

References