The Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects (APELSCIDLA) examines, licenses, and regulates approximately 35,000 individuals and related business entities in Virginia. Until just recently April Drake, AIA, and Mel Price, AIA have been serving on the APELSCIDLA board. We thank them for their service and commitment. Last week, Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA was appointed by the governor to serve in that capacity. Helene joins Tim Colley, AIA, and Erik Bootsma, RA who continue their dedicated service on that board. Special thanks and renewed appreciation to each and all of them. Keep up the great work.
April Drake, AIA was recently honored by the APELSCIDLA board for her service by Jim Kelly, PE, current chair of APELSCIDLA.
The Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects (APELSCIDLA Board) examines, licenses, and regulates approximately 35,000 individuals and related business entities in Virginia.
If you are interested in serving on this board, please email Paul Battaglia, AIA at pbattaglia@aiava.org
Member Tim Colley, AIA of Blacksburg, and President of Colley Architects, P.C. has been appointed by Governor Northam to the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Certified Interior Designers, Land Surveyors and Landscape Architects. Congratulations, Tim!
From Kate Nosbisch, Executive Director
Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
June marks my ninth year as your executive director. We have seen many changes over the last nine years (meeting structure, guidance documents, updates to the apprenticeship program, revisions to the regulations, a new profession added – land surveyor photogrammetrists, continuing education requirements, emeritus status added; NCEES exams transitionicomputer-based based testing, multiple changes to the NCARB ARE exam, restructuring and renaming of the NCARB IDP to AXP, the passing of three sitting board members, Bill Spell, LA, John Combs, PE and Paul Holt, LS, the addition of the PE Advisory Committee to assist with the review of PE applications with credit going to John Combs, the LARE converting to computer based testing, and board members rotating on and off the board just to name a few. I’m sure there are still many more to come and the Board stands ready to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public and the staff is poised to service our customers – the applicants, licensees, and citizens of the Commonwealth
It is a pleasure to work with the board members who serve the APELSCIDLA Board. Your professions are represented by a dedicated, articulate, professional group of individuals; it is their commitment that keeps the work of the Board moving. Board members write regulation, develop guidance documents, attend board meetings, section meetings, committee meetings, provide consultation, and preside over informal fact finding conferences. It is rewarding and challenging work. If you have been teaching or practicing in your profession for ten years, hold a Virginia license, and reside in the Commonwealth, perhaps you may want to consider board service. If so, please visit the board appointments page of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website to complete an application; you may have others access the same page to provide a nomination on your behalf. If you have any questions regarding board service, I welcome the opportunity to speak with you in person.
Bif Johnson and Corey Clayborne conclude their board service in 2017. I look forward to working with Corey in his new position as CEO of AIA Virginia. Bif was here when I started with the Board and he has been a mentor to me and he is always willing to assist the Board regardless of the task. It has been a pleasure working alongside these two gentlemen to accomplish the goals and mission of the Board.
The Board staff is here to assist you, if you have questions about licensure, renewals, continuing education, emeritus status, exam windows, or anything else related to licensure, please contact us at (804) 367-8506 or apelscidla@dpor.virginia.gov.
Read the summer edition of the APELSCIDLA Dimensions newsletter.
The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation has made us aware of the opportunity for public participation and comment during a period for regulatory review. APELSCIDLA Executive Director Kate Nosbisch advises that this is offered on a very limited basis. Please see, below, the “Virginia Regulatory Town Hall Action Notice” and respond as you deem appropriate. Note that the deadline for their receipt of comments is April 19, 2017:
The following regulatory stages have been submitted for publication in the Virginia Register
Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers, and Landscape Architects
Agency
Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
Chapter
Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers, and Landscape Architects Regulations (18 VAC 10-20)
The VSAIA offers its support to candidates who wish to serve the public by leading the various boards that oversee the work of state agencies. All agencies below — and many others — are led by gubernatorial appointees.
While only a few positions are reserved for architects — such as the regulatory board and the Fair Housing Board — many agencies would benefit from an architect’s insight and ability to see several steps ahead, similar to a chess grandmaster. To some, this would appear to be magic. To architects, it remains a daily exercise in rational thought.
For boards requiring architects, the VSAIA is asked to provide a slate of nominees. For other boards, we may support as few or as many as are interested. Board openings beginning July 1, 2015, requiring gubernatorial appointment are as follows:
APELSCIDLA — three positions are open, one reserved for an architect. The other two are for a landscape architect and a land surveyor. This board regulates architects, professional engineers, land surveyors, certified interior designers and landscape architects.
Board for Professional and Occupational Regulation — one position open, not reserved for an architect. This board oversees the actions of the department that regulates licensed professionals including architects.
Board of Historic Resources — two positions are open, none reserved for an architect.
Board of Housing and Community Development — two positions open, one each from the 8th and 10th Congressional Districts. No positions are reserved for architects. One of this board’s primary duties is to approve updates to the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.
Fair Housing Board — five positions are open one of which is for an architect.
Virginia Housing Development Authority — two positions open, none reserved for an architect.
While other boards may be considered, these are more often of interest to architects.
To submit an application to the secretary of the commonwealth, go to the website: https://commonwealth.virginia.gov/va-government/gubernatorial-appointments/ and click on the link. Members who wish to receive the support of the VSAIA must send a resume and a letter of interest to Duncan Abernathy AIA at daber@aiava.org for review by the Government and Industry Affairs Committee.
