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Doubts about Nicole Ferinni’s qualifications as an architect

tabnews August 19, 2024
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A draft letter from the El Paso chapter of the American Institute of Architects questions the qualifications of City Director of Community and Development Nicole Ferrini, who is currently a finalist for the position of El Paso City Manager.

The letter alleges that in recent years Ferrini has posed as a recognized architect without having the necessary recognition or training for such a title.

Laura Cruz-Acosta, the city's director of strategic communications, declined a request to interview Ferrini for this article. Ferrini could not be reached by phone and did not respond to an email seeking answers to questions for this article.

Ferrini is one of four finalists for the city's top administrative position after a months-long, nationwide search. The El Paso City Council is expected to make its final decision on the job on Monday, August 19.

The El Paso Times obtained a copy of the draft letter earlier this month. The local AIA planned to forward the letter to the City Council in February.

“We've all been watching this since 2013, when we started receiving complaints or reports … that (Ferrini) had claimed to be something she wasn't or claimed to do something she hadn't done,” explained a local architect who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation.

“We had been watching it for so long and in February (2024) it came to a head because there was a kind of flood of meetings, both within the city and at city council meetings, where she represented herself as an architect.”

The chapter's executive committee ultimately decided not to send the letter to the city council because of concerns it could impact architectural contracts with the city, the source said.

But after a meet-and-greet event with the city manager in early August, during which Ferrini again boasted about her experience as an architect, the local architectural community was outraged, the source said.

“If you've lied for ten years, you have someone behind you to protect you,” said the local architect. “But nobody wanted that person's anger and the consequences, so nothing was done.”

More: El Paso steps up climate action as global climate crisis deepens

What does the letter say?

The letter to the City Council asks that Ferrini be investigated for the “frequent, possibly illegal use of a job title and false statements by a City of El Paso employee.”

“For several years, Ms. Nicole Alderete-Ferrini, the City of El Paso's Climate and Resilience Officer, has presented herself as a recognized 'architect,'” the AIA El Paso draft letter states. “She has done so before the City Council, in public forums, meetings, and on social media.”

The letter specifically refers to Ferrini's comment during a city council meeting on January 3, 2024, in which she stated, “I am an architect, so I like to look at images from Google Earth.”

“While this may seem like a trivial comment at first glance, it is a misrepresentation of Ms. Ferrini's qualifications and qualifications and a violation of Texas law,” the letter states. “Ms. Ferrini is not qualified to call herself an architect and, to our knowledge, never has been.”

Questions about Ferrini's references

All licensed and certified architects in Texas must be registered with the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners. The board's website states that it is “unlawful for any person to hold himself or herself out to be an architect, landscape architect or licensed interior designer unless he or she is registered with this board.”

“Although Ms. Ferrini claimed to be an architect for years, she was never registered as such with the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners until February 20, 2024,” the letter continues.

Ferrini, who claims to have run an architectural consulting firm from 2007 to 2014, was still not listed as a registered architect on the board's website as of Friday, Aug. 16. Nicole Marie Ferrini was listed on the website as a registered interior designer from June 2005 to June 2012, but never as an architect.

In addition, none of the degrees she listed on LinkedIn as having earned at Texas Tech University – a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Interior Design – are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, the letter said.

“We view the educational, professional and licensing requirements for an architect as a serious matter that is important to protect the public and worthy of honest reporting,” the AIA letter concludes. “We urge city leaders to do the same.”

Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached by email at [email protected].

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