LOS ANGELES, Sept. 18, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) today announced the appointment of noted Los Angeles developer Tom Gilmore as Chairman of the school's Board of Trustees.
"I am deeply honored to be named Chairman of SCI-Arc and am committed to growing our legacy of excellence and achievement in architecture and design," said Gilmore, whose appointment coincides with a series of leadership changes at the school.
"I cannot think of a more suitable candidate to serve as Chairman of the SCI-Arc board than Tom Gilmore," said Director Hernan Diaz Alonso. "He has been one of SCI-Arc's pillars for many years, and we are grateful for his renewed commitment to guide the school in exploring new areas of fundraising and institutional growth."
A member of the SCI-Arc Board since 2001, Gilmore succeeds Jerry Neuman, Real Estate, Land Use and Government Relations partner in Liner LLP, who served as chairman since 2010.
"The inauguration of a new Chairman and new Director provides an extraordinary opportunity for SCI-Arc," added Gilmore. "Our predecessors have assembled an outstanding board and faculty who share a vision for innovation, creativity, and real-world experience in our undergraduate and graduate programs. I look forward to enthusiastically supporting Hernan Diaz Alonso along with faculty, students and alumni in our goal to build on this tradition where SCI-Arc is recognized globally as the standard by which other creative institutions are measured."
A native New Yorker and architect by training, Tom Gilmore is a downtown Los Angeles-based developer of residential and commercial properties whose early projects in the city's historic core led to the largest resurgence of real estate investment and development the city has experienced in nearly a century. Following his move to Los Angeles in the early 90s, Gilmore partnered with Jerri Perrone to form an independent development firm, Gilmore Associates, with the goal to embark upon the redevelopment of the city's historic core. His vision for Downtown Los Angeles as a thriving, self-sustaining urban community led him to purchase four abandoned historic buildings: the Continental, the Hellman, the San Fernando, and the Farmers and Merchants National Bank—collectively renamed by Gilmore and Perrone as the "Old Bank District." Gilmore was the first developer to utilize the newly minted Adaptive Reuse Ordinance of 1999, which enabled him to convert historic commercial buildings into mixed-use residences, ultimately catalyzing the widespread redevelopment and revival of Downtown.
Gilmore's ingenuity and tenacity has been recognized through major projects he has spearheaded, most notably Vibiana, a development of the former St. Vibiana's Cathedral as a performing arts center, event facility, and restaurants. Current projects include the transformation of historic spaces within the Hellman Building and the former Farmers and Merchants National Bank into a contemporary museum showcasing Los Angeles, dubbed the Main Museum. Since Gilmore's first historic building opened to residents in 2000, more than 60,000 new residents now call downtown Los Angeles their home and more than $5 billion in residential, business, entertainment and arts projects have been introduced to the city center. Gilmore's commitment to the civic identity of Los Angeles is also evident in his former roles as Commissioner Chair for the LA Homeless Services Authority and Executive Committee Member of the Central City Association. He continues to be involved in civic affairs as Chairman of Sister Cities Los Angeles and as board member of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Bureau.
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