Douglas L Steidl, FAIA

By providing value to the member, the AIA ensures its future.
By providing value to society, we ensure the future of the profession.
We must do both!

The American Institute of Architects exists to serve its membership by:
• Aiding members in becoming better practitioners (knowledge agenda, best practices, continuing education), and
• Creating a better practice environment (advertising, contract documents, expanded definition of services, advocacy). Continuity in these programs must be maintained while we implement selective enhancements to improve their effectiveness.

However, it is now time to reach out beyond ourselves and utilize our profession's ideals, insights, values, and know—how to contribute to a better society. Together, we must make our contribution as trustees for the environment, enhancers of neighborhoods, sources of inspiration, conservators of resources, and shapers of public policies. The AIA needs to be perceived as 70,000 professionals organized into 300 components, all with a common goal of making the world a better place in which to live. “Sustainable design,” “smart growth,” and “livable communities” should all be terms that the public immediately associates with the AIA. Only when we provide value to society, will we find ourselves valued.

Leadership to the profession

National—"Redirected the fiscal policies of the National Component"
• Treasurer, 2002–2003
• Vice President, 2001
• Finance and Audit Committee, 2000–2003 (Chair, 2002–2003)
• Component Business Development Committee, 2003
• Board Member, 1998–2000

PIAs—"Integral in the transition to the PIA Executive Committee governance model"
• Professional Interest Area (PIA) Executive Committee, 1999–2000
• Member, IFRAA 1993–2003

Ohio Valley Region—"Brought unity and focus as two regions became one"
• Regional Council, 1998–2000 (Chair, 2000)

AIA Ohio—"Presided over the most effective legislative program in the component's history"
• President, 1995
• President-elect, 1994
• Treasurer, 1993
• Convention Committee, 1991–1992 (Chair 1992)
• Board Member, 1990–1996; 1998–2000

AIA Akron—"Established programs reaching out to architecture students and more than 15,000 primary and secondary students"
• President, 1989
• President-elect, 1988,
• Government Affairs Committee Chair 1987; 1996–1997
• Director, 1987

Professional practice
As a practitioner with experience in government (1972–1975) and with a large, multidiscipline firm (1975–1983), and as a founding partner of a two-person firm that has grown to 45 employees with two offices (1983–present), my thorough understanding of the daily demands placed on the practitioner is broad and deeply rooted. I pledge as First Vice President/President Elect to lead the American Institute of Architects to a new level of Practical Professionalism anchored in a vision of Societal Leadership.

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