Alert members will have read recently of proposed changes in governance of the American Institute of Architects.  On Sept. 20, the AIA Board of Directors adopted resolutions that are expected to lead to the restructuring of the board, diminishing the Institute’s governing board to an 11-member group charged with overseeing the internal management and finances.  A larger council, with representatives of the diverse makeup of the AIA — regions, knowledge communities, and affiliated groups — will become the “think tank” for the profession, assessing where the profession and its professional society should be moving.

On the same day, the Virginia Society AIA Board of Directors adopted a new strategic plan that will guide its work over the next three years.  Starting, of course, with the members, strategies and tactics will evolve from the fundamental statement that “Member needs, values, and aspirations will inform the Society’s programs and services.” Acknowledging that neither architects nor their professional society work in isolation, “The Society will strengthen and enrich its strategic relationships.” Addressing the profession’s expectations that the Virginia Society will act as advocate for the profession, “The Society will inform the public of its members’ concerns and achievements.” From that single statement, the Society will revisit and revise the way it talks to the public about architects and architecture.  Finally, in order to achieve all that members have come to expect of its statewide society, the Society must revisit and refresh itself as an operating entity.  Thus, “The Society will be structured and financed to ensure operational sustainability.”  In making this statement, the Board of Directors has committed to a rigorous examination of its programs and their effectiveness, of the structure of the board of directors itself, and of the funding mechanisms that are available to provide the wherewithal to fulfill its obligations to Society members.

While much remains to unfold in the AIA’s “repositioning” project, the Virginia Society’s launching of its new strategic plan promises — in the same year it celebrates 100 years of service to the profession and to society — to provide a way for Virginia to share in the careful recalibration of a profession that will continue changing in the 21st century.

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