Stan Braden
Class of ‘77
Architecture
Chairman
KTGY Group, Inc.

Stan Braden has three decades of architectural experience and is currently chairman of KTGY Group, Inc., the largest architecture and planning firm in Orange County. KTGY has more than 300 employees, and more than 100 of them are Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduates, demonstrating Braden's belief in and dedication to his alma mater and the CSU.

“Cal Poly Pomona provided me with a great educational value, so when asked to fill a position on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, I agreed,” says Braden. “I find that the more I have connected with the university, the more I value the education I received at Cal Poly Pomona. The ‘learn by doing' approach and a strong work ethic come quickly to mind.”

Besides recruiting and hiring Cal Poly Pomona students, Braden has served on the California State University Alumni Council and as Alumni Association president. He also is a leading force on the ENV Partners Circle, which consists of select professionals who link the academic and business communities. Along with other representatives from KTGY, Braden participates in juried student project reviews for the architecture program and volunteers in many other college-based mentoring activities. He and his firm have donated more than $18,000 to support College of Environmental Design programs and initiatives.

“As a transfer student from Fullerton Community College, I didn't realize what I still had to learn about architecture, but I was in for a pleasant surprise,” says Braden, who was inspired by his mentor, Ray Krappe, and Richard Neutra's “Survival through Design” philosophy. “Being challenged by Bernard Zimmerman, Richard Chillinsky, Ed Niles, and other professors wasn't always pleasant, but it was a good learning experience and great preparation for my future career in architecture.”

KTGY projects have received major awards from Golden Nugget, Best in American Living, and Homer and Mame. Considered a leader in ethical high density housing, Braden has been commissioner of the California Architects Board and is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the Urban Land Institute.