Message from the AIA Oregon Executive Vice President

Curt Wilson, AIA
Executive Vice President / CEO

Getting Reengaged

I hope you and your family are healthy during these trying times.  The AIA Oregon staff team members are working from our homes and we are meeting through video conference daily, as many of you are.  We are catching up on tasks, planning for upcoming events presented remotely, and continuing to plan some of our larger events that are scheduled in the Fall. We’ve settled into a routine that is working for and allows us to communicate and remain productive.  Each of us are interacting with a lot less people than we did before, and we suspect many of you have the same experience.  The focus on the T@3 this week is on opportunities to engage and interact remotely with others. 

AIA Oregon Meetings

The plan for AIA Oregon activities discussed a few weeks ago was to cancel all meetings and events through March to lay low and allow our members to adjust to the new normal of work from home and social distancing expectations.  The assumption at that time was that after a few weeks, social isolation would become more significant in our daily existence and we would be looking for new outlets for engagement.  Assuming that’s how some of you feel, our sections and committee leaders are planning on meetings via video conference to move their committee tasks forward, consider new events and activities that can be done remotely, and provide an opportunity for anyone that wants to participate to engage with others.  We’ve added a list of meetings scheduled for April in this week’s edition.

Continuing Education Opportunities

On the Resources Page, under Professional Development/Continuing Education we have added links to providers of AIA Accredited continuing education webinars.  We’ll continue to add more links here as we encounter more offerings, so if you are aware of others, please forward a link to info@aiaoregon.org.

COVID-19 Relief Package

As you may be aware, the US Senate passed a multi-trillion dollar relief bill that moves next to the House.  AIA EVP and CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA sent an email update on the bill to all AIA members this morning, which you can review in our News from National segment.

This is the third federal COVID-19 related bill and the combined legislation impacts most aspects of our lives.  The Department of Labor has clarified that the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) will go into effect on April 1.  We previously reported that it was scheduled to go into effect on April 2 based on language in the FFCRA, but the Department of Labor has mandated that the effective date is April 1.  Here is the link to the mandatory notice required under the emergency paid sick leave portion of the law [https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/posters/FFCRA_Poster_WH1422_Non-Federal.pdf].  All employers with 1 – 499 employees must post this notice in a conspicuous place (we suggest you post this notice at each location where you have placed your other mandatory postings).  For those with employees working remotely, you should send this notice to each employee via e-mail to ensure that all employees receive a copy. 

We anticipate that more information about the requirements will be released and encourage you to regularly check out the Legal and Insurance section of our COVID-19 resources.

I’ve only had a chance to talk to a few of you this week, so my understand of various situations is based on a limited sample size.  It seems that many firms active in the public sector remain busy and are challenged with getting their work completed on schedule within the context of firm-wide work from home.  Of those that remain busy, some have expressed “video conference fatigue” and are not looking for more opportunities to interact with others through phone and screen.   I’ve heard second and third person of others that have been laid off or had their hours restricted.  I assume those not working, or working part-time, feel the isolation more acutely.  AIA Oregon needs to understand and respond to the situations of all our members, so we can put our resource where best needed.  Please reach out to me at cwilson@aiaoregon.org to let me know your work situation and how AIA Oregon can best help you.

Sincerely,

Curt Wilson, AIA
Executive VP/CEO

Message from the AIA Oregon Executive Vice President

Curt Wilson, AIA
Executive Vice President / CEO

A Google search of the term “COVID 19 Unprecedented Times” has more than 64 million results, so it may be overused, but I don’t know a better description.  As the Executive VP/CEO of a state chapter of a professional organization, I recognize our members aren’t looking to AIA Oregon as a primary source to help you live through this, but we aim to provide you resources to help address some of the difficulties you are experiencing in your firms.  This message is intended to update you on how AIA Oregon is trying to provide assistance.

Event Schedule

All engagements, including video conference calls, meetings, and events have been cancelled through the end of March so our leaders, volunteers, and staff can focus on health, family, and community.  At this time, we have cancelled all in-person meetings and events from April through mid-May, but we have not cancelled meetings that can occur through video conference calls.  As circumstance change daily, we may change our approach to scheduling, and if we do, we will post it to our website.

Follow this link to learn more about our current management approach to event scheduling and operations.

Resources

We added a Resource page to our website over the last few months, and recently added a COVID-19 page.  We’ve organized the page into the following categories:  Stay Informed, Workplace, Business Support, Social Health and Engagement, and Legal and Insurance.  All of us are receiving an abundance of information on COVID-19 and our intend with these resources is to provide information that seems useful to the architectural community in Oregon.  If you have suggestions for additional information, please send it to me at cwilson@aiaoregon.org.  Conversely, if you concerned with content and/or sources we are linking to, please contact me.

Communication

We will continue to issue this weekly enewsletter every Thursday at 3:00, and for the near future, the content will be focused on helping all of us get this painful moment.  We will also manage our website daily to provide access to useful information and changes to our event schedule.  However, we recognize you are all overloaded with emails and other sources of information, so we won’t send email blasts unless something in the judgement of the board or I is determined necessary.

What’s Happening

I reached out to some of you recently to ask you to share your observations and how your firm is managing the work situation.  The responses are very similar, and these are the highlights:

• Working from home is very common.  While some firms have shut their offices and requiring staff to work elsewhere, some offices remain open with a combination of work from home and work from the office.

