October AIA Virginia Board Meeting

TALKING POINTS
From AIA Virginia 2016 Board of Directors Meeting – October 14, 2016
With all but two board members in attendance and the inclusion of several guests for portions of the meeting, the following business was conducted by the board:

Check-in on Strategic Plan:
President-elect Brown noted that staff had developed a plan to facilitate the focused work of the Councils and staff team around the Strategic Plan. They will create a visual dashboard to allow tracking against the plan as well as a standardized agenda and report format for each council and committee, intended to facilitate higher level planning and greater engagement.

President’s Topics:
President Vlattas:

• Recognized the staff team for its work in preparation for ArchEx as well as in other areas.
• Offered advanced introduction of anticipated guests and topics related to the APELSCIDLA Board, including their mission and vision, NCARB Model Law, and collaborative opportunities.
• Encouraged board members to seek supporters and sponsorships to help close the revenue gap created by the phased elimination of supplemental dues.
• Reported on his participation in the HRTC Joint Subcommittee Hearing August 29, at which he was slated to speak. The Virginia Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit is under evaluation by legislators for potential reduction or elimination. There was a strong contingent in attendance who support the program due to its value; while he was not able to speak due to time constraints, an AIA Virginia position statement was distributed.
• Noted that the John Braymer Leadership Circle (AIA Virginia’s past presidents) will meet at ArchEx.

President-elect’s Topics:

President-elect Brown indicated that the AIA Virginia Large Firm Roundtable will meet at ArchEx; the agenda includes a legislative update, a presentation of the new Strategic Plan, the phased elimination of supplemental dues, his 2017 vision, engaging emerging professionals, and a roundtable discussion.

Treasurer’s Report (Ms. LeFever):

• The cash position is up $48,640.92 mostly due to Architecture Exchange East.
• Accounts payables increased by $3,453.69 from the August 2016 month end, and are holding steady, thus leaving current year earnings at $18,869.34 (up $40,696.91).
• Revenue for September increased by $126,319 compared to August 2016, while expenses increased by $85,631 due to increase in payables for upcoming events.
• On the 2017 Dues Collection Report, all income received has been placed on prior year amounts. 2016 totals will be updated at the bottom of the report, which will ensure that the current numbers of members and income received is reflected.
• Rolls show eight new Architect members and six new Associate members for September.
• The dues invoicing process is moving forward based on input from the local components.

Secretary’s Issues:
Secretary Keplinger reported on the work of the Bylaws Task Group:

• Revisions to the Bylaws and Rules of the Board have been a large task for which he thanks the task group.
• The Bylaws are nearly finalized and will soon be shared with the Board.
• They will serve as a guideline; much of the prescriptive language is being transitioned to the Rules of the Board.
• With the resignation of one of the task group members, incoming Secretary Jeanne LeFever will be joining the task group.
• By October 27, a draft of the revised Rules of the Board will be provided to the Task Group. They will meet November 10 to review that document.
• The task group may move forward the date each document is available to the Board to allow more time for board review since the Bylaws, in particular, will be ready sooner.
• Mr. Keplinger will continue to chair the group in 2017 to finalize its work.
• Board members were asked to save the date of February 9, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. for a special board-only webinar-style presentation to review the documents in detail. This is in preparation for the Board of Directors meeting on February 17, 2017 where a vote is anticipated.
• Mr. Keplinger encouraged all Board members to attend the Annual Membership Meeting at Architecture Exchange East and to remind others. He reviewed the planned agenda for the meeting, noting that it will not be necessary for the Membership to vote on supplemental dues. A resolution recognizing sponsors and exhibitors will be acted upon, as well as the election of 2017 officers.

ADVISORY COUNCIL REPORTS:
Communications + Outreach (Mr. Reis):

• Board members were encouraged to attend Architecture Exchange East and to be active on the exhibit floor, thanking vendors and sponsors. All are encouraged to invite others to the event, as registration numbers are somewhat behind expectations.
• The council discussed the Strategic Plan and its implementation and developed the following strategy: (a) Create a strategic plan for C&O; (b) Investigate tools and plans to engage the public; (c) Increase relationships with media; and (d) Share relevant info from educational event with broader community.
• The council also discussed communication tactics including the website and a blog. Consultants will be engaged to assist in some of these.

