PAC Award Update

Posted on by cguske

The PAC Award Challenge continues for 2025. It’s time to celebrate the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component that supports the advancement and mission of the PAC; one of the sharpest tools in our advocacy toolkit.

Contribute to the PAC>>

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. Points are allocated as follows:

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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

Current Leaderboard:
AIA Central Virginia – 60 points
AIA Coastal Virginia – 60 points
AIA Richmond – 30 points
AIA Northern Virginia – 0 points
AIA Blue Ridge – 20 points

Scoring will close on Friday, October 10, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST. The winning component goes home with $1,000 cash for Architecture Week/Month and the award trophy at Architecture Exchange East in November. AIA Central Virginia is the reigning champ, but it’s a new competition – we’ll see who prevails. And if you need additional inspiration, in this same issue of the newsletter, Patrick Cushing, our retained lobbyist, shares his perspective on the importance of the PAC.

Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel Reappointment

Posted on by cguske
Georgie Márquez-André, AIA

Georgie Márquez-André, AIA of Andre + Marquez Architects, Inc., in Portsmouth was reappointed to the Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel. The Panel’s primary focus is emergency management and homeland security within the Commonwealth – to ensure that prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery programs, initiatives, and activities, both at the state and local levels, are fully integrated, suitable, and effective in addressing risks from man-made and natural disasters. 

Congratulations Georgie. Thank you for your continued service.

APELSCIDLA Appointments; and an update on the Alternate Path

Posted on by cguske
APELSCIDLA Executive Director Kate Nosbisch, Hon. AIA Virginia, with APELSCIDLA Board Members Tim Colley, AIA (Vice Chair), Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA, and Harry Falconer, FAIA.

With recent appointee Harry Falconer, FAIA, joining Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA, and Tim Colley, AIA, members of AIA Virginia now occupy all three of the architecture seats on the APELSCIDLA Board. We are also happy to announce that Tim Colley, AIA, has been installed as Vice-Chair of the Board, and is anticipated to be promoted to Chair next year. Thank you, Tim, Helene, and Harry, for your dedicated service to the regulation of our profession.

We are further pleased to report that the recommendations of the APELSCIDLA work group appointed to develop a set of regulations related to the proposed alternate path to the architecture education requirements were approved by the full APELSCIDLA Board at its August meeting. Those regulations now advance to be incorporated into the forthcoming regulatory updates. The new path is expected to be fully established and available to aspirants in May 2026. We continue to receive appreciation, and eagerness, from those who will benefit from this change; and we look forward to their progress towards licensure and their beneficial impact on our profession.

PAC Award Update

Posted on by cguske

The PAC Award Challenge continues for 2025. It’s time to celebrate the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component that supports the advancement and mission of the PAC; one of the sharpest tools in our advocacy toolkit.

Contribute to the PAC>>

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. Points are allocated as follows:

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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

Current Leaderboard:
AIA Central Virginia – 60 points
AIA Coastal Virginia – 60 points
AIA Richmond – 30 points
AIA Northern Virginia – 10 points
AIA Blue Ridge – 10 points

Scoring will close on Friday, October 10, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST. The winning component goes home with $1,000 cash for Architecture Week/Month and the award trophy at Architecture Exchange East in November. AIA Central Virginia is the reigning champ, but it’s a new competition – we’ll see who prevails. And if you need additional inspiration, in this same issue of the newsletter, Patrick Cushing, our retained lobbyist, shares his perspective on the importance of the PAC.

Revised Contract Standards for A/E Services

Posted on by cguske

AIA Virginia and ACEC Virginia Collaborate with DGS to Revise Contract Standards for A/E Services

ACEC Virginia and AIA Virginia have been actively working with the Virginia Department of General Services (DGS) to update and clarify the standards that govern the procurement and execution of Architecture and Engineering (A/E) services in the Commonwealth. This collaboration has resulted in key updates to the CO-3a Terms and Conditions of the A/E Contract, directly addressing concerns from the A/E community.

Key Revisions and Improvements Include:

  • Refined Standard of Care Language: One of the most significant updates was the removal of the phrase “highest standard of care” from the contract. This revision brings the standard of care in line with industry norms—requiring services to be performed with the care and skill ordinarily used by members of the profession practicing under similar conditions—which eliminates insurability concerns.
  • Updates to Section 32 – Contractual Claims clarifies and makes explicit how issues beyond the immediate control of the A/E can establish a cause for claim for compensation, and how the process for resolving that claim should proceed.
  • Incorporation of CPSM-Related Language: Relevant content from Section 9 of the A/E Manual, related to Design Not to Exceed (CPSM), has been relocated and integrated into Section 32 of the contract. This realignment ensures that CPSM provisions are directly and clearly addressed within the contractual framework.
  • Section 12 establishes the maximum amount of Professional Liability Insurance required, regardless of the Design-not-to-exceed Budget.

