Staying Involved
by Emily Grandstaff-Rice, AIA, LEED-AP and Jack
L. Baumann, AIA, LEED-AP
How do you .
. . maintain
active involvement in the AIA despite the challenges of the economy?
With the downfall of the economy, many architects are facing a specific
pressure: how to fulfill their obligations to their firms and maintain
their level of involvement volunteering for the AIA. Some architects
experienced a reduction of sponsorship from their firms with regards
to compensation for travel or time away from the office. Others have
found that time spent out of the office was looked down upon by their
peers or superiors. After all, they were “taking time away
from their careers.” Jack Bauman, AIA, and Emily Grandstaff-Rice,
AIA, are two young architects who devote much of their personal time
to the betterment of the profession by volunteering at the local,
state, and national levels. They have found it challenging at times
to continue the same level of contribution, but because they both
belong to supportive firms, they have been able to maintain a respectable
amount of dedication towards what they are passionate about.
Here are their stories in their own words.
Emily Grandstaff-Rice, AIA
I volunteer my time both with the Boston Society of Architects (BSA)
and the AIA because I learn from interaction with my peers. I know
my efforts have an impact in shaping the profession that I love—helping
me, my colleagues, and the next generation of designers. My resolve
to be engaged with the AIA is recession-proof, although like so
many of my peers, my resources are not. Among these resources,
I consider my time, my skills, the support I receive from my firm,
and the amount of money I can personally devote to professional
organizations. Within the last six months, I have had to rebalance
the mix.
I am very fortunate that the firm I work for, Cambridge Seven Associates,
generously pays for our AIA dues and supports our involvement in
activities. This financial support has not changed for me, although
many of my peers at other firms pay a portion or all of their own
dues out-of-pocket. Beyond the personal benefits I receive from my
AIA activities—networking, leadership skills, community involvement,
and professional develop—I have a responsibility to both the
BSA/AIA and my firm to be an active member, especially since they
have made a financial commitment in my membership.
Do I think twice before I have to take a day off to attend a BSA
board meeting? Absolutely. I understand that this support is not
possible unless the firm is solvent and healthy. However, making
sure that employees continue to develop and grow also adds to the
health of the organization and, ultimately, their own careers. It
basically comes down to time. With the economy putting pressure on
all, I have seen an increase in Web-based collaboration tools and
virtual meetings. These are sustainable and allow architects to better
integrate work with AIA activities. Using new technology to create
a new way to volunteer helps both the organization and the individual.
For a recent example, look at the AIA 2009 National Convention Twitter
reports. I’ve also seen many AIA committees use LinkedIn to
virtually continue discussions that only used to happen at face-to-face
meetings.
The embedded time to travel and meet has been one of the reasons
I chose to focus my AIA involvement more locally this year. Last
year, I served on two national committees, attended Grassroots and
Convention, and felt like I had a good pulse on the activity of the
Young Architects Forum. However, with the travel involved, I questioned
whether my time away from the office was truly as productive as it
could have been, and it was frankly more difficult to negotiate the
time away from other work pressures. Now I sit on the board of the
BSA, working on developing a new communications framework. For now,
I happily trade the convenience of only having to travel 20 minutes
via subway, rather than through airport security. Although I am not
involved on the larger, national scale, my local impact has been
equally rewarding. And, in a more personal way, I can have greater
direct interaction with peers in my community.
I did not attend the national convention this year. There is a conference
later this year in Chicago that I’m not sure I’ll be
able to afford on my own. I miss the larger discussion of architecture
as a profession, but I know that I don’t have the personal
resources to devote to this connection with the AIA. Opportunity
or not, I believe strongly that my involvement is important, even
a responsibility, since we as a community of architects can advance
the profession stronger as a group and learn more from each other
than in isolation. This is essential at every stage of one’s
career.
Jack Baumann, AIA
I have served the AIA in many facets over the past seven years, but
only recently got involved in the regional and national level.
By getting elected as the 2009 National Associates Committee (NAC)
Knowledge Director, time spent with the AIA has increased exponentially
and has become a regular part of my workday within the office.
Whether it is e-mails, letters, or conference calls, my involvement
is evident to my coworkers and superiors. Lately, I have had to
travel at least once every couple of months for one meeting or
another, and taking that time away from the office can be awkward.
But, luckily, my office understands.
Having worked for the same firm, Braun & Steidl Architects in
Akron, for the past 12 years, I am fortunate that the office supports
my AIA involvement and that my time spent with the AIA is never questioned.
I have never had to take vacation time for working on AIA issues
or any of my travels that take me away from the office. If I know
I am going to be gone for a period of time because of a meeting or
a conference, I just let our partners know when and where, and the
response I get is “have fun.” Sure, the pressure of keeping
up with office tasks still lingers on my shoulders, but the trust
that has been created between the office and me ensures the partners
that my dedication on office projects will not lapse.
This sentiment exists within the office because our office has always
been involved in the AIA. In 2005, Doug Steidl, one of our founding
partners, served as the AIA national president. Even if Doug had
not been president, AIA involvement would still be encouraged, since
many of the partners and staff take active rolls in both local and
state activities. Braun & Steidl’s support of my AIA involvement
is strong because they understand the value of being a leader in
the AIA and how the firm as a whole can grow from each and every
experience I may have.
My involvement with the AIA has given me the opportunity to meet
and work with dedicated individuals for the betterment of our profession
and local communities. With my firm understanding of this opportunity,
not only for my own professional growth, but the firm’s growth
as well, it makes being a part of AIA leadership that much easier.
I am a strong believer in advocating for our profession and staying
involved and connected. Having a supportive firm behind me gives
me a positive outlook on the future for the profession. |