John L. Atkins, III

Mr. John L. Atkins, III, FAIA, is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of O’Brien/Atkins Associates, a multidisciplinary design services firm he co-founded in 1975. Mr. Atkins received the prestigious honor of being elected to the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows in 1991. He was a founding member and former chair of the NC State Board of Visitors, and a past member of the board of trustees of NC State’s Endowment Fund. In 2003, Mr. Atkins was recognized by NC State University with the highest nonacademic honor bestowed by the university, the Watauga Medal. His service to the community includes co-founding and chairing both the Research Triangle Regional Partnership and the Greater Triangle Regional Council. He has also been involved with the N.C. Partnership for Economic Development and the Economic Development Coalition 2000.

He has served on the board of directors and as chair of the N.C. Biotechnology Center and Wells-Fargo Bank Durham Advisory Board. He is also past president of the Durham Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Atkins has also served on the Secretary of the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Senior Advisory Council and the N.C. Department of Administration’s/Governor’s Historically Underutilized Businesses Advisory Board. Mr. Atkins earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from NC State in 1966. He went on to earn a master’s degree in regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1970. Atkins served two years in the US Army with a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam where he was awarded a Bronze Star.