About this speaker
A respected visionary and leader, AHL’s president and chief executive officer, Bettina Mehnert, FAIA, LEED AP is a force in the evolution and innovation in Hawaii’s architectural sector. Her philosophy blends a focus on sustainability, technology, firm culture, client cultivation, and community service as inseparable filaments of professional leadership, keeping her 77-year-old firm firmly faced towards the future.
In recognition of her management style and leadership, Mehnert has been honored with numerous awards and in 2016 was named a Fellow in the American Institute of Architecture (AIA), a prestigious honor held only by 53 architects in Hawaii since 1948. She was named CEO of the Year by Hawaii Business Magazine in 2019.
In 2018, Mehnert was appointed as an inaugural member of the mayor’s Honolulu Climate Change Commission where she used her background in architecture and engineering and expertise in the built environment to advocate for strong resiliency policies. Most recently, she was appointed by the governor to the inaugural State of Hawaii School Facilities Authority for her expertise in planning and development.
A licensed architect in her native Germany and in Hawaii and Guam, she is an active member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Urban Land Institute (ULI) where she serves as ULI’s Hawaii District Council Chair. She is a director of the Blue Planet Foundation, a member of the Strategic Advisory Board of Hawaii Energy, a member of Aloha United Way’s Board of Directors, and a member of Hawaii Green Growth’s Sustainability Business Forum. Mehnert also serves as a trustee of St. Andrew’s Schools and as a mentor and strategic advisor for Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders. She recently participated in a United Nations Global Compact panel of Hawaii’s thought leaders on “Regenerative Global Futures” during the UN’s annual general assembly.
