Speaker’s Biography

Dale Dekker AIA AICP
Text Box: Dale Dekker is passionate about improving the quality of life for people and the environments they live in. Over the years he has created an extensive network of clients, associates and friends. His ideas, dedication to his work, and public service have greatly benefited the growth and sustainability of communities throughout the southwest. As an experienced architect, Dale is committed to building better states and communities. Born in San Antonio, Texas, Dale spent most of his childhood in New Mexico where he attended Albuquerque Public Schools from 1958-1970. After graduating high school he returned to Texas to begin his formal education in Lubbock at Texas Tech University. While there he was listed as a Who’s Who of United States College Students, a member of the Texas Tech University Student Representative Facilities Planning Committee, and awarded the Reynolds Aluminum Design Award in 1973 and the Texas Society of Architecture Design Award in 1974. After graduating from Texas Tech University in 1975, Dale returned to New Mexico to begin his professional career. He worked for several firms before joining his father in 1981. As an original founder of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, Dale has over 25 years experience as a registered architect and planner. His extensive experience includes neighborhood revitalization projects, award winning school designs, historic renovations, mixed use community developments, high tech, one-of-a-kind research facilities, creative and functional commercial office buildings, and socially responsible designs of assisted living facilities for the elderly. Dale has developed strong powerful relationships with individuals and companies that are routinely brought together to assist our clients in creating successful projects. A recent example of Dale’s efforts is the nationally recognized renovation and adaptive re-use of the Old Albuquerque High School, near downtown Albuquerque. This project “saved” one of the more architecturally significant and loved structures in our community for future generations, through a complex private-public partnership. Dale has become an industry leader by bringing green building to a forefront in his community. His firm, Dekker/Perich/Sabatini has designed several green buildings that have received recognition from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Some of these facilities include Advent Solar, an 85,000 square foot manufacturing plant that was designed to achieve LEED Silver Certification from the USGBC, the Mesa Del Sol Fire station which was designed to achieve LEED Platinum Certification from the USGBC, and finally Jefferson Green, Dekker/Perich/Sabatini’s 85,000 square foot corporate office headquarters which was honored with a double LEED Gold Certification for Interiors and Core and Shell from the United States Green Building Council. The design of Jefferson Green focused on incorporating meaningful sustainable features into a market-rate speculative office building in order to use 30% less water and 45% less energy than a typical local office building. Dekker/Perich/Sabatini focused on selecting design strategies that would enhance the daily experience of building occupants, support local businesses, and make financial sense in terms of initial investment and operational savings. The result was an affordable, beautiful, functional, environmentally sensitive facility that Dekker/Perich/Sabatini employees love to work in. He is very involved in enhancing the quality of community life by participating as a volunteer on a variety of boards and commissions. Dale serves on the executive board of the Economic Forum, the boards of the NextGen Economy, the Albuquerque Economic Development (AED), the National Board of Directors for the National Association of Industrial and Office Park developers (NAIOP) and was appointed by Governor Bill Richardson to the Construction Industries Commission and the Governor’s Education Progress Agenda Task Force. Education Bachelor of Architecture, Design Option, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 1975 Professional Registrations Registered Architect, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, Texas, Nevada Certified Planner, (AICP) Professional Affiliations American Institute of Architects American Institute of Certified Planners