For more information about the process or an individual board as well as the commitment of time required by each, contact Abernathy as well.
While we have not been notified officially of any gubernatorial appointments for the 2013 vacancies, the VSAIA is moving toward selecting and supporting nominees for openings in 2014.
The VSAIA offers its support to candidates who wish to serve the public by leading the various boards that oversee the work of state agencies. While only a few positions are reserved for architects — such as the regulatory board and the Art and Architectural Review Board — many agencies would benefit from an architect’s insight and ability to see several steps ahead, similar to a chess grandmaster. To some, this would appear to be magic. To architects, it’s a daily exercise in rational thought.
[adrotate banner=”52″]For boards requiring architects, the VSAIA is asked to provide a slate of nominees. For other boards, one nominee is fine. Board openings beginning July 1, 2014, requiring gubernatorial appointment are as follows:
Art and Architectural Review Board – five positions open, one reserved for an architect and one at-large. Currently two architects serve on this extremely important board, which reviews designs for every state-owned project.
Board of Housing and Community Development – four positions open, one each from the 1st, 2nd, 6th, and 11th Congressional Districts. No positions are reserved for architects. One of this board’s primary duties is to approve updates to the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.
Virginia Housing Development Authority – two positions open, none reserved for an architect.
Board for Professional and Occupational Regulation – four positions open, none reserved for an architect. This board oversees the actions of the department that regulates licensed professionals including architects.
APELSCIDLA – no architect positions open, but three other positions are open, one each for a professional engineer, a land surveyor, and a certified interior designer. This board regulates architects, professional engineers, land surveyors, certified interior designers and landscape architects.
Board of Historic Resources – two positions are open, none reserved for an architect.
There are other boards to be considered as well. These are only the ones most commonly of interest to architects. Members who wish to receive the support of the VSAIA must send a resume and a letter of interest to Duncan Abernathy AIA at daber@aiava.org for review by the Government and Industry Affairs Committee. For more information about the process or an individual board as well as the commitment of time required by each, contact Abernathy as well.
Christine Snetter, AIA, of Providence Forge was appointed to the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects by Governor Bob McDonnell. She succeeds Michael LeMay AIA, who did not seek a second appointment. The APELSCIDLA Board examines, licenses, and regulates approximately 35,000 individuals and related business entities in Virginia. She will serve with Robert A. Boynton, FAIA, from Richmond, and Clint Good, chair of the Architect Section, from Purcellville.
Others appointed to the APELSCIDLA Board for the 2013-2017 term are Charles F. Dunlap of Winchester to the surveyors’ section, Daniel J. Santos of Vienna to the engineers’ section, and Andrew Scherzer of Midlothian to the landscape architects’ section.
Dick Gresham, AIA
The Norfolk City Council appointed Richard Wells Gresham, AIA, to the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners. Founded in 1940, NRHA is a national leader in community revitalization and fostering sustainable mixed-income communities. As the largest redevelopment and housing authority in Virginia, NRHA is an important driver of the local economy.
Architects serving on the regulatory board received information on unlicensed practice investigations in their May section meeting.
The administration reported that seven complaints of unlicensed practice were investigated in 2012 and four (to date) in 2013. The disposition of these cases was characterized as follows:
“For FY12, 7 ‘unlicensed’ files were processed.
The first file was closed because of the Statute of Limitations and the second closed for insufficient evidence of the Respondent Sole Proprietor employing any other licensed professional. The third file was closed when corrections were made to the Respondent’s website and the fourth closed due to the dissolution of the entity. The fifth file was closed following the Respondent initiating the licensure process and the sixth closed due to insufficient documentation supporting the allegation of the Respondent engaging in activities for which a license was needed. The seventh file is pending court action for unlicensed activity.
For FY13 (to date), 4 ‘unlicensed’ files were processed.
The first file was closed for insufficient evidence, noting Complainant failed to provide requested additional documentation. The second file was closed due to corrections to the website and the Respondent no longer performing activities for which a license was needed. The third file was closed with the Respondent no longer holding himself out on his resume as an architect and the fourth was closed due to the Respondent being exempt from licensure requirements.”
Anyone wishing to file a complaint against someone who is practicing or offering to practice architecture and who is not licensed may fill out a form and send it to the Board for Architecture, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers, and Landscape Architects. Complaint forms and directions can be found here: http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/uploadedFiles/MainSite/Content/FormsandApplications/F701-COMPFRM.pdf. You also may contact Duncan Abernathy, AIA, at daber@aiava.org
Robert A. Boynton FAIA, was appointed to the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects by Gov. Bob McDonnell. He is a principal with the Richmond architecture firm Boynton Rothschild Rowland Architects, PC.
He was appointed for a four-year term to the seat being vacated by James Boyd, AIA, from Charlottesville. Boynton has served on the APELSCIDLA Board before, rising to the position of national president of the National Council of Architecture Registration Boards.
Several architects nominated by the Virginia Society AIA for other boards were not selected. However, staff members working in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth said that their names are on file for 2013.
Solicitations for architects interested in these 2013 vacancies will be sought beginning in November.
