Moderator

Noelle Mook is a senior project architect with more than twenty years of experience in strategic planning, project design, construction administration, and client relationship management. Her work spans a wide range of project types, including corporate office build-to-suit developments, government projects, transportation and sports facilities, hospitality projects, and complex mixed-use environments. She is known for her detail-oriented approach and her ability to lead multidisciplinary teams through all phases of a project while maintaining alignment with scope, budget, and schedule.

Throughout her career, Noelle has focused on delivering thoughtful, well-coordinated design solutions that result in lasting client satisfaction and meaningful built environments. Raised in a military family, she spent her childhood traveling, which sparked an early appreciation for architectural history and international design influences. While studying abroad in Rome, her exposure to historic architecture and local culture also ignited a lifelong passion for soccer, or football, and she is especially excited to see FIFA come to North Texas. Beyond architecture, Noelle has a deep passion for music, photography, and dance; creative pursuits that continue to inform her design perspective.

Moderator

Noelle MOOK
Senior Associate and Senior Project Architect
BOKA Powell Architects

Panelists

As the Executive Director for the Dallas Sports Commission, Monica Paul plays an essential role in implementing bid strategies and marketing programs that enhance Dallas’ acquisition of sports competitions and events, including solicitation of Olympic, professional, collegiate and amateur sports. Paul also works closely with professional leagues, the NCAA, Olympic National Governing Bodies and amateur sports federations, promoting Dallas as a premier destination for events, conventions and meetings. Paul’s efforts proved instrumental in Dallas being named a Host City for FIFA World Cup 26 and securing nine matches during the tournament, more than any other market in 2026.

Prior to joining Visit Dallas in 2008, Paul was the Associate Director of Events at USA Volleyball, where she oversaw the international events for the USA Women’s and Men’s National Teams. Before that, Paul served as Director of International and Domestic Events for USA Taekwondo, and Director of Events, Marketing and Sponsorships for the Junior Volleyball Association of Austin. Paul earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education at the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Arts in Sports Administration from the University of Northern Colorado. She currently serves on the SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors, Cotton Bowl Classic Board of Directors, the Jason Witten’s SCORE Foundation Board of Directors, Women in Sports & Events (WISE) DFW Chapter Advisory Board, and the University of North Texas Sports Entertainment Management Industry Advisory Board. She was selected as the D CEO Non-profit and Corporate Citizenship Award Winner in Leadership Excellence in 2023, D CEO’s Dallas 500, Women in Business honoree by Dallas Business Journal.

Panelists

Monica PAUL
Executive Director, Dallas Sports Commission
President, North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee

Trey Yelverton has served as City Manager of Arlington, Texas since 2012. During that time he has spearheaded transformative projects in the state’s seventh largest city, including the Levitt Pavilion, College Park District, Downtown City Center, AT&T Stadium, Texas Live!, Loews Arlington Hotel & Convention Center, Globe Life Field, D.R. Horton Headquarters, GM expansion, Six Flags and Forum 303 mall redevelopments, the Arlington Highlands, and city-wide Via Ride Share. Founding Director of the city’s Economic Development Corporation, Yelverton has also led the Housing Authority and Sports Facilities Development Corporation. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, a Master’s from the University of North Texas, and executive education certificates from Texas A&M’s Bush School and Harvard’s JFK School.

Under Yelverton’s leadership, Arlington received AAA bond ratings from public ratings agencies, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Works Cities Gold Certification, all six Transparency Stars from the Texas Comptroller, as well as numerous corporate accreditations and Dallas Business Journal Best Real Estate Deals.

