Michael Hamner, FAIA - East LA Roots, USC Architecture, and a Life of Service
Tue Feb 03 2026
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In this episode, I sit down with D. Michael Hamner, FAIA, an architect, educator, and longtime community leader whose story starts in East Los Angeles and runs straight through Montebello and the University of Southern California. We talk about what it means to build a career that blends design, teaching, and service, while staying rooted in the communities that shaped you.
Michael shares his journey as a professor at East Los Angeles College, where he has helped generations of students transfer into accredited architecture programs and build real careers in the field. We get into what makes architectural education work for students who do not follow a traditional path, plus why mentorship and standards matter in creative industries.
We also talk about his professional work as a licensed architect and principal of a family run practice with his architect wife, along with his years of civic service in Monterey Park on the Design Review Board and Planning Commission. Michael breaks down how design decisions impact real neighborhoods, and what he has learned from decades of reviewing projects that shape a city’s identity.
And because this is MySGV, we get into basketball too. Michael has coached for decades across multiple levels, including years at Schurr High School, and he shares what coaching taught him about leadership, consistency, and building people, not just teams.
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Music Credits
Intro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG
Stinger
Scarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio Library
Outro
Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG
__________________
My SGV Podcast:
Website: www.mysgv.net
Newsletter: Beyond the Mic
Patreon: MySGV Podcast
info@sgvmasterkey.com
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Send us a text In this episode, I sit down with D. Michael Hamner, FAIA, an architect, educator, and longtime community leader whose story starts in East Los Angeles and runs straight through Montebello and the University of Southern California. We talk about what it means to build a career that blends design, teaching, and service, while staying rooted in the communities that shaped you. Michael shares his journey as a professor at East Los Angeles College, where he has helped generations of students transfer into accredited architecture programs and build real careers in the field. We get into what makes architectural education work for students who do not follow a traditional path, plus why mentorship and standards matter in creative industries. We also talk about his professional work as a licensed architect and principal of a family run practice with his architect wife, along with his years of civic service in Monterey Park on the Design Review Board and Planning Commission. Michael breaks down how design decisions impact real neighborhoods, and what he has learned from decades of reviewing projects that shape a city’s identity. And because this is MySGV, we get into basketball too. Michael has coached for decades across multiple levels, including years at Schurr High School, and he shares what coaching taught him about leadership, consistency, and building people, not just teams. ________________ Music Credits Intro Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG Stinger Scarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio Library Outro Euphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG __________________ My SGV Podcast: Website: www.mysgv.net Newsletter: Beyond the Mic Patreon: MySGV Podcast info@sgvmasterkey.com