A young woman with long, wavy reddish blond hair. She has a big smile and is wearing a brown jacket over a turquoise-colored shirt in front of a gray background.

Kathryn Denis

(she, her)
Senior Associate

Katie joined KMA as an Access Planner in 2015 and was promoted to Senior Associate in 2022.  In her current role, she leads a diverse range of projects in affordable housing, municipal accessibility planning, senior living projects, and ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plans.

A “Central Masser” born and bred, Katie graduated from the UMass Amherst with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architectural Design. She has always had an interest in the built environment and public service, which stems from an upbringing surrounded by friends and family in construction and service professions.  Immediately after graduation, Katie spent a year as an Americorps volunteer building houses for Habitat for Humanity.  This and her experience during college as a Fair Housing tester inspired her to blend architecture with her passion for service-oriented work, which brought her to KMA.

Katie is dedicated to raising awareness about accessibility and affordable housing beyond KMA. She served on the Westborough Housing Authority & Housing Advisory Committee and helped found the West Boylston Disability Commission. She has also worked for many years with Habitat for Humanity, organizing volunteer build days for KMA staff and connecting their development team with KMA’s architectural design group. Katie’s commitment to service and accessibility prompted Governor Maura Healey to appoint her to the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board in 2023.

When she’s not trying to help people find safe, affordable, and accessible housing, Katie enjoys eating ice cream, being outdoors, and spending time with her family, including her dog, Bagel.

#access #service #housing

Education:

  • B.F.A., Architecture, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2014

Certifications:

  • APAC-BE Certified

Professional Associations:

  • Member, Accessibility Professionals Association
  • Member, Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA)

Selected Presentations & Publications:

  • “Planning for ADA Compliance” SNEAPA Conference November 2024
  • “Multi-Family Housing Accessibility Training for Building Inspectors, Planners and Planning Boards” Town of Lexington May 2024
  • “Common Construction Errors in MFH Related to Accessibility,” Architecture Boston Expo (ABX), Boston, MA, 2019 and 2020.
  • “When “Disabled” Means “Disenfranchised”— Accessibility and American Elections,” BSA Access Committee, Boston, MA, 2020.
  • “One Room for All: Can ‘Compact’ be Compliant?,” BSA Exhibit and Panel, Boston, MA, 2017.

Community Service:

  • Member, Massachusetts Architectural Access Board, October 2023-present
  • Construction Committee Member, Habitat for Humanity Metro West/ Greater Worcester, June 2023-present
  • Assistant Tee-ball Coach, March 2025- present
  • Member, West Boylston Pride Park Accessibility Advisory Committee, 2020 – 2022
  • Founder, West Boylston Disability Commission, 2021
  • Member, Westborough Housing Authority, 2019 – 2020
  • Member, Westborough Housing Advisory Committee, 2019 – 2020
  • Construction Crew Member, AmeriCorps National Member with Habitat for Humanity, 2014 – 2015
  • Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity Metro West/ Greater Worcester Volunteer, 2015 – 2019