When Margaret Parsons joined architecture and design firm Cuningham in 1989, the firm employed 20 people in Minneapolis. Today, the firm has more than 230 employees in six offices nationwide. Parsons specializes in architecture for K-12 education. In addition to her 25-plus years of work for St. Paul Public Schools, she has designed projects in 13 states and five countries. Last year, Parsons was named Cuningham’s first female board chair. 

The 2020 Jury of Fellows from the American Institute of Architects elevated Parsons to fellowship status in recognition of her groundbreaking approach to community engagement in educational facility planning.