Additional revisions pertain to requirements for additional insurance, HR training, etc. Members would do well to review the documents in their entirety. For your convenience, a comparative text document highlighting the recent revisions can be accessed here>>. To view the updated CO-3a Terms and Conditions in their full and official form, visit the DGS Forms Center at https://dgs.virginia.gov.

We appreciate the willingness of DGS leadership to listen and respond to the concerns of industry. We also appreciate the willingness of our members to voice their concerns, apply their expertise and experience, and propose, consider, and refine alternatives.

This successful collaboration highlights the value of continued dialogue between key stakeholders and the A/E industry. Through this work, ACEC Virginia and AIA Virginia continue to advocate for the interests of our members and our professions.

Please continue to keep us apprised of issues that affect our practice and industry. Alert us to issues and/or stakeholders that need to be addressed. We remain committed to the cause and are eager to advocate on your behalf.

PAC Award Update

Posted on by cguske

The PAC Award Challenge continues for 2025. It’s time to celebrate the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component that supports the advancement and mission of the PAC; one of the sharpest tools in our advocacy toolkit.

Contribute to the PAC>>

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. Points are allocated as follows:

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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

Current Leaderboard:
AIA Central Virginia – 60 points
AIA Coastal Virginia – 50 points
AIA Richmond – 30 points
AIA Northern Virginia – 20 points
AIA Blue Ridge – 10 points

Scoring will close on Friday, October 10, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST. The winning component goes home with $1,000 cash for Architecture Week/Month and the award trophy at Architecture Exchange East in November. AIA Central Virginia is the reigning champ, but it’s a new competition – we’ll see who prevails. And if you need additional inspiration, in this same issue of the newsletter, Patrick Cushing, our retained lobbyist, shares his perspective on the importance of the PAC.

PAC Award Update

Posted on by cguske

We have launched the PAC Award Challenge for 2025. It’s time to celebrate the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component that support the advancement and mission of the PAC; one of the sharpest tools in our advocacy toolkit.

Contribute to the PAC

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. Points are allocated as follows:

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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

Current Leaderboard:
AIA Central Virginia – 80 points
AIA Northern Virginia – 50 points
AIA Coastal Virginia – 20 points
AIA Richmond – 20 points
AIA Blue Ridge – 10 points

Scoring will close on Friday, October 10, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST. The winning component goes home with $1,000 cash for Architecture Week/Month and the award trophy at Architecture Exchange East in November. AIA Central Virginia is the reigning champ, but it’s a new competition – we’ll see who prevails. And if you need additional inspiration, in this same issue of the newsletter, Patrick Cushing, our retained lobbyist, shares his perspective on the importance of the PAC.

PAC Award Launch

Posted on by cguske

It is time to launch the PAC Award Challenge and celebrate the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component that supports the advancement and mission of the PAC; one of the sharpest tools in our advocacy toolkit.

Contribute to the PAC

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. Points are allocated as follows:

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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

Current Leaderboard:
AIA Blue Ridge – 0 points
AIA Central Virginia – 70 points
AIA Coastal Virginia – 0 points
AIA Richmond – 30 points
AIA Northern Virginia – 60 points

Scoring will be closed on Friday, October 10, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST. The winning component goes home with $1,000 cash for Architecture Week/Month and the award trophy at Architecture Exchange East in November. AIA Central Virginia is the reigning champ, but it’s a new competition – we’ll see who prevails. And if you need additional inspiration, in this same issue of the newsletter, Patrick Cushing, our retained lobbyist, shares his perspective on the importance of the PAC.

An Update on the Alternate Path to Architectural Licensure

Posted on by cguske

The workgroup has convened and has commenced its work; to “develop and adopt regulations establishing work and education experience equivalencies that provide an alternative to the requirement of a professional degree in architecture from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)”. The scope involves establishing specific requirements, revising language in existing forms and guidance documents, and having all of those proposed revisions approved and integrated into the APELSCIDLA processes. The hope is that a process will be available to applicants/candidates in May or June 2026. We will keep you posted.

PC on the PAC; The Platform from which We Project our Voice

Posted on by cguske

Political contributions play a significant role in lobbying by providing AIA Virginia with access to lawmakers. Through contributions from our nonpartisan PAC AIA Virginia is able to attend a wide variety of political fundraisers. Attendance at these events strengthens our relationships with legislators and allows us to educate lawmakers on how architects are licensed, the role architecture plays in our society, and how architectural services are procured.

Political contributions are also a signal to lawmakers conveying the strength and seriousness of our commitment to the profession and the public policy making process. In the early days of my lobbying career one of my mentors, former Delegate Bill Axselle, told me the following: “Before they listen to you they need to trust you. Before they trust you, they need to get to know you.” The AIA Virginia PAC is a critical tool that helps us “get to know” lawmakers and gives them the opportunity to “get to know” AIA Virginia. Thank you all for your dedication to your profession and continued support of the AIA Virginia PAC.

Patrick Cushing
Principal, Fall Line Strategies

Contribute to the PAC