Component NewsFlash - August 2009

View net:FORUM Roadmap
The net:FORUM Roadmap, a document outlining the status of all net:FORUM related projects and communications, will be posted to the net:FORUM 411 Portal site. For users of AIA Portal, this site is listed under “N” in your project list on the AIA Portal home page. If you are unable to access the site, please contact ams@aia.org with your username and password. The net:FORUM 411 Portal site also includes frequently asked questions, related discussions and training schedules.

Join Tele-Community Call on Contract Documents, Education, and Mentorship
Wednesday, August 22, 3-4 p.m. EST
The August Tele-community call will include a report on the use of component revenue share funds by Contract Documents, a feedback session on the member experience of the Continuing Education System, and an introduction to AIA partner, the ACE Mentor Program. To join the tele-community call: dial 1-877-242-8841 and go to http://conferencing/Login/ParticipantLogIn.asp. Enter Conference ID: 7450 and please note no password is required.

Review and Give Feedback on AIA Position Statements
Review the position statements available for comment and provide feedback through an online form by visiting http://info.aia.org/aia/2009PositionsReview.cfm. Comments are due October 16, 2009. If you have any questions please contact Paul Mendelsohn, Vice President, Government and Community Relations, at 202.626-7388 or pmendelsohn@aia.org.

Submit Your Constituents Feedback on the AIA Strategic Plan
Visit the Strategic Plan resource center for tools that can assist you in:
1. Presenting the draft strategic plan and facilitate discussion about it with your regions, components, and/or member groups.
2. Registering for one of three Web seminars scheduled with George Miller or Clark Manus to discuss the plan in real time with your leaders.
3. Collecting the feedback with word and excel templates that help you note the responses, themes, and/or consensus. When completed, send a digital copy of these Word and Excel documents to Karen Davis at kdavis@aia.org. Responses are due October 20, 2009.

Apply for Free Ad Space Available Through McGraw-Hill
Through a long-lasting partnership with McGraw-Hill, AIA Components will receive 20 complimentary advertising pages in the company’s regional publications in 2010. Components can use this ad space to market their continuing education programs, special events, and conferences. Full Service Distributor Components can target the large number of contractors and owners who comprise readership of the regional publications. If you are interested in participating, please send an e-mail to Christopher Grace at cgrace@aia.org by September 14, 2009. Twenty components will be chosen randomly from this group on September 28, 2009. For more information please see the 2010 Free Ad Space Available Web page.

Upcoming Component Surveys Update
The newly updated biannual Component Profile Survey (last delivered late 2007) will be emailed to CACE and the Component Presidents in mid-September. This survey gives components the opportunity to update their information providing a more complete picture of their operations, service and staff. The survey findings will be available in early 2010. A second survey, the National Services Survey (last delivered late 2008), will be emailed to the same two groups in mid-October. As opposed to the Component Profile Survey that is all about the local and state components, the National Services Survey gives components the opportunity to evaluate the services and support provided by national to AIA members and components. All feedback will be shared with the national departments as they assess component needs and concerns. The survey findings will be available in early 2010. We greatly appreciate your time and feedback in these surveys. Each survey should take no more than 10 – 15 minutes to complete.

Local Components Urged to Hold Forums
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) has requested that the AIA and other stakeholder groups hold public forums throughout the country to address the growing infrastructure crisis and highlight the many interconnecting infrastructure issues and transportation needs, including the priorities of architects to design sustainable, livable communities. Local AIA components can convene these forums to highlight local transportation and infrastructure needs. AIA National will help you to develop speaker lists and media strategies and also answer any questions that may arise as you develop your programs. For more information on how to develop a forum in your community, read the complete article or e-mail Adam Melis, director, Advocacy Outreach at amelis@aia.org.

New Phone System at AIA National Effective August 27, 2009
The AIA national component is switching to a new phone system, Cisco IP, which becomes active August 27, 2009. The new business technology infrastructure connects call center agents’ phones with the member and customer database. Among the new menu features for members and customers who call the AIA national information center line, 800-242-3837, will be the option to provide a member number and or order number. This information will allow the call center agent to bring up background records at the start of a support call to expedite answering questions or providing status on orders. For questions or concerns, please contact Phil O’Neal at 202-626-7485 or poneal@aia.org.

Component Web Sites Update
After conducting focus groups and meetings with 17 AIA chapters at the national convention in May, the Web team shared the results via a new project SharePoint site. The SharePoint site enables members of the pilot group, a small group of components selected to collaborate with AIA National in building the templates, to discuss and share ideas. Recent budget and staffing issues and the two weeks of furlough this summer have had an impact on the project; however, progress has been made designing the site map and creating a framework for evaluating potential content management systems. The next steps are creating page designs and a service-level agreement.

Component Service Network Update
The Component Service Networks are located within AIA Portal. AIA National is currently creating accounts for all component leaders. In the meantime you can log-in with read-only access with username: “membership” and password: “resources”. Each leader will receive a personal email with log-in information as soon as it is available.