Government Advocacy (Mr. Colley):

• Further to the Aug. 29 meeting of the Joint Subcommittee to Evaluate Tax Preferences, the AIA Virginia contingent urged lawmakers to reject any efforts to eliminate or cap the credit. Legislators are primarily interested in data on the ROI, particularly post-construction benefits.
• At the request of AIA National, AIA Virginia organized a meeting scheduled for October 20 with Senator Warner’s staff to request his support for an extension of the Energy Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction 179D.
• Like the other councils, the Government Advocacy Council is developing a process for implementation of the Strategic Plan.
• Ms. George participated in a panel discussion for the Virginia Association of Government Procurement’s Fall Conference in Fredericksburg October 13; the panel outlined typical insurance and risk management issues around standard of care, indemnity, and other uninsurable Terms & Conditions.
• The AIA is monitoring the Allow Act, which removes regulation for different types of occupations for those in overregulated professions.
• Contributions to the AIA Virginia PAC were encouraged.

Professional Excellence (Ms. Reader):

• Panelists for the opening session of Arch Ex are set. As registrations are somewhat low, the staff team is developing strategies for more targeted outreach to encourage participation.
• The ELA’s first public presentation is today at 5:00 p.m., focusing on their solutions for eliminating food deserts in the City of Richmond. Recruitment for the 2017 ELA class is underway and nominees are being sought.
• AIA Virginia Prize judging will occur October 19 and the winner will be announced at Architecture Exchange East.
• The Art of Practice conference is set for March 31, 2017 in Northern Virginia; development of content with the help of chair Maggie Shubert is ongoing.
• Planning for Design Forum XIII has begun; it will be held spring 2018 in the Blue Ridge region, likely at the Taubman Museum of Art.
• The Fellows Breakfast will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 5 at LuLu’s, Richmond.
• The Fellows Fete is scheduled for March 18, 2017 in Blacksburg with Jack Davis, Bob Dunay, and Donna Dunay handling much of the local planning.

Executive Vice President’s Topics (Ms. Dreiling):

• Ms. Dreiling referenced her written report that was sent electronically the day prior.
• Regarding ArchEx, targeted outreach efforts towards additional attendees are underway along with efforts to boost exhibit booth sales. She thanked Board member firms which had particularly high attendance.
• A Member Service Agreement has been entered into with AIA Richmond to assist them with administrative, clerical, legal, and planning efforts after the loss of their admin help.
• The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design is structuring a financial model to facilitate scholarship and other 501(c)3 (tax deductible) donations by members to local chapters.
• The Component leadership call will occur October 19 and the agenda is on the Board site.
• All board members are encouraged to attend Visions for Architecture at the VMFA.
• The December meeting will include a Thursday evening social/dinner December 1 followed by Board meetings on Friday, December 2 for both the 2016 and 2017 boards.
• Under a new initiative, research has been conducted relative to the number of states with the position of “State Architect.” This effort is intended to determine whether it makes sense for AIA Virginia to propose or resolve to support the creation of a State Architect position in Virginia. Advocacy for this would be of great interest to our members.
• Research about how other states operate in terms of their State Licensing Boards has been provided on the board’s site.

Engagement – Board for APELSCIDLA:
Mr. Vlattas welcomed Bob Boynton, FAIA, member, and Kate Nosbisch, Executive Director, both of the State Licensing Board in Virginia.

Mission of the Board – Ms. Nosbisch noted that all their meetings are open to the public. The Virginia state board is a “composite board” under the umbrella agency of DPOR, where there are 18 boards. Virginia has just over 7,000 resident and non-resident licensed architects. Virginia’s licensing and renewal fees are low due to the nature of the composite board; all of their income is from licensing fees. They accept all related CE’s (HSW is not required). The collaboration among the various professions is very positive; this is a pro to the composite board structure compared to an autonomous (single-entity) board.

Alignment with NCARB Model Law – Many items recommended by NCARB are supported but can’t be implemented due to certain processes and statutes. She wishes to compare NCARB Model Law with regulations currently in place so that changes can be made.

Areas of collaboration with AIA Virginia – She commented on the positive relationship that already exists between the two executive directors. Ms. Nosbisch would appreciate having a way to more appropriately recognize newly-licensed individuals and there could also be collaboration on newsletters/news. She encouraged board members to sign up online for electronic updates and to receive state board meeting notices.

Mr. Vlattas presented a Presidential Citation to Bob Boynton in recognition of his 17 years of meritorious service to the board on behalf of the profession.

A working luncheon was held with guests and all joined the ELA for a brief time. This was followed by an Executive Session where items of a confidential nature were discussed.

In summary, the Board of Directors of AIA Virginia voted to approve:

• The August 19, 2016 Meeting minutes.
• (No other formal actions were taken by the board.)