Trey YELVERTON
City Manager
Arlington, Texas

Karen Ann Buchanan, the first Executive Director of The Dallas Architecture Forum (The Forum), passed away peacefully on February 23rd, 2026, in Dallas. Creative, caring, dedicated, and thoughtful are some of the many positive attributes that describe Karen and also Russell Buchanan, FAIA, her devoted and loving life partner. Karen was born January 23rd, 1956, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but spent most of her life in Dallas. She found a lasting soulmate in her husband, Russell, and deeply loved him along with her two sons, Yale Johnson (Rachel) and Evan Johnson (Victoria Villarreal). Karen was an avid reader, a fabulous cook, and the smartest person in the room. She had an infectious smile, a gentle demeanor and a fierce wit. She never met a stranger and always made room for everyone at the table. Her favorite saying was, “We’re lucky to be us.” Conversation was lively around Karen’s dinner table with her masterful cooking generously offered to her guests. Somewhat like a Dallas version of the literary Algonquin Roundtable in New York, people left Karen’s house “smarter than when they started” while enjoying her hospitality. Karen at times had an initial litmus test for people she met – do you read The New Yorker and Dwell, and really care for people in need? If the answers were “yes”, then you and Karen were probably kindred souls who would develop a friendship that would enrich both lives.

After a successful career in business, Karen joined The Dallas Architecture Forum as its inaugural Executive Director in November 2001. Karen brought her organizational skills, singular focus and determination to grow The Forum while continuing to encourage the creative ideas The Forum Board members had. Prior to Karen becoming its Executive Director, The Forum had progressed and begun to make a positive influence in Dallas due to dedicated Board and other volunteers, with some part-time employee help. Karen, along with Forum Board leaders, greatly expanded the beneficial impact of the creative capital from thought leaders into systematic plans that expanded the impact of The Forum. Karen also supported Russell in beginning The Forum’s Panel Discussion Series, where topics of regional and national importance are discussed by local subject matter experts in lively conversation with each other and program attendees. Russell, the recipient of numerous AIA and other design awards with selected pieces of his original furniture designs in the permanent collection of the Dallas Museum of Art, would credit Karen’s organizational skills and management expertise as the foundation on which he excelled both creatively and professionally. Karen and Russell became a powerhouse couple in the Dallas design community .Russell’s architecture and furniture design practice continued to flourish during Karen’s years as Executive Director. In March 2005 Karen passed the baton to current Forum Executive Director Nate Eudaly so that she could manage and continue to grow Russell’s studio on a full-time basis. In her last years, Karen enjoyed a slightly slower pace of life while continuing to make family, friends, and new arrivals to Dallas, including Dallas Morning News architecture critic Mark Lamster and family, welcome in her home.

In deep appreciation of Karen, and in recognition of the lasting positive impact she and Russell achieved by establishing the Panel Discussion Series, The Dallas Architecture Forum is creating an annual Panel that will be named “The Karen Buchanan Memorial Panel” in her honor. Should individuals or organizations desire to support this initiative, they may donate in tribute and memory of Karen to this fund – see link below. Donations in Karen’s honor may also be made to the Alzheimer’s Association and Faith Presbyterian Hospice. Karen will be missed greatly by family, friends, and the Dallas design community; but her legacy will live on and continue to positively impact Dallas.

Karen Buchanan Memorial Panel

Donations in honor of Karen to support the Karen Buchanan Memorial Panel fund can be made at this link

DONATE

Select “Other” on the drop-down menu

Donations may also be made by check to The Dallas Architecture Forum, and mailed to P. O. Box 140769, Dallas, TX  75214.

Thank you!

“Save Dallas City Hall” 

Please visit the expanded Save Dallas City Hall website for more information on action steps you can take to help save Dallas City Hall.

The web address is www.savedallascityhall.com

• City Hall has been a place of public gathering – from celebrations to protests, center of Dallas’ history for almost half a century
• Appx 45 years of deferred maintenance cannot be resolved in a few weeks by “back of napkin” estimates – we have had de facto “demolition by neglect”
• The city must conduct a comprehensive and transparent analysis of needed repairs by recognized experts: Structural engineers, MEP engineers, architects, contractors, and preservation experts
• Commercial office buildings in Dallas may be in similar condition with aging infrastructure and smaller floor plates – City’s track record on this issue is not good – i.e. 7800 N. Stemmons
• Dallas must not destroy an internationally renowned public building for a real estate play for private entertainment
  

