In 2010, Stephen T. Ayers was appointed by the President of the United States to serve a 10-year term as Architect of the Capitol. As the 11th Architect of the Capitol, Mr. Ayers was responsible for the facilities maintenance and operation of the historic U.S. Capitol Building, the care and improvement of more than 570 acres of grounds, and the operation and maintenance of 18.6 million square feet of buildings. He also served as Acting Director of the U.S. Botanic Garden and the National Garden. The Architect of the Capitol has approximately 2,300 employees and an annual budget of $730 million. Mr. Ayers retired after 35 years of federal service and now serves as President of The Ayers Group, LLC.
