Fast and Furious February!

Posted on by cguske

I know, February is the shortest month of the year, but it certainly felt like a whirlwind for AIA Virginia. From our first annual Hill Day in Richmond to our strategic planning retreat in Harrisonburg and finally the AIA Leadership Summit in D.C., the AIAVA staff and Board members were very busy last month.

Hill Day in Richmond was an invigorating and inspiring experience. We began the morning by listening to Andrew Moore, AIA and Jen Bailey, AIA describe the design and construction process for the General Assembly Building, including the challenges they faced along the way. If you haven’t toured the GAB yet, I highly recommend it. After a brief tour of a few spaces, we headed to the historic Capitol Building to observe a joint session of the Generally Assembly. We were honored with a shout-out from the floor by Delegate Beverly Carr, a long-time loyal friend to AIA Virginia whose sponsorship of the alternative path to licensure bill was instrumental. For more on this event, including the full text of Delegate Carr’s remarks, be sure to check out this post from the AIA Virginia February newsletter.

Just a few days later, the Board convened in Harrisonburg for our strategic planning retreat, facilitated by spill teem. Josh and his team did not disappoint. Their “Human-Centered Approach” (people first, process second) was engaging, fast-paced, and productive. Through a mix of thought-provoking presentations and collaborative group sessions, we debated, refined, and ultimately shaped a concise list of actionable priorities that will become the framework for our next strategic plan. Spill Teem team is now synthesizing our work and will be submitting a draft plan to the Board in April. I’m excited to see our many sticky notes evolve into a tangible and strategic action plan.

Finally, AIA component leaders from across the U.S. gathered in Washington February 13th and 14th for the annual Leadership Summit. In addition to keynotes and educational sessions, more than 500 AIA members spent a day on Capitol Hill meeting with Congressional staff to advocate for key issues that impact our profession:

  • retaining professional designation for architectural graduate degrees,
  • support of Design Freedom to ensure federal buildings reflect the local context and culture versus a single, mandated style and support of the People’s White House Historic Preservation Act,
  • extension of the 179-D High-Performance Building Tax Credit (set to expire in June),
  • and continued support of affordable housing legislation.

Every meeting I participated in felt productive. Staff are knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely interested in understanding the challenges facing our profession. Hill Day was a renewed reminder of the power of a representative government and the role each of us can – and should – play in shaping it. Visit AIA.org for a brief on each of these issues and ways you can lend your voice.

As busy as February was for me and my fellow Board members, the experiences deepened my commitment to serving each of you and helping ensure that AIA Virginia continues to grow stronger, more valuable, and more resilient.

Sincerely,
Bill Hopkins, AIA
AIA Virginia President

Hello, 2026!

Posted on by cguske

As we begin the new year, many of us see this as an opportunity to start fresh and commit to self-improvement. It is also a vital time to reflect on the past year—acknowledging our successes while shedding habits that no longer serve us in favor of those that do.

As I begin my term as AIA Virginia President, I am looking at our organization through a similar lens. Much like making a New Year’s resolution, the Board and I will be scrutinizing our current initiatives to ensure they deliver the highest value to you. We are committed to identifying what can be improved, what has run its course, and what is currently missing from our toolkit.

Like any resolution, we have the best chance at success if our goals are realistic, measurable, and—most importantly—guided by the Mission and Core Values of AIA Virginia.

To that end, our Board will convene in a few weeks for a two-day retreat to begin crafting our next Strategic Plan. Our aim is to approach this with open minds. We will conduct a thorough assessment of our current reality, identify our strengths and weaknesses, and target new opportunities for growth. From there, we will define specific action plans—including clear responsibilities and timelines—and establish KPIs to measure our success.

This strategic plan will not be a document that sits on a shelf. It will serve as our “North Star” for every decision we make as an organization. I am honored to be a part of this process and look forward to providing you with an update after the retreat.

Lastly, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as your President. My sincere thanks go to Meagan Jancy for her exceptional leadership and mentorship last year. It was a pleasure “riding shotgun” with her; I hope to match the level of commitment and dedication she continues to provide to this organization.

Sincerely,

Bill Hopkins, AIA
AIA Virginia President