Misti Nelmes, AIA
AIAO Board Secretary
A Call to Non-Members - You Are Important
Hi, I’m Misti Nelmes, Board Secretary, Architect, and a new member with AIA Oregon. After a career of 17 years, half practicing architecture, half in the energy efficiency industry, I decided heading into 2020 it was time to get involved with AIA. Given how this year has unfolded, I’m grateful for that decision and would like to share why.
Shortly after graduating from the University of Oregon in 2003, I moved to Bend where my career in architecture predominantly existed. I moved there during the pre-recession boom and was fortunate to stay employed through the downturn. Mentorship came from my boss and peers at the small office where I worked, which was great. However, as I started to prepare for the ARE’s I first felt the void of not being connected to a larger professional network. At the time, AIA membership in Bend required joining AIA Southwestern Oregon, centered in Eugene 130 miles away, and I just couldn’t see the value in paying fees to an organization that didn’t have a presence in my community. I also didn’t see access to resources that would help me prepare for the ARE’s, which even despite the lack of a local network, could have been provided through the internet (Bend isn’t that remote). So, I borrowed ARE study manuals, buckled down, asked questions from a few peers that recently tested, and drove myself across the mountains 10 times to take the exams – since the only testing locations were in Portland or Eugene. It worked, but I felt, wouldn’t it be nice if there were more support for emerging professionals in regional areas?
That experience wasn’t necessarily negative, it just didn’t label the AIA in my mind as a valuable resource. As I continued practicing, I found that continued to be true as I navigated maintaining my license. Though eligible CEU’s were provided through AIA, I had to pay for them on top of paying the annual membership and they weren’t any easier to access, or any more interesting, than finding free online courses myself. The potential additional value of having access to a broader network was there, but again, across the Cascades. I was left questioning whether that easily recognizable acronym on my signature line was worth the cost and effort to reap the value that I needed.
The restructuring of the AIA in Oregon entirely reset my perception. Having a local section in my area was the first reason I became interested in becoming a member; finally, my resources would be funneled to my local network. But more so, when I began to follow the shift in culture is when I decided to become an active member and decided to jump in full force by taking on the role of Board Secretary. I’m inspired by the possibility to shape this organization’s future and be a voice for those in similar situations as myself while also learning from the front line. Not only is the Bend Section directly represented by its members, but there is a burgeoning vision of connecting all Sections to each other, sharing resources, leveraging content and momentum to regional sections – and vice versa. I am inspired by this; the strength of our Sections should not be limited by the membership numbers, or the topography divide between us. As a practicing architect in Oregon, an AIA Oregon member now has access to statewide peers, knowledge, professional development, etc. There is value in learning from local peers, as well as those practicing in different regions of our state. At no other time during my observation of this organization operating in our state have I felt this to be true.
Fast forward to the here and now, I feel it is more true than ever that AIA Oregon members have an opportunity to shape what the organization is, and leadership is listening. As a parent juggling family, work, and health during a global health and social injustice crisis, I see the resources AIA Oregon providing members as a lifeline to maintaining business operations, continuing education, and - most importantly - connection. It would be all too easy (and logical) to scale back, not get involved, focus on my most immediate needs. Membership gives me the opportunity to be engaged in this moment in a way that aligns with my personal values. I feel reinvigorated, reminded of how design touches all facets of community, and how we can make an impact together. I’m also reminded of how important maintaining connection is, so that when crisis calls, we have a place to band together. I am thankful I joined the AIA.
“What you put into life, is what you get out of it” rings true. This isn’t necessarily a plug for membership, though I hope my story resonates with some of you. My ask is to those that aren’t members; if you’re a practicing architect in Oregon, why are you not a member of AIA Oregon? Do you have a similar perception of the “old” AIA? I genuinely want to hear your story. I hope you want to get involved, but as a non-member, your voice is equally if not more important in shaping the future of this organization.