Curt Wilson, AIA
Executive Vice President
Happy New Year!
We added the Message From section to the Thursday at Three newsletter in the Fall to provide a venue for board and committee leaders to introduce themselves and provide you more information about what AIA Oregon is doing to improve the member experience. Overall the review comments have been positive, and we’ll continue to provide messages from a variety of our members and partners in 2020.
In these messages you’ve seen references to the re-organization from local chapters to a single state chapter, AIA Oregon. You’ve read descriptions of what we are doing, or plan to do, and why. This message is intended to address how you can get involved.
The transition from four local chapters and state council to a single state chapter significantly reduced the number of volunteer members needed to serve on the local boards. All combined, there were about 60 board positions prior to the reorganization. In other words, about sixty members each year agreed to serve in a capacity to lead the local and state AIA activities. Most of us have a strong sense of obligation and responsibility when we agree to serve on a board, so we had a lot of members doing something for AIA. One of the reasons we reorganized to a single state chapter was to reduce from five boards to one board, and to reduce the number of our volunteer members required to lead the organization. The current AIA Oregon board includes four Officers and seven Directors for a total size of eleven.
This reorganization allows the other forty-nine people who were serving on our boards to dedicate their volunteer efforts towards things they are passionate about, as well as grow the profession. The role of committees as groups of active members planning and doing our events was intended to replace the activities of the local boards.
The existing committees of AIA Oregon and the local sections are confirming or developing their purpose statements and planning their events and programs for 2020. Over the next several weeks, we’ll add more information about committees and their events to the website, and spotlight some of the committees in the Thursday at Three weekly newsletter. We intend to provide more information about our committees at each of the sections by the Spring of this year.
AIA Oregon Committees
Communications
Emerging Professionals
Committee on the Environment
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion
Fellows
Small Firm Exchange
Legislative Affairs Committee
Committee on Local Affairs
Membership
Programs
As we start our second year of a single state chapter, the role of the chapter, the sections, and the committees are becoming more clear. Each committee is established to support the goals and implement the strategic initiatives of the chapter through engaged participation from all sections.
We are looking for more members to participate in our committees! AIA Oregon will grow to a more relevant professional association through an active and engaged membership. Member engagement at AIA happens at the committee level. If you would like to learn more, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Curt Wilson, AIA
AIA Oregon EVP/CEO
cwilson@aiaoregon.org