The AIA Virginia PAC is one of the sharpest tools in our advocacy toolkit. The AIA Virginia PAC Award celebrates the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component that supports the advancement and mission of the PAC. The Award is presented at Architecture Exchange East. AIA Central Virginia currently holds the trophy.
Points are accrued in three areas: local component Board participation, the percentage of local component’s membership who have invested in the PAC, and the total amount of money invested by the members of the local component. The winning component goes home with $1,000 cash for Architecture Week/Month and the award trophy.
Points are allocated as follows:
Local component Board participation a. Did 100% of the Board of Directors invest in the AIA Virginia PAC? i. Yes = 20 points ii. No = 0 points
Percentage of local component members who have invested in the AIA Virginia PAC i. Component with highest % = 40 points ii. Component with second highest % = 20 points iii. Component with third highest % = 10 points
Average investment per member from the total local component membership i. Component with highest average investment/member = 40 points ii. Component with second highest average investment/member = 30 points iii. Component with third highest average investment/member = 20 points iv. Component with fourth highest average investment/member = 10 points v. Component with fifth highest average investment/member = 0 points
Scoring will be closed on Friday, October 13, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
We have a strong tradition of advocacy at AIA Virginia.
There are many agents and elements in our advocacy toolkit.
The primary agents include the Advocacy Advisory Council, the PAC Board of Trustees, the Joint Legislative Committee, and our lobbyist Patrick Cushing.
Our activities include letters insisting on compliance with (and citing violation of) established selection and procurement protocols, legislative activities, regulatory activities, service commitments such as the Disaster Assistance Committee, and gubernatorial appointments to the APELSCIDLA Board, the Fair Housing Board, etc. No less importantly, they also include the engagement and commitment provided by each of us in our role as citizen architects.
In aggregate, these efforts seek to educate others on the value of our profession, shape and inform policy, advise on the implications of regulation and legislation, improve the conditions of practice, remove unnecessary barriers/impediments, and contribute to the safety and health of our built environment.
Our pride in our past and ongoing efforts is justified. Much has been accomplished.
Indeed, our members consistently rank advocacy, which is particularly appropriate to the state-level component, as a leading factor in determining the value of their membership. It gives us great pleasure to deliver that value.
And yet the field of play is ever-changing. Challenges and opportunities emerge constantly. Conditions and circumstances emerge and recede. The force and vector of the prevailing winds shift around the political compass rose.
There is little time for celebration. There is no time for complacency. Vigilance can ill afford respite.
We also owe it to our members to continuously improve the effectiveness and impact of our advocacy efforts. We need to be more intentional in determining and coordinating the effort appropriate to each of the seasons of advocacy; to consider when to clear, till, fallow, sow, tend, and reap.
And so, Ed Gillikin, Eliza Engle, Maggie Dunlap, Nicholas Wade, Rebecca Aarons-Sydnor, Sandra Leibowitz, Stephen Weisensale, Tim Colley, and William Abrahamson, joined Patrick Cushing and myself to assess the status of each of the elements and to begin to develop a comprehensive plan to better coordinate our advocacy efforts and to identify, vet, articulate, prioritize, establish, and achieve the planks of our advocacy platform.
The specifics of those proposed programs and procedures will require effort and attention. Information will be provided as they are developed. Ultimately, each and all of our councils, committees, and members can and should contribute.
I thank those who continue to participate in our advocacy efforts and to those who collaborated in the summit. If you would like to learn more about or contribute to our advocacy efforts, please contact Paul Battaglia at pbattaglia@aiava.org
(Clockwise from lower left) William Abrahamson, Rebecca Aarons-Sydnor, Sandra Leibowitz, Nicholas Wade, Eliza Engle, Maggie Dunlap, Patrick Cushing, Tim Colley, Ed Gillikin, and Stephen Weisensale at the 2023 Advocacy Summit; not pictured: Paul R. Battaglia. Photo courtesy of Paul Battaglia.
The Budget has not been resolved. The “Veto Session” is scheduled for 12 April. And the Governor could convene a special session. But many have already remarked that this General Assembly session was generally, and comparatively, “quiet”.
Even so, the bills concerning deregulation and universal licensure reminded us of the importance of remaining vigilant and the value of engaging a strong and effective lobbyist. (Great work, Patrick Cushing. Thank you.)
