The relentless hot and dry pattern we’ve experienced through most of June and into July may have us feeling parched and petered out, but AIA Virginia members and staff continue to execute on our mission of being ‘the voice of the architecture profession in the Commonwealth, dedicated to serving its members, advancing their value, and improving the quality of the built environment’.
Last Wednesday, leaders from AIA Virginia and all five local components gathered in person for the second state-wide Leadership Summit, where we reflected on what we’ve accomplished since our inaugural meeting in January, shared our challenges and offered ways for making our efforts more consistent and effective throughout the state. I loved witnessing component leaders sharing their experience and resources for a successful event or a process they’d mastered and paving the way for other components to replicate. We also continued to hone how the state-level component can best support the local components. We shared the official forming of the AIA Virginia Foundation, a 501c3 charitable foundation, and how it can benefit the local components. We discussed AIA’24 events and highlights, recent efforts to standardize local and state Design Awards submissions, the upcoming call for 2025 dues rates, and we executed an MOU to update the flow of funding from National. As the state and some local components are on a one-year leadership cycle, this will be the last gathering of this specific group. Still, we look forward to hosting the Leadership Summit next January with continuing and newly elected leaders.
Also last week, AIA Virginia hosted the third of five local Town Halls at Brambly Park with AIA Richmond, where we toasted to building connections and shared component updates. (Be sure to join us on September 5th in Central Virginia and October 3rd in Northern Virginia. Paul and I gave updates on our second state-wide Leadership Summit, planning for Architecture Exchange East, the formation of the Mid-Career Professionals program, and ongoing advocacy efforts that impact our practices and our profession. Remember: The AIA VA PAC $1000 prize is up for grabs! Help your local component win by donating here>> Caitlin Morgan, our STAR, shared her goals for serving as a liaison between Virginia and National for our Associate members. Have suggestions? Reach out to her here>>. And Gina Robinson, our State Licensing Advisor, was there to answer questions. Have questions? Get in touch with her here>>.
Stay cool and focused –
Kelly D. Callahan
2024 President, AIA Virginia