Wiley M. Parker, president of Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects Inc. in Fort Myers, won the American Institute of America Florida Southwest’s highest award, the W.R. Frizzell Medal of Honor, for his lifetime achievements.

Parker received the at the AIA Florida Southwest Design Conference 2007 earlier this month at the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2007.

Among the reasons for Parker’s recognition were:

· His professional leadership and design excellence for more than 40 years in Southwest Florida.

· His devotion to developing an appropriate, vernacularly influenced architecture which is unique to each site and setting throughout the region

· His long-time, leading environmental advocacy

· His development of the downtown Fort Myers Riverwalk concept — now a staple component in city plans

· And a five-year commitment to the award-winning restoration of the historic Edison & Ford Winter Estates

In 1962, Parker was recruited by the Fort Myers firm of McBryde & Frizzel, Architects, to start work on the Edison Junior College campus, and co-founded McBryde & Parker Architects in 1965.

From Marco Island to downtown Bonita Springs to Captiva Island to Boca Grande to Murdock, the list of Parker’s and his firm’s accomplishments in master planning and design is too exhaustive to list.

“Wiley Parker is one of the most creative architects I have ever worked with,” says Kenneth P. Walker, district president of Edison College. “His friendly, easygoing manner coupled with his technical skills and visionary thinking result in buildings which are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.”