Connect with Colleagues to Share Best Practices in K-12 Programming
Interested in starting an architecture center or in creating innovative K-12 design programs? Connect with colleagues at the Architecture + Design Education Network conference in Chicago, November 5 – 7, 2009. Early bird registration rates end September 7, 2009 and travel stipends applications are due August 31, 2009. Learn more about what you can gain from attendance.

Component Region Profile Report
The AIA Board Community Committee has been exploring ways to increase member value. One step in this process was to evaluate the data and the research available today. To do this, they took a “deep dive” into the member satisfaction research – breaking it down by region. And, as promised, the latest version of the regional profile, the questionnaire from the 2008 national member satisfaction survey, and a member satisfaction survey developed for components by our market research staff are posted and available on the Component Service Network: Membership Resources. You can log-in with username: “membership” and password: “resources”. (Some systems require username: “AIADOMAIN\membership”.)

Kate Shelton was promoted to Executive Director of AIA Charlotte effective on August 1, 2009. Kate joined AIA Charlotte in December of 2008 as the Membership Services Coordinator. Upon joining AIA Charlotte, Kate has been active in revamping the section communications to the membership and promoting the bi-monthly membership programs that currently reach over 300 active members. She continues to look for new sponsorship and continuing education opportunities for the membership. She has been active in establishing contacts and promoting AIA initiatives and events with the local media and with other non-profit groups and collateral organizations within the Charlotte community.

Boston civic leader Tom Keane is the Boston Society of Architects/AIA’s new executive director. An attorney and a regular columnist for the Boston Herald and Boston Globe Magazine, Tom comes to the BSA with diverse corporate, public and nonprofit experience. During his six-year tenure as a Boston city councilor, Tom focused significantly on matters of design, architecture, development, preservation, and the ways in which they fundamentally affect communities and individuals.

Leslie Williams joined the Texas Society of Architects/AIA as Manager of Member and Chapter Relations.

Susan Apollonio started with AIA Potomac Valley on August 17, 2009 as the Interim Executive Director, and will take the reins of the chapter on October 1, 2009, after Lloyd N. Unsell, Jr., Hon. AIA officially retires. Susan has a B.A. (cum laude) in Art History from SUNY Purchase College, and after a career in art gallery work, worked in marketing and exhibitor services, most recently for the Urban Land Institute. The committee was most impressed with Susan's appealing demeanor, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn quickly what she needs to know to succeed, no matter what she endeavors.

Lloyd N. Unsell, Jr., Hon. AIA will retire as executive director of AIA Potomac Valley after 16 years. Throughout years of service to the AIA, Lloyd has had the pleasure of meeting many leaders in the profession of architecture including Cesar Pelli, I.M. Pei, Frank Gehry, Michael Graves, Santiago Calatrava, Antoine Predock, and Renzo Piano, just to name a few. He was honored by his peers in the Council of Architectural Component Executives (CACE) with the CACE Executive of the Year Award in 2002 and received his honorary AIA membership in 2004. He has received the AIA national service award presented by Norman Koonce, FAIA, and the CACE President’s Award in 2005. Lloyd also served on three major national task forces over the years: the Consolidated Data Base Task Force, the 2000 Membership Systems Task Force, and the 2003-2005 Scholarship Task Force. Though the AIA Potomac Valley didn’t have “two nickels to rub together” upon Lloyd’s arrival in 1993, he is proud to be leaving behind AIA’s first sustainable, solar, green chapter home lovingly known as the Leaf House and a nice reserve for future chapter endeavors.

Mark Wills joined the AIA June 8, 2009 as Manager, AIA State Issues & Programs, reporting to John Loyer, Director, State Relations. Mark will assist state components with their advocacy efforts through issue and program management, communications and coordination among components, strategic counsel, research, resource identification and development, outreach, training. Mark will also represent the AIA on national association boards, commissions and communities, as an external relations representative on the State Relations team.

Cynthia Grissom joined the AIA August 18, 2009 as Manager, AIA Contract Document Education reporting to Kyle McAdams, Director, Contract Documents Sales and Marketing. She will be responsible for creatively developing an annual education agenda/curriculum, education program content, selecting and recording educational learning units, helping to publicize and market education programs, and ensuring the on-time and on-budget delivery of AIA Contract Documents education programs.

Do you have a new component staff member? Send their complete contact information to Justin Madigan at justinmadigan@aia.org .

AIA New York – Call for Entries for the urbanSHED competition
The urbanSHED International Design Competition challenges the global design community to re-think the current sidewalk shed standard and create a prototype worthy of today's New York City. We invite engineers, architects, designers and students from all related fields to compete. Competitors will generate innovative, compelling and environmentally friendly proposals to thoroughly re-imagine temporary sidewalk shed design while improving the pedestrian experience. Registration ends September 18, 2009.