How You Can Help Save and Transform City Hall

• Contact your City Council representative
• Ask City Council to insist on a thorough, expert-led study of this crucial issue
• Urge City Council and Staff to analyze financial expense and civic detriment related to relegating the city’s municipal center to rented commercial space
• Insist that the council and city leaders engage innovative design professionals to reimagine the current City Hall plaza and building for the city and its citizens – maintaining this masterpiece while renovating it for future decades
• Talk to friends, neighbors, and colleagues – ask them to contact their City Council member
• Sign the petition at savedallascityhall.com
• Wear a “Save Dallas City Hall” button
• Attend and speak at City Council and other meetings to show support

City Hall and its Future:
A Public Conversation – Video Now on YouTube

“City Hall and Its Future: A Public Conversation” was presented by The Dallas Architecture Forum and the Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture at SMU on January 22, 2026. This important program began with introductory remarks by Eurico Francisco, AIA. Seemee Ali, PhD then examined the historic importance of city centers as places of gathering and civic identity. She also reviewed how Dallas civic visionaries led by then-mayor J. Erik Jonsson commissioned Pritzker prize-winning architect I M Pei to design our current Dallas City Hall to move forward from the shadow of the Kennedy assassination. Ali noted that Pei was personally selected by Jackie Kennedy to design JFK’s Presidential Library in Boston, and allowing our current Dallas City Hall to be destroyed would create yet again a gaping wound in the urban fabric of Dallas.

Economist Cullum Clark, PhD, faculty member at SMU, presented important economic data about what creates and sustains a vibrant city center, including informative data showing how Dallas compares with other major cities on key metrics related to this issue.  He also discussed the adverse impact that sports arenas, convention centers, and casinos located in city centers can have on the city’s residents. Some of those results may include public intoxication, drug use, and prostitution. Clark’s data also indicated that even well-managed convention centers are generally “vacant” about 60% of the time, with no positive street activation around them when not in use.

Bob Meckfessel, FAIA enumerated concerns he and other leading architects in Dallas have about the process certain developers and city leaders are pursuing to force a premature decision to abandon our current city hall.

The program concluded with a video by Quin Mathews highlighting key elements of the history, durability, and importance of the I M Pei-designed City Hall.

Dallas city staff members were invited by program organizers to participate in this discussion but declined to do so.

Watch the “City Hall and its Future: A Public Conversation” Video Below

“Save Dallas City Hall” 

Please visit the expanded Save Dallas City Hall website for more information on action steps you can take to help save Dallas City Hall.

The web address is www.savedallascityhall.com

• City Hall has been a place of public gathering – from celebrations to protests, center of Dallas’ history for almost half a century
• Appx 45 years of deferred maintenance cannot be resolved in a few weeks by “back of napkin” estimates – we have had de facto “demolition by neglect”
• The city must conduct a comprehensive and transparent analysis of needed repairs by recognized experts: Structural engineers, MEP engineers, architects, contractors, and preservation experts
• Commercial office buildings in Dallas may be in similar condition with aging infrastructure and smaller floor plates – City’s track record on this issue is not good – i.e. 7800 N. Stemmons
• Dallas must not destroy an internationally renowned public building for a real estate play for private entertainment
  

How You Can Help Save and Transform City Hall

• Contact your City Council representative
• Ask City Council to insist on a thorough, expert-led study of this crucial issue
• Urge City Council and Staff to analyze financial expense and civic detriment related to relegating the city’s municipal center to rented commercial space
• Insist that the council and city leaders engage innovative design professionals to reimagine the current City Hall plaza and building for the city and its citizens – maintaining this masterpiece while renovating it for future decades
• Talk to friends, neighbors, and colleagues – ask them to contact their City Council member
• Sign the petition at savedallascityhall.com
• Wear a “Save Dallas City Hall” button
• Attend and speak at City Council and other meetings to show support

Enjoy this E-Magazine about our 2024-2025 Season 

The Dallas Architecture Forum is pleased to present inspiring talks by past Forum speakers on our YouTube Channel!

View the great design thought leaders already on the channel (or soon to be posted) below.

Make sure to select the “Subscribe” button and the bell icon on our new channel to be notified of new Forum content while you’re on YouTube.

Experience inspired design — virtual and online!