A Call for Candidates

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AIA Virginia and its members benefit enormously from dedicated, effective, and passionate volunteers serving in a number of positions – many of which will be available. Before we provide details on those positions, let’s acknowledge and voice appreciation for those who have been serving so well:

Ashleigh Walker, Associate AIA – Associate Director
Erin Agdinaoay, AIA – Young Architect Representative (YAR)
Amber Hall, AIA – Treasurer
Bill Hopkins, AIA – President-elect
Stephanie Leedom, AIA and Robert Easter, FAIA – Strategic Council
Caitlin Morgan, Associate AIA – State/Territory Associate Representative (STAR)
Charles Piper, AIA – Chair, Large Firm Roundtable
Gina Robinson, AIA – State Licensing Advisor

Applause and appreciation to each and all.  Thank you.

More specific information about each of those positions appears below. Click on the position title to review the description and submission/application requirements. Please encourage qualified candidates (members in good standing) to apply. You are further encouraged to remember that might be you.

Submissions, including a letter of interest, a resume, and any additional items specific to the position sought, as well as any questions should be addressed to EVP, Paul R Battaglia, AIA at pbattaglia@aiava.org prior to the applicable deadline.

AIA Virginia Board of Directors
AIA Virginia President-elect – deadline Wednesday, July 30, 2025
AIA Virginia Treasurer – deadline Wednesday, July 30, 2025
AIA Virginia Associate Director – deadline Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Large Firm Roundtable Chair – deadline Wednesday, July 30, 2025
The Firm Size and Career Stage roundtables convene several times each year to discuss issues of common concern. They afford the opportunity to exchange perspectives, identify best practices, and discuss what works – and what doesn’t. We are seeking a chair for the Large Firm Roundtable. AIA Virginia currently defines a firm as “large” if it has twenty-five (or more) employees. This position would commence as soon as possible. The next scheduled meeting of the roundtables will occur during Architecture Exchange East, November 5 to 7, 2025. Prospective candidates should send a letter of interest, a resume, and a headshot to EVP Paul R Battaglia, AIA at pbattaglia@aiava.org no later than Wednesday, July 30, 2025.

National Associates Committee: STAR: State/Territory Associate Representative – deadline Wednesday, July 30, 2025
State Associate Representatives (StARs) serve on the National Associates Committee (the NAC). The NAC  is the voice of Associate members of AIA. It represents and advocates for both mainstream and non-traditional associates – who constitute 19% of national AIA membership – at all components of the AIA.

State Licensing Advisor – deadline Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
The Architect Licensing Advisors Community is a group of individuals committed to assisting licensure candidates and architects as they navigate the path to licensure and reciprocity. Architect licensing advisors provide guidance throughout the licensure process by facilitating the flow of information to architecture students, licensure candidates, and architects. The program is led by NCARB and jointly supported by the American Institute of Architects. Appointees serve a two-year term.

Young Architect Representative – deadline Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
A YAR is a Young Architect Representative; an AIA member who has been licensed for less than 10 years and who serves as a liaison between the state chapter (in our case, AIA Virginia) and the Young Architects Forum (YAF) focusing on issues that concern Emerging Professionals (EPs; architects in the early stage of their career). The YAR serves a two-year term, beginning January 1, 2026.

Strategic Councilor – deadline Wednesday, July 30, 2025
The AIA Strategic Council (“The Council”) is a diverse group of forward-thinking leaders, charged with exploring new ideas and solutions to significant issues facing the profession of architecture and its role in society. The Council seeks to prioritize and make advancements by informing the AIA Board of Directors and other Institute bodies about important professional issues and opportunities. The Council is not an AIA governing body, which allows it the freedom to explore issues outside of current constructs. The Council’s primary focus is the future of the profession.

Young Architect Representative

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A YAR is a Young Architect Representative; an AIA member who has been licensed for less than 10 years and who serves as a liaison between the state chapter (in our case, AIA Virginia) and the Young Architects Forum (YAF) focusing on issues that concern Emerging Professionals (EPs; architects in the early stage of their career). The YAR serves a two-year term, beginning January 1, 2026.

YAR Information Page from AIA

Roles and duties of the Young Architect Representative (YAR)

Young Architect Representatives represent young architects within AIA at the state and national level. They are the primary connection between local AIA chapters and the national YAF Advisory Committee (AdCom).

The Young Architect Representative communicates information from AIA National to local emerging professional groups and vice versa by:

  • Maintaining quarterly communication with all YAF chapters within their state
  • Serving as a conduit between local YAF chapters and the AdCom

The Young Architect Representative contributes to the direction and planning of the YAF by:

  • Participating in the YAF Annual Meeting and attending YAF full committee conference calls
  • Working with the AdCom on various national issues through participation in at least one YAF Focus Group
  • Attending AIA Leadership Summit and AIA National Conference, when possible

The Young Architect Representative serves young architects at the state level by:

  • Providing reports regarding the activities of the YAF and emerging professionals groups when requested
  • Maintaining quarterly communication with the following counterparts from their state: National Associates Committee (NAC) state representatives, Strategic Council representatives, and College of Fellows (COF) regional representative
  • Attending monthly AIA Leadership Exchange calls
  • Suggesting or encouraging young architects for nomination for state or national awards, positions or committees/subcommittees.

