Shannon Kraus, AIA, MBA

The expanding role of AIA vice presidents calls for thought leaders: individuals in touch with all component levels who collectively can help guide an organization that continues to enhance the value of what it means to be an AIA architect. I believe this is achieved by having AIA vice presidents focused on the challenging, relevant topics of knowledge, diversity, and advocacy.

Knowledge has always been one of our most valuable resources. With the recent focus on greater transformation of the Institute into a knowledge organization, we must align resources and funding with efforts that members, components, and knowledge communities can respond to and measure. We must actively encourage collaborative scientific research to enhance this knowledge and create a strategy to provide access to that knowledge.

Diversity is all about community. Within the AIA, we must strive for diversity of experience, perspective, and creativity to create a community that works together to implement the values of the Institute. We need to build on momentum created by AIM and eliminate unintended barriers that inhibit this diversity of perspective from being fully realized. We must also adopt a multiyear strategy where national component resources are provided to support local and state initiatives, such as membership pilot programs, where we can best engage students, educators, and emerging professionals in this effort.

Advocacy must be a higher priority. We need to work together across component levels to craft meaningful and effective public policies that reinforce our government affairs positions regarding livable communities, sustainability, and design. We must be leaders, not merely participants, in the future that we seek.

Recent AIA service

• Board of Directors, 2002–2003
• Board Diversity Committee, 2004
• Board Knowledge Committee, 2003
• Long-Range Planning Advisory Group, 2003–2004
• PIA Executive Committee, 2003
• Board Education Committee, 2003
• AIA Strategic Planning, 2002
• PIA Excom Strategic Planning, 2002
• National Associates Committee Excom, 2000–2004
• TSA Board, 2001–2002
• TSA Education Student Liaison Committee, 2000

Related activities

• National Architectural Accreditation Board Team Member, 1997–1998, 2002–2004
• Juror, Future Cities Competition, 2004
• Co-Author AIA/ArchVoices Internship and Career Survey, 2003
• Juror, ArchVoices Essay Competition, 2004
• Juror, AIA/AAF Minority/Disadvantage Scholarship Awards, 1996
• NCARB IDP Coordinating Committee Member, 1996
• Academy of Neuroscience Participant
• Dallas Minority Business Association Participant
• ArchVoices Advisory Board Founding Member

Education

• MArch, MBA, University of Illinois
• BS, Southern Illinois

Professionally, Shannon is an associate with HKS, where his focus is design and strategic planning.

Copyright 2004 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved. Home Page