AIA Michigan – State Association Hall of Fame Inducts Rae Dumke, Hon. AIA
The Michigan Society of Association Executives and the 8th Annual Diamond Awards Committee are pleased to announce Ms. Rae J. Dumke, Hon. AIA, Executive Director of the American Institute of Architects Michigan as a 2009 Michigan Association Hall of Fame Inductee. Rae joins a select group of past inductees who exemplify the very best in association management.

AIA Memphis – Heather Baugus Koury Interviewed on Economy
Read the Memphis Daily News interview, “AIA Director: Economic Stability Will Come, But Not Yet.”

AIA New York –Rick Bell, FAIA, Cited on Sustainable Design
Read The New York Times article, “Architects Return to Class as Green Design Advances.”

Send your component news to Kathleen Simpson at kathleensimpson@aia.org to be included in the next Component NewsFlash.

The Component NewsFlash is a monthly electronic publication distributed to approximately 300 component staff and 350 component presidents and presidents-elect. Subscribers are encouraged to re-use messages in the NewsFlash in your component’s print and electronic communications. Please note this newsletter is not directly distributed to all AIA members.

Do your members know they receive significant discount on AIA Contact Documents?
During the week of August 31st, the AIA Contract Documents team will be sending out an email to all AIA Members who are not currently AIA Contract Document customers explaining the benefits of AIA Contract Documents and promoting the discount AIA Member receive. We encourage you to include the content of the awareness email in your upcoming newsletters to your current members or to prospects. The email will be posted the week of August 31st in the AIA Contract Documents Component Toolkit. The toolkit also includes items such as print ads, web banners, talking points, FAQs, marketing demo and an order form for the new Simplify brochure.

Deadline for National Honors, Awards, and Recognition Programs Approaching

Please note submissions to the following programs will be due October 9, 2009: Associates Award, Collaborative Achievement Award, Edward C. Kemper Award, and Thomas Jefferson Award (*now annual), Whitney M. Young Jr. Award, Young Architects Award. See the AIA Honors and Awards Web page for more information.
The AIA Housing and Custom Residential Knowledge Community is looking for innovative designs that have significantly reduced the resource use and increased the indoor environmental quality of existing housing in the “Show How You Re-Green” Housing Awards Program. The deadline is submission deadline: 8 p.m. ET, September 3, 2009.
The AIA is accepting submissions for the 2010 AIA Diversity Recognition Program and we strongly encourage components to apply. Showcase your successful programs that support diversity and inclusion. Submissions are due by 5:30 p.m. ET, September 16, 2009.

Interested in making the most of your AIA membership?
Explore your interests, pursue your passions, and interact with your peers by joining one (or several) of the AIA Knowledge Communities. AIA Knowledge Communities are networks of people that are tied together – not by age, background, or experience, but by shared common interests. Easy to join and free of charge, they give you an exciting way to keep informed and stay connected to the issues that interest you and affect your career. Visit your online AIA profile to join a Knowledge Community today!

Easy Non-Dues Revenue with Free Webinars
All you need to host a free webinar is a meeting room, internet access and a speaker phone! Partner with local firm, school of architecture or community center! Offer it as a free event, or charge a fee to raise some money; either way you’ll be providing your members with valuable LUs. A limited number of free component licenses are available for the upcoming “Changing Times l Time for Change” Virtual Conference. Contact Kim Yoho at kyoho@aia.org to learn more.

The AIA hosts a number of continuing education events each year where members can gain knowledge and network with colleagues in their area of specialty or interest. Here is just a sample of upcoming conferences and workshops. Be sure to add your component events to the AIA Events Calendar.

Changing Times | Time for Change: Practice, Productivity and Effectiveness
September 24–26, 2009, Chicago
Architects practice in a world that is changing at a breathtaking rate, requiring near-constant reassessment of business models and professional practices. “Changing Times | Time for Change” will explore the major areas of challenge and opportunity that are reshaping architecture practice. Can’t Attend? Join us for the Virtual Conference.

Designing Learning Environments to Rebuild Urban America
October 23–25, 2009, New York City
Design professionals and educators will explore common ground and emerge with strategies to create learning environments that are both practical and inspiring. Networking Site: http://aiacae.ning.com/

Greening Your Homes: Increasing the Health and Sustainability of Existing Housing
October 2–4, 2009, Washington, D.C.
For nationwide impact, the greenest housing may be the housing we save, not the housing we build. Design professionals and policy makers will convene in our nation’s capital to focus on the green potential of our existing housing stock.

Beyond the Horizon: The Next Generation of Justice
October 7–10, 2009, Chicago
Architects, judges, court executives, government leaders, builders, sheriffs, and police chiefs will explore the emerging trends in justice-facility planning and design. Networking Site: http://aiaaaj.ning.com/

Healthcare Design 09
October 31–November 3, 2009, Orlando
Immerse yourself in a solution-focused event to shape healthcare facilities now and into the future.