For Michigan Architectural Foundation board member and past president Timothy (Tim) A. Casai, FAIAE+, education has always been a driving force behind his career. Tim has been involved with MAF for over 20 years and was the chair of the MAF Scholarship Program for 16 years.
MAF is pleased to announce that Tim is the recipient of MAF’s 2025 Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding leadership achievement and contribution to MAF. The award is presented annually at the AIA Michigan Honor Awards Program.
Once Tim became involved with MAF, his participation with the scholarship program began right away. After being supported by scholarships through architecture school, and understanding how expensive it is to attend, Tim put his passion into helping others achieve their dreams and to support growing the profession. “Tim’s dedication to MAF is truly inspiring. His work with the scholarship program has positively impacted the education and careers of many young aspiring architects,” said Chuck Lewis, AIA, 2024/2025 MAF President.
Tim recently retired and is the former president of TMP Architecture. Through designing educational facilities at TMP Architecture, he was able to express his passion for improving life and education through architecture. “As an architect, I believe that architecture effects the way people live, and the spaces we give them help to enhance their livelihoods,” Tim expressed. “Hopefully the architecture that I worked on at TMP Architecture has improved people’s ability to learn and helped to inspire them.”
While MAF’s scholarship program started with a single scholarship, the program currently offers 12 scholarships and continues to grow. As the long-time chair of the MAF Scholarship Committee, Tim has helped to shape the scholarship program into becoming what it is today, and his development of the scholarship program has been extremely rewarding. “I was supported by scholarships myself when I was going through university and I believe in helping others do the same,” he said.
Tim and the board are continually working to find new donors to support the scholarship program, and he emphasizes that it is important to him personally and to MAF to bridge the relationship between donors and architecture students. “It’s an honor to be included among those who have helped support and grow MAF. I hope to continue with the foundation for years to come. and continue to use my passion for student scholarships to award more financial support to deserving students who will be carrying the mantle forward for architecture.”