from the president’s office
’Tis the Season: Get Out and Vote
AIA President Kate Schwennsen, FAIA, urges us to not get discouraged by negative political ads, and vote according to where the candidates stand on our issues. On AIA issues.

Gore to Address 2007 Convention in San Antonio
Former Vice President Al Gore will be the closing keynote speaker at the AIA 2007 National Convention and Design Exposition on Saturday May 5, 2007, in San Antonio. The convention’s theme, “Growing Beyond Green,” will focus on future endeavors by architects to incorporate environmentally friendly concepts fully into their designs.

Park Service Seeks 50-Year Capital Mall Plan
The National Park Service launched a nationwide initiative November 1 to gather ideas on improving the National Capital Mall in Washington, D.C. The Park Service is holding a symposium, “Future of the National Mall,” November 15 in Washington to kick off the public dialogue. Anyone interested is invited to participate, and architects are encouraged, reports Andrew Goldberg, Assoc. AIA, manager of AIA Federal Relations.

College of Fellows Awards Emerging Professionals Grant to Tampa Bay
AIA Tampa Bay will receive $2,500 from the Emerging Professional Component Grants program to help establish the chapter’s Tomorrow’s Leaders Program. The initiative, developed by the AIA Tampa Bay Associate Committee and Emerging Tampa Bay Architects (ETBA), is a year-long professional development program to expose emerging professionals to the business side of design while they acquire firsthand knowledge of construction processes. The program is funded by the AIA College of Fellows and cosponsored by the Young Architects Forum and the National Associates Committee.