News

AIA Chapter Members:

As your 2012 AIA Philadelphia Chapter President, I am pleased to prepare my first communiqué to you.

I would like to recognize many of our 2012 leaders and contributors. Our highest appreciation is given to our current Past President, Julie Hoffman, as well the 2011 Board of Directors for their leadership and service to the Chapter last year. A standing ovation for our Committee Chairs and Committee Members for their talent and energy to deliver many outstanding quality programs and events. High fives to our Chapter and Center staff for their excellent work and commitment to our membership. And last, to the Chapter Membership, the warmest accolades for advancing our Chapter and our profession through your collegiality and advocacy.

I want to make the most of every communication to our members, so you will find I will be brief and to the point. Today, I will tell you about two significant leaps forward and two events you do not want to miss.

On January 10, we held our first Joint Committee Chair meeting in many decades. This meeting has already initiated new collaborations between Committees, identified “best practices” and new communication strategies between the Board, Committees, Chapter staff and our members. By building stronger relationships, we expect to achieve higher quality programs and events for our membership and allied professions.

On January 19, the Induction of the 2012 Board of Directors and Executive Leadership signals the start of a new initiatives and new working relationships. The first Board meeting held on January 18 was greeted with a new energy and spirit of optimism for the profession and our community. Please reach out to any Board member or myself with any comment, we want to hear from you and we look forward to working together.

The next “must attend” event – the Edmund N. Bacon Prize, to be awarded to Janette Sadik-Kahn, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, Lecture and Student Competition Award will be held the end of day, February 1, 2012 at 6 p.m., at the Center for Architecture. The event will prove to address the issues currently facing our region and will be a wonderful evening of intellectual stimulation and social interaction. Look forward to seeing you there.

Likely our most important initiative this year is the update of the Chapter Strategic Plan and the completion of the Center for Architecture Strategic Plan. These strategic plans will drive our future. We anticipate a draft for member review to be available at our Chapter Annual Meeting, April 25. Save the date and come participate in our “town hall” meeting. Your input is critical to the development and success of our vision.

I am personally optimistic 2012 will be a breakout year for our Chapter, the Center for Architecture and our profession. Wish you all a successful and prosperous 2012 and look forward to seeing all of you at our programs and events.

Keith