More than 70 firm leaders came together online on Aug. 4 to exchange ideas, enjoy fellowship, and learn at the third biennial Art of Practice business symposium.
The program kicked off with a talk from Carole Wedge, FAIA, the CEO of Shepley Bulfinch, and the 2020 AIA Edward C. Kemper Award winner. She spoke about her professional journey from the mailroom to CEO and her approach to leadership. Following her talk, she had a conversation about the future of the profession with Rasheda Tripp, AIA, an Architect at Guernsey Tingle; Simone Saidel, AIA, a Project Architect at HGA Architects and Engineers; and Michael Spory, Assoc. AIA a Designer at VMDO Architects. They explored how the disruptions of 2020 revealed new opportunities to engage and empower teams.
Next up, we heard from a series of experts about what’s on the horizon for practice — from emerging technologies, trends in risk management and decarbonization, and the latest developments in employment law. Then, attendees talked about what they heard during our firm roundtable breakout sessions.
We closed out the day with a lively economic update and Q&A session with the AIA’s chief economist Kermit Baker, Ph.D.