With more than a few high-profile retirements, with every seat in both chambers up for election, and with the possibility that some (perhaps many) of the seats will be filled by freshman legislators, next year’s session is anticipated to be far more “entertaining”.
We will be ready.
That durable readiness depends on not only recharging our PAC investments (donate to the PAC) but also organizing our efforts to educate legislators on the topics of Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS), the most appropriate mode of enacting requirements (through either the legislative or the regulatory process), and the unique and substantial ways that architects contribute to the built environment throughout the Commonwealth. If you are interested in collaborating on that effort, please read this item on the upcoming Advocacy Summit.
Are you a member of the PAC Board of Trustees, the Advocacy Advisory Council, the Virginia COTE Steering Committee, the HRC, the DAC, or the JLC? Do you serve as a gubernatorial appointee? Are you interested in actively participating in legislative, regulatory, or other advocacy activities? If so, please plan to attend the AIA Virginia Advocacy Summit on Friday 5 May in Richmond.
During this one-day event, we will survey and coordinate our advocacy efforts. This will be a working meeting. A brief introduction and update will be followed by collaborative planning sessions. The goal will be to develop a comprehensive strategy and determine how to make to most of each of the seasons of advocacy.
To sign up to receive additional details, and to pre-register for the event, complete the form below.
Architects are possessed of many skills and capabilities, amongst which we value technical expertise, including our command of the building code.
We do well to consider not only what the code is now, but also how it might be, and the impact of potential revisions. This expertise is valuable in both its direct application and as a form of regulatory advocacy.
If you possess or aspire to possess this expertise and would like to serve or discuss/suggest possibilities, please contact Paul Battaglia at pbattaglia@aiava.org.
While AIA Virginia did not propose any legislation in the Virginia General Assembly this year, we have been vigilant in monitoring the bills that were proposed by others. When proposed legislation does, or might, affect us, we have developed an appropriate response: supporting or opposing those bills – or, in some cases, working to see that they are amended to our satisfaction.
Having just passed the midway point of Virginia’s legislative session – after which the bills “crossover” to the other chamber – we will remain attentive to the progress of the surviving legislation. We will monitor how each bill advances; whether it is passed, or amended, by the other chamber; how, if amended, it is resolved by a Committee of Conference; whether it is accepted, vetoed, or amended, by the Governor; and how, if amended or vetoed, it is received by the General Assembly.
In the meantime, we have a sizeable delegation headed to DC for AIA Leadership Summit 2023. Next week’s program includes sessions on Leadership, Advocacy, Engagement, and the role of the Citizen Architect. There will be opportunities to network with AIA members from across the country. And Hill Day will afford the opportunity to connect with our elected officials at the national level to discuss issues of interest to AIA nationally – as well as some items of local interest that could be affected by federal legislation.
There is certainly plenty of good work being done. I applaud those who are active in advocacy.
This work requires consistent action. It is never finished. It requires constant engagement, and education, at the local, state, and federal levels.
Soon after the current legislative sessions end, we will turn our attention to considering how we can better coordinate and organize our various advocacy programs and increase the impact of our legislative and regulatory activities. Stay tuned for additional information about that.
And please invest in the PAC. The PAC is a powerful tool in our advocacy toolbox. We will need your help to keep this, and all our tools, sharp.
On January 11th, the 2023 Virginia General Assembly gaveled into a 46-day “short session”. Republicans hold all three statewide offices (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General) and a 52-48 majority in the House of Delegates. Democrats hold a 22-18 majority in the Senate.
The key dates of the session:
January 11 – General Assembly session convenes
January 20 – Bill cut-off (last day to introduce bills and certain joint resolutions)
February 7 – Bill crossover (last day for each house to act on its own legislation)
February 25 – Session adjourns sine die
March 27 – Last day for Governor’s action on legislation
April 12 – Reconvened session
AIA Virginia’s Legislative Priorities
AIA Virginia did not introduce any legislation this year, but we will be closely following legislation related to Resiliency, Comprehensive Regional Planning, Professional Licensure, Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits, Affordable Housing, and the Virginia Public Procurement Act.