• Firms are rapidly responding to the remote work arrangement by purchasing more devices and/or updating firewalls and anti-virus protections. Some are moving to cloud-based services because those protections are incorporated. Most firms are expanding their video conference and/or chat apps to better connect remote teams.

• Where staff is still present in offices, some firms are enacting procedures to manage social distancing guidelines.  This includes reducing the number of chairs around tables, eliminating multiple people sitting together to view a workstation screen, and consistent use of disinfectants.

• The implementation of construction phase services is challenging because site visits are a primary component to CA.  Many teams are exploring with Facetime and similar services that allow someone off site view on site work.  

• I’ve heard a few comments that General Contractors are discussing considering reducing the work force on site to better enable social distancing guidelines.  The expected result will be extended construction schedules.

• The status of projects reported to me varies.   A few firms mentioned some projects are going on hold, but more report no change to project schedules.  Some have expressed concerns that due to circumstances, including work from home, difficulties in scheduling project meetings with clients and consultants, and difficulties in submitting for permits, that it will be difficult to maintain project schedules.  Check the COVID-19 Resources for advice about contractual schedule obligations.

Please send me a message if you would like to share your observations and experiences.

Engagement

I’ve worked from home the last two days, which my dogs thoroughly enjoy because I’m liberal with the treats, but even they’ll get bored with the situation in a few weeks.  For those of you with school age kids at home, are they ready to go back to school?  As we move forward, AIA Oregon staff is exploring options to help you better engage with others in our community of architects, and remote access replacements for our continuing education programs.  We’ll update you on our progress.

AIA Oregon uses the messaging service Slack to connect our committees and leadership teams.  We encourage our members currently part of committee channels to engage and share during this time, and we encourage others to join our Slack community to engage in conversations to help us get through this.  If you aren’t in Slack, but interested in being added to the AIA Oregon Slack work space, please send a request to info@aiaoregon.org.

If you have any ideas of suggestions for how AIA Oregon can support you and our other members during these unprecedented times, please reach out to me at cwilson@aiaoregon.org, or message me in Slack.

Sincerely,

Curt Wilson, AIA

Executive VP/CEO

Message from the AIA Salem Section Director

Daniel Roth, Associate AIA
AIA Salem Section Director

Hello all. My name is Daniel, and I am currently serving as Salem’s Section Director. I am 26 years old, and I am a native of Salem, back in my hometown, and doing what I love. If I’m being honest, these last six months have been a blur. In September 2019, I was approached by longtime AIA volunteer (and current Treasurer) Kaley Fought, asking me if I wanted to take the reins as Section Director in Salem. Not fully knowing what I was getting myself into, I said “Sure, why not!” And suddenly I, an associate member not even two years removed from graduate school, was cast into a leadership role that now feels a lot bigger than anything I had envisioned when getting started. So here I find myself, learning a lot very quickly, and working to help provide an AIA section that members are proud to be a part of.

Getting involved in a leadership role was not something that I had planned to do so quickly, or really planned to get into much at all. It just sort of...happened. My main draw to leadership was that I could learn from others and network with people in the profession who have accomplished far more than I have. And those opportunities have come in spades. I have been able to have conversations in my community with firm leaders who I would not normally get a seat at the table with. I have worked with AIA staff who have worked tirelessly to provide events and structure for members to feel the value of their membership. For crying out loud, I just met the president of AIA National, Jane Frederick, FAIA, at the AIA Grassroots conference a couple weeks ago and was able to have a conversation with her. I never would have received those opportunities without the AIA.

I would like to appeal to all of Oregon's emerging professionals to get involved in the AIA. You may be in a situation in your office environment where you feel like you aren’t getting the experience and growth that you wished you could. Or you may wish that you were able to engage in more conversation about sustainability, or diversity, or you want to meet a community of people that is working towards licensure. The AIA is an amazing resource for you to find a seat at the table of your choice, and also provides resources like the Chris White Scholarship, awarding individuals like these 2019 winners with funds to begin the ARE exams. There are so many staff members in the AIA who are passionate about developing events and resources to help you grow and stay excited about the profession you are in. In Salem, for example, we are working to develop an Emerging Professionals committee that provides a space for people to study for the AREs together, or to understand the business of architecture more clearly, or just to enjoy a drink with people who are on the same track you are. And we need leaders to help move these events forward. The greatest thing about the AIA is that you could have just graduated from school yesterday and you could still have a major impact. Please join us.

I would also like to appeal to all of Oregon’s members who have been in the profession for decades. Maybe you’ve wanted to get involved for years but never found the right fit. Maybe you have volunteered in the AIA before and “done your time,” so to speak. Please get involved or stay involved. We need your advice, your expertise, and your input to continue moving forward. We would love your leadership on committees, and we would love your presence, for instance, at emerging professional events to share your perspective and help impact the next generation of architects. Your continued help is greatly needed. Please join us.

If you have questions about how to get involved or want to learn more, please contact your Section Director. We would love to hear from you and help you get involved. I would also like to quickly mention that the application window for the 2020 Chris White scholarship has been revealed in today’s T@3. Please take advantage of this wonderful resource!