President’s Report to the Membership

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Greetings Colleagues,

I hope the Summer months find our membership doing well and that you have been able to take some time off for travel and relaxation from your busy practices. I am pleased to provide you with a report on the activities of AIA Virginia for the second quarter as well as July 2016.

The Board of Directors and staff of AIA Virginia have been busy working on matters of interest on behalf of our members. At its meeting held on June 17, the board adopted the tri-annual update to our 2017-2020 Strategic Plan, adopted the FY2017 budget, and also approved a phasing out of supplemental dues over a four-year period. We were pleased to report these actions to our members during the virtual meeting of the membership which was also held on June 17.

STRATEGIC PLAN

The board was committed to a deep dive into the strategic planning process this year as the first update to the strategic plan following the Centennial celebration of AIA Virginia in 2014. The five primary goals of our strategic plan are:

  • Elevate public awareness by positioning architects as vital contributors to our built environment.
  • Advance the knowledge and expertise of members.
  • Advocate for the profession.
  • Implement a communication program that informs and facilitates connections.
  • Become a model of a strong nonprofit and vibrant membership organization.

The plan provides greater detail on each goal with implementation plans which the board and staff will be working on in the months ahead. I would like to thank Mr. Bill Brown, AIA, who chaired the strategic planning team as our President-Elect, Ms. Rhea George, AIA Virginia Managing Director who led efforts on behalf of our staff, Ms. Sarah Milston who was our lead consultant from The Spark Mill and all of the people who contributed to the strategic planning effort.

SUPPLEMENTAL DUES

The elimination of supplemental dues has been called for by many of our members for many years. After much study, our leadership plans to implement a four-year approach in which supplemental dues for AIA members are eliminated in 2017, followed by Associate members in the second year, non-member architects in the third year and finally technical employees in the final year of 2020. This plan will be voted on by the membership at the Annual Meeting during Architecture Exchange East on November 3, 2016. As savings in dues expenses are recognized by our members and their firms, we are hopeful that you will consider supporting AIA Virginia in other ways such as sponsoring programs which are of importance to your firms.

LARGE FIRM ROUNDTABLE

On June 14, with 24 people in attendance, we convened the third meeting of the AIA Virginia Large Firm Roundtable which is meeting on a semi-annual basis. In addition to updating those present on the activities of AIA Virginia and sharing ideas of mutual concern, we also heard a report from Patrick Cushing, Esq. of Williams Mullen on the legislative matters of interest to our members including procurement issues, SWAM definition of small business, and consideration of the future of historic tax credits in Virginia.

GOVERNMENT ADVOCACY

On legislative matters, Mr. Tim Colley, AIA, Vice President of the Advisory Council on Government Advocacy has been active in leading our efforts along with Ms. George. Mr. Colley attended the AIA SpeakUp! conference in Washington D.C. in July which provided training for developing legislative strategies for AIA components. Ms. George also attended SpeakUp! as well as the State Government Network meeting where she served on a panel discussing the work in Virginia being done relative to licensing in multiple jurisdictions. Our government advocacy is important for our profession. Please consider giving to AIA Virginia Political Action Committee (http://aiavapac.org/), even if it is a small amount, many voices will help us be heard by our legislators.

PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE

Vice President of the Advisory Council on Professional Excellence, Ms. Elizabeth Reader, FAIA, has been working with AIA Virginia Education Director Marshall Dreiling and other staff and council members on the planning of Architecture Exchange East in November which will feature as keynote speakers Ms. Rosa Sheng, AIA, of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and founding Chairperson of The Missing 32% Project, and 2013 AIA President Mr. Mickey Jacob FAIA who is a 2018 candidate for Mayor of Tampa, FL. Additional seminars have been added to the program and the Branch Museum of Architecture and Design will be responsible for architectural tours.

Ms. Maggie Shubert AIA is chairing the committee which is planning “The Art of Practice”, a one-day bi-annual conference scheduled for the Spring of 2017 in Northern Virginia presented by AIA Virginia designed to build skills required by our profession. Topics for discussion will include firm culture, marketing, new technology trends, and how to grow your practice. With relevant content for both small and large firms, no matter what stage in your career, we are sure there will be something for everyone.

FINANCIAL AND MEMBERSHIP REPORT

The fiscal year for AIA Virginia ended on June 30, 2016, and we are pleased to report that we finished the year with an excess of $24,701. AIA Virginia Membership as of May 31 was reported at 1,553 AIA members and 417 AIA Associate members for a total of 1970 members. Our retention rate is at 93% which represents the highest number of members and retention rate over the last four years.

COMPONENT COLLABORATION

The five AIA components of Virginia and AIA Virginia continue to collaborate and communicate on its programs to improve the experience and value to our members. We held a conference call on July 26 with leadership from the six Virginia components and with our sister component from AIA West Virginia to discuss strategies to promote stronger working relationships among the components. I encourage you to get involved with the activities of your local component as well as AIA Virginia. There are many excellent activities and programs in the works.

