by Russell Boniface and Brooks Rainwater

Summary: In conjunction with its annual conference, the AIA Northwest Pacific Region held the inaugural Northwest Pacific Region Leadership Institute September 16–18 in Anchorage, giving architecture students an opportunity to work with emerging professionals on leadership training. In addition, a civic engagement and advocacy workshop discussed the AIA national Citizen Architect and Leadership programs. Both the Leadership Institute and workshop provided a successful test case in national/regional AIA coordination of programming. The conference also had sessions on continuing education, knowledge, and technology.

School of architecture students work with emerging professionals
“The idea of focusing on leadership started in 2002, and it took two years with the leadership development team to find a venue for accelerating our effectiveness for developing a leadership program,” says AIA Northwest and Pacific Region Director Patrick Onishi, AIA. “Last year in Honolulu the idea came together at the conference of deans, part of our regional conference in Honolulu, and the concept was born.”

Greg Kessler, AIA, director of the Washington State University School of Architecture and Construction Management, organized the event. Kessler was chair of the Leadership Institute committee, made up of the deans and chairs of the five schools of architecture who participated in the Leadership Institute. “The idea came out that the region can take some initiative on leadership,” Kessler says. “I took it on and organized it with the help of a lot of people. The idea was to get the schools of architecture in the region together with selective students and an emerging professional.”

“It was the first time we had a project where the schools of architecture are actually engaging each other,” Onishi says.

The schools each formed a team of three students and one emerging professional mentor. Each team had prepared for the conference with reading and discussions about leadership in the profession. At the conference, teams held a day-and-a-half workshop of leadership discussions. The teams identified a leadership project for the remainder of the year with a December deadline. Two video-conference calls this fall semester will follow their progress. Upon completion, project material will be assembled into a publication presented on the Web.

AIA Northwest Pacific Region had limited resources for the Institute, so the schools picked up the transportation costs of the students, mentors, and deans. Student’s lodging costs were borne by AIA Alaska's member host families.

“I think it was successful, and the emerging professionals really got a lot out of it,” Kessler says. “It was really fun, and I think it was a great first step. I am hoping we can continue it next year and that it will spread to other regions.”

“This was an extracurricular commitment,” says Onishi. “The students were not getting credit for this. To see the interest, enthusiasm, and insights that they brought to the discussion of leadership was nice. There was a lot of synergy. It was an inspired undertaking, and I think that everyone left with a resolve that they were going to take it forward and try to take the energy back to their schools.”

Kessler agrees. “The feedback we got back from the students is that they really learned a lot. You get 20 or so students in a room and you know you have a real interesting dynamic going on. Everyone was enthused, upbeat, and took it very seriously. It was all well worth it.”

Kessler’s presentation about the process of the Leadership Institute has been accepted for Grassroots. He hopes other regions could follow the lead set by the AIA Northwest Pacific Region in the future.

Civic engagement and advocacy workshop
Also at the conference was a civic engagement and advocacy workshop that discussed the national AIA Citizen Architect and Leadership programs.

Within this discussion, the conversation focused on how these programs could best provide value for the member who wants to get more involved with his or her community and AIA chapter. The workshop participants discussed how all levels of the AIA could work together to create state and local citizen-architect programs focused on networking opportunities and member outreach to the community while the national component provided them with resources, annual programming at the AIA National Convention and Grassroots, and nationwide coordination.

The other primary discussion during the workshop centered on advocacy within local communities, particularly surrounding sustainability and transportation issues. The conversation focused on questions of coalition building, developing a local government affairs committee, and proactive versus reactive advocacy. The workshop provided an opportunity to reinforce One AIA and share best practices and resources with members.

Leadership, knowledge, technology
Component Relations along with a team of AIA national staff presented an experimental half-day leadership workshop. Three sessions were offered in each area—leadership, knowledge, and technology—and covered topics key to architects’ role as leaders: Excellence in Chapter and Community Leadership, the Savvy Electronic Architect, Technology Integration, Leadership in Sustainability Design Programs, and the Basics of CES Survival. Special attention was paid to capturing the application to the needs and conditions specific to the region.

The savvy electronic architect
The AIA Board members participated in an open forum technology session, which they directed. A second session was a hands-on tutorial and walkthrough of cutting-edge technologies strategy. Topics covered were SharePoint, Social Media (LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs, wikis, and forums), Web Technology, Component Web sites, NetForum, and newsletters.

Next year the AIA Northwest Pacific Regional conference will be held in Eugene, Ore.