2008 Continuing Education Awards for Excellence Announced

by Russell Boniface
Associate Editor

Summary: The AIA Continuing Education System, the Institute’s continuing education provider, has announced the winners of its 2008 Awards for Excellence. The four winning organizations are Seattle-based Mithun Architects + Designers + Planners; San Francisco-based Pacific Gas and Electric Company Pacific Energy Center; Carmel, Ind.,-based Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies; and San Antonio-based Ron Blank & Associates Inc. The mission of the AIA/CES Providers program is to inspire and guide providers of continuing educational programs to deliver high-quality lifelong learning activities for architects.

And the 2008 AIA/CES Award Winners are . . .

Mithun Architects + Designers + Planners. (Firm Provider – Category II). Mithun pushes to improve its continuing education by creating knowledgeable staff members in design, management, sustainability, technical interests, and information technology. For 55 years the firm has remained committed to its goal of continuing education. Examples include its Firm Interest Areas program covering design, management, legal, and technical issues. In the past year, its “Mithuniversity” classes hosted more than 80 in-house courses in sustainability, project management, design, and technical topics.

“Mithun is thrilled to be chosen as a 2008 recipient of the AIA/CES Award for Excellence,” says Lynn McBride, AIA, LEED-AP, senior associate at Mithun. “This is the second time receiving the accolade, enforcing the excitement about the strength of our educational program.” McBride adds that the firm’s programs also include a summertime visiting professor series and shop visits to manufacturing plants to learn how the materials designers are specifying are put together. “In the upcoming years, we’ll continue to strive for excellence in education. We will continue to reinforce the attitude of discovery and learning that’s an inherent part of the culture at Mithun,” she concludes.

The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (Professional Organization Provider).
Since 1991, The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Pacific Energy Center (PEC) has provided its architects, engineers, interior designers, and building operators with seminars, design consultations, tool loans, and print resources to reduce its energy use in new and existing buildings. PG&E’s Pacific Energy Center provides more than 125 seminars annually on new building envelope technologies, renewable energy systems, daylighting, electric lighting, commissioning, and HVAC systems and controls. The company believes in a strong foundation of energy efficiency to address its green building issues. Its PEC supports “an integrated design approach,” offering programs on water-use reduction, indoor-air quality, resource-efficient building materials, and indoor air quality. In addition, the company’s PEC programs provide awareness to the economic advantages of energy efficiency and green building.

“We are delighted to receive the 2008 AIA/CES Award for Excellence, an affirmation of the quality and importance to architects of the educational programs provided by the Pacific Energy Center,” says Bill Burke, AIA, LEED-AP, architectural programs coordinator at PEC. “By educating building professionals, we can bring about permanent changes in design and operations practices, greatly improving the energy performance of buildings in the State of California. We look forward to continuing to educate architects as they strive to achieve the deep energy reductions called for in the AIA position statement on sustainable design.”

Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies (Commercial Provider).
Ingersoll Rand is a global industrial firm that provides products and services in home and commercial security. Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies is one of the firm’s three business sectors and focuses on security for architectural hardware and doors. Its curriculum development department has 36 full-time architectural sales consultants who present their expertise in life safety codes, building security, and door hardware to the architecture community. The consultants provide input for the design and content of the firm’s AIA programs. The firm currently has 65 AIA programs. Ingersoll Rand says that its heritage is driven by innovation in architectural hardware and security that helps customers stay informed of the latest in facility security technology, products, and applications.
“We’re extremely pleased with winning this award,” says Cheri Flanagan, curriculum development manager, education services, at Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies. “It serves as a validation for all the time and effort that’s put into our program by all of our presenters. The jury's comments have given us some excellent ideas on growing and further improving our current program.”

Ron Blank & Associates, Inc. (Honorable Mention/Internet Platform Provider).
The goal of Ron Blank & Associates, who also won a 2003 Stakeholder CES Provider Award for Excellence, is to educate the design community about innovative product technologies. The firm has continued to build a larger online course library, including courses in Spanish, improve its educational programs, and provide quality education to more architects. The firm emphasizes a team approach between product manufacturers and design professionals. The firm’s education team also hosts educational seminars to teach product manufacturers about design professionals’ needs and building AIA continuing education courses.

“All of us at Ron Blank and Associates are honored to have received recognition for our online continuing education program for a second time since 2003,” says Ron Blank, president. “Being the leader in no-cost online AIA continuing education courses comes with the responsibility of continually improving our standards while raising the bar for the quality of our course content and delivery to the design community.”