THE BRANCH MUSEUM OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

Congratulations to The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design for their successful fund-raising effort of over $1,000,000 in order to receive a matching grant of $500,000 from the Cabell Foundation.

OUR VISION AND MISSION:

AIA Virginia continues to work hard to bring significant value to our members, provide programs and services which are relevant to our fast-changing profession and to celebrate the prosperity of our members. Our mission is to be the voice of the architecture profession in the Commonwealth, dedicated to serving our members and through a culture of innovation, AIA Virginia empowers its members, advances their value, and inspires the creation of a better-built environment.

THANK YOU:

Thank you to our Executive Vice President and CEO Helene Dreiling, FAIA, for her leadership and thank you to our AIA Virginia staff for their service to our membership.

Most important, thank you for being a member of AIA Virginia and for your contributions to our profession and practice of architecture in the Commonwealth! Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or suggestions for AIA Virginia.

Sincerely,
Nick Vlattas, AIA
AIA Virginia President 2016

A Busy Year Ahead

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Greetings Colleagues,

I trust this message finds you well into the New Year making excellent and exciting contributions to the practice of architecture in the Commonwealth. At AIA Virginia, we are off to a fast start and I want to first thank all the members who have renewed membership in AIA. I also want to thank the firm practitioners who support participation by their employees in AIA activities. Last year AIA Virginia ended with 2,397 members and we expect that number to grow in 2016.  Membership in AIA is at an all-time high and AIA Virginia is working hard to bring significant value to its members, provide programs and services which are relevant to our fast-changing profession and to celebrate the prosperity of our members.

Nick Vlattas, AIA
Nick Vlattas, AIA
2016 President, AIA Virginia

The 2016 Board of Directors held its first meeting in December and is engaged with AIA Virginia staff under the direction of Executive Vice President / CEO Helene Dreiling, FAIA in advancing programs and services through our three Advisory Councils for Communications and Outreach led by Rob Reis, AIA, Government Advocacy led by Tim Colley, AIA, and Professional Excellence led by Beth Reader, FAIA.

DESIGN FORUM XII: Our first major event for Professional Excellence this year is Design Forum XII which will take place on Friday and Saturday, April 1-2, at the recently completed Slover Library in Norfolk Virginia. The overarching topic is TRANSFORMATION: THE CHANGING POINT. The forum will explore how design itself is transformed in the wake of a changing climate and how meaningful changes are enacted by design. Led by our dynamic moderator, Z Smith of Eskew Dumez Ripple, presentations from OMA, Playlab, and Kieran Timberlake, among others, will explore the intersection of design and transformation. If you haven’t seen the Slover Library, I know you will be inspired by the building designed by the partnership of Newman Architects and Tymoff and Moss Architects, I hope that you will put the Design Forum on your calendar and attend. Register>>

LEGISLATIVE SESSION: The General Assembly began its 60-day legislative session on the second Wednesday of January. AIA Virginia engages legislators to tell them what we think about legislation affecting limitations of liability, open-space planning, historic renovation tax credits, universal building codes, sustainability, statutes of repose, basically the entire spectrum of an architect’s practice. Thank you to our Government Advocacy Advisory Council led by Tim Colley, AIA and staff liaison Rhea George for monitoring current legislation of importance to architects in the Commonwealth. I hope that you will consider supporting your profession and your practice by contributing to the AIA Virginia Political Action Committee. Even the smallest amount will help send a message to our representatives on the importance of legislation that impacts our profession.

STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT: Every three years AIA Virginia revisits its strategic plan. The Board of Directors will participate in a strategic planning retreat in late February. Our mission is to be the voice of the architecture profession in the Commonwealth, dedicated to serving our members and through a culture of innovation, AIA Virginia empowers its members, advances their value, and inspires the creation of a better-built environment. I look forward to collaborating with our officers, directors and staff leadership as we refine our strategies and goals for the coming few years.

FINANCIAL OUTLOOK:  One of our focused priorities for AIA Virginia is to be financially responsible so as to ensure operational sustainability and success. In 2015, we changed our fiscal year from a December 31, year-end to a June 30, year-end to correspond to the timing of our programs and member dues revenue. We are pleased to report that at the semi-annual period ending December 31, 2015, our revenues are ahead of forecast due to a strong showing at Architectural Exchange East and our expenses are on budget leading to an improved balance sheet as compared to the same period a year ago.

EMERGING LEADERS: Congratulations to the 53 architects who passed their ARE exam in Virginia in 2015. Additionally, AIA Virginia has selected the 16-member 2016 class of Emerging Leaders in Architecture which held its first session in Richmond in early January. We wish them well in the program which consists of seven, day-long seminars, several work sessions, culminating with a presentation at Architecture Exchange East. The future success of AIA hinges on our ability to engage the next generation of architects. I hope you will join me in encouraging participation by our emerging professionals in AIA programs at the local, state or national level.

