Dale Dekker recognized with achievement award

May 11—Dale Dekker grew up pouring over blueprints used by his dad, an architect.

"I'm kind of one of those kids who really didn't know there was another profession," said Dekker, who grew up in Albuquerque and has worked as an architect in the city since 1978. "I think architecture at its basic level is being able to compel both your artistic side but also ... your scientific technology side, meld those together to create built environments for people to live, work, learn and play."

Dekker, the founding principal of Dekker Perich Sabatini, was recognized Friday by the Urban Land Institute New Mexico with the John A. Myers Award for Leadership in Urban Excellence. The award recognizes individuals who have made a significant impact on Albuquerque's physical environment and whose career showcased a commitment to responsible development. Dekker is the third person to receive the award.

In Dekker's more than 40-year career as an Albuquerque architect, he and his firm have had a hand in developing some of the more iconic parts of the city.

Those projects include the Alvarado Transit Center, Albuquerque Convention Center, Presbyterian Hospital, Presbyterian Rust Medical Center, Uptown, Mesa del Sol and Journal Center. The firm is also involved in the ongoing MaxQ project, which aims to develop 70 acres of public space on Kirtland Air Force Base into office, laboratory and hospitality space to help grow Albuquerque's aerospace industry.

"Architecture is a team sport," Dekker said.

In addition to his firm, Dekker has served on a long list of local and national boards and committees over the years.

Those include being a member of ULI, Albuquerque Economic Forum, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, the New Mexico Bioscience Authority and others. He's also been on committees that advise Spaceport America and city of Albuquerque development.

"I think having grown up here and being really engaged in the community is an important thing," he said. "Whether you're an architect or in any part of the business community or professional community, really, that's partly due to the sense of appreciation for what your community has done for you."

Dekker said part of a developer's job is to analyze where a community is best poised to grow and prosper. That's what he's hoping comes from the MaxQ project, which could bring together experts in the aerospace industry who want to work closely with local Air Force Research Lab directorates on Kirtland Air Force Base.

"It's future casting and kind of reading the tea leaves," he said. "What are the emerging trends that our community is really well positioned to take advantage of?"

Dekker joins John Myers and Bob Murphy as the others who have received the ULI award.

"When the award was established seven years ago, it was intended to not only look back at an exceptional individual's past accomplishments and contributions, but also to inspire thoughtful, visionary, and conscientious individuals to rise up to the high standard that John, Bob and Dale exemplify, and to be a force for positive change as our city grows, matures, and adapts to new challenges and opportunities," ULI said of the award.

Dekker said both Murphy and Myers are his mentors, along with Bob Stamm, who founded Bradbury Stamm, and Douglas Campbell, who was an architect who hired Dekker in 1978.

He also credited Chaouki Abdallah, a former University of New Mexico provost.

Dekker said he's hopeful New Mexico will continue to work to grow its economy in new and emerging industries and technologies, such as aerospace and advanced manufacturing. He said he thinks that will take strategic investments to improve state science, technology, engineering and math programs.

He said he has three children — two physicians and a fighter jet pilot — and he suspects that none of them will again live in New Mexico.

"And that's a problem. It's just not my problem. We need to create an environment where kids want to stay," he said. "You're not going to build a future economy on 65-year-olds, you build a future economy on 20-year-olds, 25-year-olds. So how do we collectively all work together to bring people back to create the environment?"