Young Architect Representatives have the option to represent YAF within the larger AIA National community by serving as a member of or liaison to any of the following: Strategic Council work groups, Knowledge Communities, Board Committees, Member Interest Groups, or Task Forces. These opportunities may vary from year to year.

Additional responsibilities may be required by each respective state. Young Architect Representatives are required to work with their states to ensure that expectations from state leadership are clearly defined and met. The AdCom encourages all applicants to discuss the position with their state leadership (either the state AIA President and/or Executive Director) to fully understand the role and commitment that the Young Architect Representative will have to their respective state prior to submitting an application.

Activities of a YAR

Every month this position will require 4 to 5 hours of your time. The state representative should expect to participate in the following calls and meetings:

  • Full committee Annual meeting (Q1, travel and lodging paid by AIA National)
  • Bi-monthly Full Committee Calls (2 hours each call)
  • Working group calls (frequency depends on the workgroup and their current load, but assume 1-2 hours a month)
  • Special calls as needed (generally no longer than an hour)
  • AIA Leadership Exchange calls (1 hour quarterly)

Application Requirements
AIA Membership – Applicant must be an AIA member in good standing within AIA Virginia (AIA Blue Ridge, AIA Central Virginia, AIA Coastal Virginia, AIA Northern Virginia, and AIA Richmond) and must be licensed not more than 10 years at the time of submission.

Letter of Interest – From Applicant. Indicate understanding of the position, qualifications/experience, and reasons for seeking election. Limit one page.

Letter of Nomination – From an AIA local or state component Board Member. Indicate the connection between the YAR position and the Nominee’s leadership qualities. Limit one page.

Letter of Recommendation – From an AIA member. Indicate the Nominee’s qualifications for the YAR position. Limit one page.

Letter of Support – From Employer. A Principal (or Officer) within the candidate’s firm must commit to supporting the candidate in fulfilling the role’s obligations. Limit one page on company letterhead.

Resume – Indicate education, employment history, organizations, activities, honors, and awards. Limit two pages (It is NOT in the applicant’s best interest to simply submit a firm resume with project experience).

Timeline

Prospective candidates should send their application materials to EVP Paul R Battaglia, AIA at pbattaglia@aiava.org no later than Wednesday, July 30, 2025. Submissions will be reviewed by the Nominating Committee to confirm eligibility. The Board of Directors will review candidates and make an appointment during its meeting scheduled for Friday, August 15, 2025. Notification of new YARs are sent to the new YAR and the AIA YAF staff liaison during October 2025. Positions begin in January 2026, with AIA National-paid travel to the 2026 YAF Annual Meeting (date and location TBD).

Welcome to our new YAR

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Dear AIA Virginia Members,

I am very excited to begin my term as the 2024-2026 Young Architect Representative (YAR) for Virginia. This role serves as a steward for young architects across Virginia, bringing their interests and ideas to the national stage, and bringing resources from the national level to local YAF chapters. I hope to be both an excellent communicator and listener for the young architect community and beyond.

On February 2nd, I will be in Memphis for the 2024 YAF Annual Meeting. It is the one time a year all 52 YARS, 106 STARs, and 20+ Advisory Committee leaders physically come together for a full day of strategizing and planning. I am excited for who I will meet, what I will learn, and what I can bring back to Virginia. The three 2024 YAF priorities will be “Growth and Career Advancement,” “Steering the Future of the Profession,” and “Diversifying and Accelerating Leadership.” If you have any questions, ideas, or topics you would like me to keep top of mind, please let me know! My door is always open at erin@wparch.com.

Kindly,
Erin Agdinaoay, AIA, NOMA

Calling all YARs!

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A YAR is a Young Architect Representative; an AIA member who has been licensed for less than 10 years and who serves as a liaison between the state chapter (in our case, AIA Virginia) and the Young Architects Forum (YAF) focusing on issues that concern Emerging Professionals (EPs; architects in the early stage of their career). For several years Carrie Parker, AIA has been serving, admirably, as our YAR.

Carrie has recently been appointed YAF Strategic Vision Director at the national level. Please join me in congratulating Carrie on that achievement. Having co-authored the recent strategic plan for that group, we look forward to Carrie applying her substantial leadership and project management skills to its execution. And while we celebrate and look forward to Carrie’s achievements, we also realize that this leaves us in need of a new YAR, for a two-year term, beginning 1 January 2024.

Roles and duties of the Young Architect Representative (YAR)

Young Architect Representatives represent young architects within AIA at the state and national level. They are the primary connection between local AIA chapters and the national YAF Advisory Committee (AdCom).

