Jennifer Wright, AIA
AIA Portland Section Director
Hello, as Portland Section Director I have the privilege of taking over the reins from Nic Smith who did an outstanding job navigating the initial transition to a statewide chapter. I am excited to be part of a motivated group of individuals, both at the local and state level, that are helping move the organization forward and broaden our professional community of AIA members and allies. I have been involved with the Portland chapter, now section, initially as an AIA associate and then more recently as a licensed architect for over a decade.
In 2012 Helene Combs Dreiling, the incoming president of AIA National, spoke at a lunch hosted by the AIA Forum for Women In Architecture & Related Design or the ForWARD Committee. That lunchtime event proved a turning point for me, as I was in a crossroads of my career. A mother of two young kids and a decade into my career, I was feeling overwhelmed and craved purpose. Helene was a charismatic speaker, emphasizing the responsibility that architects have towards society and the built world. She also highlighted the importance of following through and getting licensed, an effort that I was personally struggling with at the time but eventually I persevered. This was also my first exposure to the ForWARD Committee, and I was attracted to the female camaraderie and advocacy evident in the group. From that point on I was a committed member of ForWARD and stepped up as chairperson in 2016, taking over for Amy Vohs - current AIA Oregon president. In my three-year tenure, I was proud to have worked alongside a group of volunteers committed to moving the needle towards parity in the profession. Through efforts like FastForWARD, an annual storytelling event featuring presenters illustrating 20 slides in quick succession, or Lunch with a Leader, we strove to give women in the profession a platform to mentor and lead. After the launch of the annual Future Vision Symposium in 2017, a full day event bringing together industry professionals to discuss topics about equity, diversity and inclusion; it was clear that it was time for the committee to transform. From its founding, the mission of the ForWARD Committee was to support women in the AEC industry; attempts to broaden its audience to include all under-represented groups under the same name proved confusing. Therefore, in 2018 the ForWARD Committee was retired and the Committee for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (CoEDI) was introduced with a broader mission aligned with the AIA National Equity & The Future of Architecture Committee efforts. As Section Director I look forward to supporting the fourth installment of Future Vision in September, focusing on the topic of Intersectionality.
Aligned with re-organizing as a State chapter is the need to share & disseminate the important content that is being created by the committees. One of the main long-term goals of the organization is to share events like Future Vision with other sections through advancing video technology and mobile programming. Last month’s 2019 OSSC Update code seminar, with its 200 registrants across 8 locations, proved to be a fantastic kickoff for this ambitious goal. One of the main tasks of my role is to look at our programming with this lens towards promoting further inclusivity and advancing opportunities for statewide connections. For this reason, we will be asking for member’s help in organizing a steering council to assist in evaluating the Portland section’s ongoing efforts for relevancy and need. With your perspective and insight, we hope to keep generating events and content that are of value to our professional community. If you are interested in getting involved in the steering council, stay tuned for more information in the next couple of weeks.
Being part of the upcoming steering council is only one of the many ways you can get involved in the AIA. Along with CoEDI, there are three active Portland section committees that would benefit from your collaboration: the Emerging Professionals Committee (EPC), Committee on the Environment (COTE) and Small Firm Exchange (SFx). The committees host monthly planning meetings, as well as events throughout the year. In conjunction with the other Oregon sections, we will be hosting a committee open house at the beginning of March. This is a quick and casual way to learn about the committee’s missions, meet volunteers, see what events are being planned and find ways to engage. As I begin this role as your Portland Section Director, I look forward to meeting you and helping AIA members and their allies find the types of connections and purpose through the AIA that I have personally found invaluable in my architectural career.