Message from the Outgoing Treasurer

Stephanie Morales, Associate AIA
Outgoing AIAO Board Treasurer

Thank you

My term as your AIA Oregon Treasurer is coming to a close and all I want to say is thank you. Thank you to all our members across the state who help move the profession and our State Chapter forward. Thank you to my fellow Board Members who dedicate their precious extra time in order to continue to strive for a better tomorrow. And thank you to the optimistic student members who will soon join the profession and push us towards even greater change. I feel so honored to have served our Oregon members and hope one day you too will find yourself in my or my colleagues’ position as a part of the AIA Oregon Board of Directors. It takes each of us to be the change we want to see.

During my term, I have seen the Board progress our mission forward in so many ways. I especially want to highlight progress made towards values in justice, equity, inclusion and diversity. Recently announced is the extension of AIA Oregon memberships to members of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA). Our EVP Heather Wilson stated in her October Message From that “… if you are a member of NOMA nationally or locally, you are considered eligible for AIA Oregon leadership, and we extend the full rights and privileges of membership in AIA Oregon to all NOMA members. That includes member pricing on events, opportunities to lead, and participation in awards programs.” Not only does this re-emphasize NOMA as a sister organization to AIA, but this inclusion also provides more pathways for cross-collaboration, leadership opportunities, and welcomes more diversity into our state-wide dialogue. I am truly hopeful for what is to come.

Although I will be stepping away from the Board, you can still find me an active member of the AIAO Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (CoEDI). The work by this committee is crucial to understanding systems of oppression that our profession has played a part in and the importance of working together to dismantle them to create an inclusive future. It is the mission of the AIA Oregon Committee on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (CoEDI) to better reflect the global & demographic richness of our population through advocacy for under-represented groups in our profession. I hope I’ll see you there.

If you are interested in joining the CoEDI, contact info@aiaoregon.org.

Message from the AIAO EVP/CEO

Heather Wilson
AIA Oregon Executive Vice President/CEO

We need your voice at the table

This week, you will see a reissue of our call for Board Leadership. I hope you’ll see some key changes to the message that make it clear that the only prerequisite to leadership here at AIA Oregon is your interest. Your membership entitles you to a voice at the table.

First, we are changing the term ”nomination” to “application”. This is a deliberate change in the hopes that the intention of inclusion and belonging are clearly shared and understood. This process is not closed, nor are there any other membership prerequisites. If you are a member of AIA Oregon (Associate, International Associate, or AIA), then you are eligible for application.

Also, we would like to be clear that if you are a member of NOMA nationally or locally, you are considered eligible for AIA Oregon leadership, and we extend the full rights and privileges of membership in AIA Oregon to all NOMA members. That includes member pricing on events, opportunities to lead, and participation in awards programs.

The AIA Oregon Board and Executive Committee wish to express their commitment to removing boundaries to participation. If financial hardship is an obstacle, please contact Heather Wilson directly to discuss your interest and a solution that will get your voice at the table: hwilson@aiaoregon.org.

AIA Oregon Board members enjoy discounted pricing to all Chapter events, including ODC (Oregon Design Conference),OAA (Oregon Architecture Awards), and support for travel to events such as the AIA National conference, Grassroots, and Women’s Leadership Summit. Additional benefits include meals and learning opportunities, Board supported training and retreats!

Board members are expected to attend meetings held monthly for roughly 2 hours. That time commitment may be augmented with additional committee responsibilities; as such, nominees should expect between 4-5 hours of volunteer time per month will need to be dedicated to AIA Oregon business.

We hope that this helps clarify both the expectations and the benefits of serving AIA Oregon –please feel free to click this link to the full announcement for further descriptions of our available Board positions for 2022 –President-Elect, Treasurer, and Director-At-Large.

Message from the AIAO EVP/CEO

Heather Wilson
AIA Oregon Executive Vice President/CEO

Cultivating Genuine Exchange

If you did not know already, the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) will be hosting their annual conference October 26-30, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. Our very own BRIC Architecture, the largest WBE-Certified architecture firm in Oregon, will be represented in a presentation on “Cultivating an Equitable and Inclusive Office Culture” and you can still register to see it!

NOMA members in Oregon are also often AIA members, and participate eagerly, leading our conversations on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Social Justice in the Built Environment, and providing representation on our Board and in our Committees so that our conversations about how to build better places to live work and play is a truly diverse conversation, inviting and inclusive.

The way AIA Oregon members can best display our connection, I believe, would be to participate fully in the exchange. Many questions you have as a firm principal, new architect, student or business owner will be answered at this conference. The presentations will come from a fresh perspective, and you will likely gain educational insights that come from cultural exchange with a genuine desire to learn.

Your 2024 AIA President, Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, is a NOMA member, and made many aspects of her platform about the connection she hopes to foster between the organizations through her Presidency. We have the same desire here at AIA Oregon, and the Board of Directors approved the action to recognize all NOMA members as AIA Oregon members – that means every member of NOMA will also be extended the benefits of membership in AIA (member pricing for events, eligibility for leadership positions on the Board of Directors, awards eligibility).

We hope this action continues to foster close ties between NOMA national, NOMA PDX, and AIA Oregon. I personally hope you take the opportunity to sign up for the virtual conference and tune in.

NOMA UNPLUGGED - NASHVILLE 2022 - NOMA