“In nature we never see anything isolated, but everything in connection with something else which is before it, beside it, under it and over it.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Several years ago when I ran for the position of Institute Secretary, I introduced the concept of “the aspen effect” in my Grassroots speech as a way of imagining the AIA. As the AIA Grassroots Leadership and Legislative Conference wrapped last week, it occurred to me that I might share this analogy with my Virginia colleagues, and explain how wonderfully well this applies to us here in the VSAIA.
Above the ground, aspens stand tall and sturdy as individual trees, but below grade, they are all interlinked through their elaborate root system. (This is why you never see an aspen standing alone; they are always in groves.) Similarly, the AIA needs to be the web of nourishment and enrichment for its members, helping them to survive and thrive. Aspen trees are sometimes brilliant in a burst of fabulous fall color; at other times, they are ‘quaking’ under the force of a powerful wind. But, no matter what their environment imposes on them … aspens are always supported by their strong network of roots, depending on that interconnectivity for their well-being and vibrancy.
The AIA – and the VSAIA – can and should be that nurturing wellspring of support. The connector. The network. The collective. Moreover, in every decision we make and every action we take, we should assure that we are advancing the profession, and our members, as valued contributors to community and commerce.
Prior to the Repositioning Initiative, some may have said that the AIA had drifted away from being that nurturing wellspring of support. Others may have suggested that we had become more centered on saving the organization and less concerned about helping the profession – and our members – be successful. Thankfully, at all levels of our organization (national, state, and local), that tide has turned. In every decision we make and every action we take, those leading and managing this organization ‘remember the member’ as their first thought.
The dedicated leadership and devoted staff team of your professional society within our state do hold the professional vitality and economic viability of each individual member in Virginia foremost in their minds. And … as the organization’s chief executive, I will influence us to apply ‘the aspen effect’ to nurture an organizational and cultural outlook that focuses on each and every member.