Please support our advocacy efforts by investing in the PAC at aiavapac.org. We can’t do the great work we are doing without your support.
And watch your inbox for weekly updates on bills we are actively working on or monitoring.
For the second time in five years, AIA Central Virginia won AIA Virginia’s annual PAC Award. As the winner, the local component will receive $1,000 from AIA Virginia for use during its 2023 Architecture Week to enhance its public outreach efforts. AIA Central Virginia and AIA Northern Virginia were the only chapters to have 100% investment participation from their Board of Directors. This 100% Board participation determined the winner. AIA Central Virginia had 6.4% of its total membership invest in the PAC, and the average contribution per member out of the total component membership of 204 individuals was $5.47.
The AIA Virginia PAC Award looks to celebrate the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component that supports the advancement and mission of the PAC. The award criteria are based on a point total calculation based on three areas: local component Board participation, percentage of local component’s membership who have invested in the PAC, and the total amount of money invested by the members of the local component.
With only 48 hours remaining, AIA Central Virginia continues their lead in the “Rumble in the Jungle” for the AIA Virginia Political Action Committee Award
AIA Central Virginia continues to be slightly ahead of AIA Hampton Roads with 70 and 60 points respectively. AIA Blue Ridge has 30 points and AIA Richmond has 20 points. AIA Northern Virginia has not scored any points yet (come on Northern Virginia!) AIA Central Virginia is the only local component Board of Directors at 100% participation as of this date. As we have seen in past years, the leaderboard can change overnight when $1,000 is on the line!
The AIA Virginia PAC Award looks to celebrate the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component that supports the advancement and mission of the PAC. The Award has historically been presented at Architecture Exchange East to the local component’s Board of Directors who will accept the award on behalf of its respective members. The award criteria is based on a point total calculation based on three areas: local component Board participation, percentage of local component’s membership who have invested in the PAC, and the total amount of money invested by the members of the local component.
Below outlines point allocations:
Local component Board participation a. Did 100% of the Board of Directors invest into the AIA Virginia PAC? i. Yes = 20 points ii. No = 0 points
Percentage of local component’s members who have invested in the AIA Virginia PAC i. Component with highest % = 40 points ii. Component with second highest % = 20 points iii. Component with third highest % = 10 points
Average investment per member from the total local component membership i. Component with highest average investment/member = 40 points ii. Component with second highest average investment/member = 30 points iii. Component with third highest average investment/member = 20 points iv. Component with fourth highest average investment/member = 10 points v. Component with fifth highest average investment/member = 0 points
Scoring will be closed on Friday, October 14, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
AIA Central Virginia has pulled ahead in the “Rumble in the Jungle” for the AIA Virginia Political Action Committee Award
With less than a month remaining in the challenge, AIA Central Virginia has surged ahead of AIA Hampton Roads! AIA Central Virginia now has 70 points and AIA Hampton Roads has 60 points. AIA Blue Ridge and AIA Richmond are tied for third with 30 points each. AIA Northern Virginia has not yet scored any points (come on Northern Virginia!) AIA Central Virginia is the only local component Board of Directors at 100% participation as of this date. Like we have seen in past years, the leaderboard can change overnight when $1,000 is on the line!
The AIA Virginia PAC Award looks to celebrate the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component that supports the advancement and mission of the PAC. The Award has historically been presented at Architecture Exchange East to the local component’s Board of Directors who will accept the award on behalf of its respective members. The award criteria is based on a point total calculation based on three areas: local component Board participation, percentage of local component’s membership who have invested in the PAC, and the total amount of money invested by the members of the local component.
Below outlines point allocations:
Local component Board participation a. Did 100% of the Board of Directors invest into the AIA Virginia PAC? i. Yes = 20 points ii. No = 0 points
Percentage of local component’s members who have invested in the AIA Virginia PAC i. Component with highest % = 40 points ii. Component with second highest % = 20 points iii. Component with third highest % = 10 points
Average investment per member from the total local component membership i. Component with highest average investment/member = 40 points ii. Component with second highest average investment/member = 30 points iii. Component with third highest average investment/member = 20 points iv. Component with fourth highest average investment/member = 10 points v. Component with fifth highest average investment/member = 0 points
Scoring will be closed on Friday, October 14, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