AIA GRASSROOTS and AIA CONVENTION: Leadership from AIA Virginia will be attending AIA Grassroots 2016, February 23-25, in Detroit. Registration is now open for AIA Convention 2016, May 19-21, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. I hope you will consider attending.

Thank you again for your support of AIA Virginia. On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of AIA Virginia, we look forward to serving our members in 2016 bringing value to your practice.

Sincerely,
Nick Vlattas, AIA
AIA Virginia President 2016

National Officers Elected

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Delegates attending the National Convention in New Orleans elected Mickey Jacob, FAIA (AIA Tampa Bay), to serve as the 2012 AIA first vice president/president-elect and 2013 Institute president; Russell A. Davidson, AIA, and Debra S. Kunce, FAIA, each to serve as vice president from 2012 through 2013; and Gabriel Durand-Hollis, FAIA, as the Institute’s treasurer from 2012 through 2013.

Jacob, managing principal at Urban Studio Architects, a seven-person firm in Tampa, has more than 25 years of AIA participation holding numerous leadership positions with AIA Tampa Bay, AIA Florida, and AIA National. Following his term as president of AIA Florida in 2004-2005, he served as the 2007-2009 AIA Florida/Caribbean Regional Director on the AIA National Board of Directors. In 2009, he was elected to a two-year term as an AIA vice president.

“The AIA is standing at the threshold of exciting new opportunities,” Jacob said. “The AIA brand is a respected one, but it is much stronger when we speak with a unified voice. By building a foundation of knowledge and trust with a collective commitment to leadership, advocacy, and communication, the AIA will continue to evolve into an influential professional organization that takes opportunity and turns it into reality.”

Jacob also has been active in government advocacy, including serving as chair of the Florida Architects Political Action Committee, of ArchiPAC, and of the AIA Board Advocacy Committee. Participating in the development of several advocacy initiatives, including as a cofounder of the AIA Breakfast of Champions program, Jacob has helped raise the awareness of the importance of political engagement, and is a vocal advocate to position AIA members to attain leadership positions.

Davidson is former president of the AIA New York State (2007) and Westchester Hudson Valley (1999) chapters. He is president and managing partner at Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson Architects & Engineers PC, in Mount Kisco, NY, a 20-person architectural and engineering firm.

“I believe the best way to know the essential meaning of something is to take aspects of it away until all that is left is the single defining element that is most broadly understood,” Davidson says. “For the AIA, promoting the positive value of design and the contribution of architects is that core defining value. You cannot take that away from us. It is who we are and why the AIA is still vital to the profession for over 150 years.”

Davidson currently serves on the AIA National Board of Directors as the regional director from New York and is a member of the Board’s Communications Committee and Board Advocacy Committee, where he is chair of the Public Policies Subcommittee and former chair of the Public Engagement Subcommittee (2010).

Kunce is currently serving as Ohio Valley Regional Director on the AIA National Board of Directors. She is an associate with Schmidt Associates, Inc., in Indianapolis, a full-service architecture and engineering firm.

“My AIA service has centered on strategically planning an AIA future that nurtures emerging professionals, advances our legislative agenda, and promotes the AIA brand,” said Kunce. “Design is the new currency, and it is our time to demonstrate the strength of our organization and our members’ ‘can do’ attitude.”

Kunce’s national experience also includes board representative to the Strategic Directions Group and Board Community Committee; chair of the Integrated Media Task Force (2009-2010); AIAS Honor Awards Jury (2009); and member of the Young Architect’s Forum Advisory Committee (2003-2005). Kunce has been active in the AIA for more than 15 years, including service to AIA Indianapolis as the associate director (1995-1996), public relations director (1998-1999), secretary (2002), treasurer (2003), vice president (2004), and president in 2005. For AIA Indiana, she served as the treasurer (2006-2007), vice president (2008), and president in 2009.

Durand-Hollis, former president of the Texas Society of Architects, has been the regional director from Texas on the AIA National Board of Directors since 2009 and is also a member of the Board Finance and Audit Committee. He is president of Durand-Hollis Rupe, Inc. (DHR), a San Antonio firm.

“I believe it is time to examine some of the AIA practices to determine if change is necessary and challenge ourselves to do better by seeing how we can benefit from making those changes,” Durand-Hollis states. “I anticipate great things to come knowing that we have great leaders at the AIA. I am sure we will continue to make great strides together.”

Other national AIA experience includes member of the AIA International Committee (1997-2000); chair, Small Projects Professional Interest Area (1995); member, Firm Benefits Task Force (1995); and member, Small Projects Professional Interest Area (1993-1995).