The Citizen Architect Exchange is scheduled for the upcoming AIA 2009 National Convention and Design Exposition in San Francisco on April 29 from 1–5 p.m. PT. The Civic Engagement Reception will follow from 6–8. The Exchange and Reception are an annual event at the convention for civically engaged architects to network, share best practices, and hear from citizen architects.

The Citizen Architect Exchange will provide a forum for AIA members to explore the varied roles of citizen architects and create a network of engaged peers. The Citizen Architect Exchange serves to connect and equip architects interested in developing and employing design and leadership skills in the civic arena. It is designed for members interested in community leadership, who serve in appointed or elected positions, and who are interested in serving as advocates for the profession to governments.

This year’s forum will include a panel of civically engaged architects, a discussion on leadership, and breakout sessions. There will be ample opportunity throughout the program for networking and audience participation. The program will be led by Patrick Onishi, AIA, director, Pacific Northwest.

The Citizen Architect panel
Don Brown, AIA, ArchiPAC chair and regional director, Gulf States (moderator):
Currently a member of the AIA Board Advocacy Committee, Brown has been an owner of an architecture firm in Montgomery, Ala., for more than 30 years and has served in every AIA elected capacity for his local and state components.

Hon. Kenn Gardner, AIA, LEED-AP, county commissioner, Wake County, N.C. (2000-08):
Gardner was twice elected to the Wake County Board of Commissioners, the capital county of North Carolina, and has also served on numerous appointed boards. In 2008, he was recognized with the prestigious Courthouse Award, by the National Association of Counties as the national Urban Elected Official of the year for his innovative governance and leadership.

John Peterson, AIA, founder and president, Public Architecture:
Public Architecture is a national nonprofit organization that recasts designers as problem-identifiers in addition to problem-solvers, mobilizing designers to use their skills and expertise to drive social change. Peterson is also the principal of Peterson Architects in San Francisco. He has degrees in architecture and fine arts from the Rhode Island School of Design and was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University.

Bill Roschen, AIA, president, Los Angeles Planning Commission:
One of the founding principals of Roschen Van Cleve Architects, a firm with a strong commitment to the public realm, Roschen is currently serving as the president of the LA Planning Commission, as a California State Commissioner, and is on numerous nonprofit boards.

The leadership discussion portion of the Exchange will be led by Gregory A. Kessler, professor and director, School of Architecture and Construction Management, Washington State University. This section will discuss leadership in the architectural profession broadly, leadership in higher education, and the current leadership development program of the AIA Pacific Northwest Region.

Civic Engagement Reception
The Civic Engagement Reception will be headlined this year by the Hon. Peter Steinbrueck, FAIA, who was first elected to the Seattle City Council in 1997 and served out three successful terms through the end of 2007. He has been recognized nationally as an outstanding public policy maker, civic leader, and citizen architect. In 2006, Seattle Magazine named Steinbrueck as one of Seattle’s “most influential” people and, in that vein as a popular public figure, he is currently being urged to run for higher office.

In his presentation Steinbrueck will discuss the value of civic engagement and his firsthand experience of being an architect working in the political arena, focusing on many important aspects of the built environment, while chairing the Housing and Human Services committee as well as the Urban Development and Planning Committee while in office. His firsthand experience as a Citizen Architect will be the basis of an inspirational discussion of the intersections of politics and design, while demonstrating the importance of civic engagement.

The Citizen Architect Exchange is scheduled to be held in the Marriott, Salon 10–11 (Lower B2 Level). The Civic Engagement Reception (6–8), also in the Marriot, Nob Hill C-D (Lower B2 Level). RSVP for the Civic Engagement Reception to brendankara@aia.org.