The Young Architect Representative communicates information from AIA National to local emerging professional groups and vice versa by:

  • Maintaining quarterly communication with all YAF chapters within their state
  • Serving as a conduit between local YAF chapters and the AdCom

The Young Architect Representative contributes to the direction and planning of the YAF by:

  • Participating in the YAF Annual Meeting and attending YAF full committee conference calls
  • Working with the AdCom on various national issues through participation in at least one YAF Focus Group
  • Attending AIA Leadership Summit and AIA National Conference, when possible

The Young Architect Representative serves young architects at the state level by:

  • Providing reports regarding the activities of the YAF and emerging professionals groups when requested
  • Maintaining quarterly communication with the following counterparts from their state: National Associates Committee (NAC) state representatives, Strategic Council representatives, and College of Fellows (COF) regional representative
  • Attending monthly AIA Leadership Exchange calls
  • Suggesting or encouraging young architects for nomination for state or national awards, positions or committees/subcommittees.

Young Architect Representatives have the option to represent YAF within the larger AIA National community by serving as a member of or liaison to any of the following: Strategic Council work groups, Knowledge Communities, Board Committees, Member Interest Groups, or Task Forces. These opportunities may vary from year to year.

Additional responsibilities may be required by each respective state. Young Architect Representatives are required to work with their states to ensure that expectations from state leadership are clearly defined and met. The AdCom encourages all applicants to discuss the position with their state leadership (either the state AIA President and/or Executive Director) to fully understand the role and commitment that the Young Architect Representative will have to their respective state prior to submitting an application.

Activities of a YAR

Every month this position will require 4-5 hours of your time. The state representative should expect to participate in the following calls and meetings:

  • Full committee Annual meeting (Q1, travel and lodging paid by AIA National)
  • Bi-monthly Full Committee Calls (2 hours each call)
  • Working group calls (frequency depends on the workgroup and their current load, but assume 1-2 hours a month)
  • Special calls as needed (generally no longer than an hour)
  • AIA Leadership Exchange calls (1 hour quarterly)

Term: Two-year commitment.

Application Requirements
AIA Membership – Applicant must be an AIA member in good standing within AIA Virginia (AIA Blue Ridge, AIA Central Virginia, AIA Hampton Roads, AIA Northern Virginia, and AIA Richmond) and must be licensed not more than 10 years at the time of submission.

Letter of Interest – From Applicant. Indicate understanding of the position, qualifications/experience, and reasons for seeking election. Limit one-page.

Letter of Nomination – From an AIA local or state component Board Member. Indicate the connection between the YAR position and the Nominee’s leadership qualities. Limit one-page.

Letter of Recommendation – From an AIA member. Indicate the Nominee’s qualifications for the YAR position. Limit one-page.

Letter of Support – From Employer. A Principal (or Officer) within the candidate’s firm must commit to supporting the candidate in fulfilling the role’s obligations. Limit one page on company letterhead.

Personal Resume – Indicate education, employment history, organizations, activities, honors, and awards. Limit two pages (It is NOT in the applicant’s best interest to simply submit a firm resume with project experience).

Timeline

  • Completed applications must be submitted by email as a single PDF to Paul Battaglia, AIA, Executive Vice President of AIA Virginia no later than Wednesday, 4 October, 2023.
  • The YAR is selected by the AIA Virginia Board of Directors.
  • Notification/updates of new YARs are sent to the new YAR and the AIA YAF staff liaison by 27 October 2023. 
  • Positions begin in January 2024, with AIA National-paid travel to the 2024 YAF Annual Meeting (date TBD).

Parker Named New YAR

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Carrie Lee Parker, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, has been named the new Young Architect Representative (YAR) for 2022-2023.

Carrie is a Senior Associate at CannonDesign’s DC office, serving higher education clients as project manager, project architect, and academic planner. She has served on Cannon’s NEXT Council, a group of frontline emerging professionals from across the globe that directly advise the firm’s leaders, and the NCARB Intern Think Tank. This heart of service extends to the problems facing young architects starting out in this complex profession with numerous avenues to pursue. Carrie has been involved with several national and state AIA activities and committees, the Washington Board of Trade’s Connected DMV, and was a winner of AIA Virginia’s 2020 Emerging Professional Award. She also enjoys leading many of her office’s pro-bono design efforts and traveling and designing with her architect husband.

As YAR, Carrie is the primary connection between local and state AIA components and the national YAF Advisory Committee.

The AIA YAF is the voice of recently licensed Architects and a catalyst for progress within the profession. The
national YAF Advisory Committee (AdCom) encourages the development of programs for young architects and supports the creation of YAF groups within local and state components. YAF programs, activities, and
resources provide young architects with information and leadership; excellence through fellowship with other
professionals; and mentoring to enhance individual, community, and professional development.

To reach out to Carrie with any young architect questions or opportunities, email her at carrie.lee.parker@gmail.com