Recap: AIA Leadership Summit 2024

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["a",["href","https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/118th-congress\/house-bill\/964?s=1\u0026r=46#:~:text=Introduced%20in%20House%20(02%2F09%2F2023)\u0026text=This%20bill%20requires%20the%20General,Guiding%20Principles%20for%20Federal%20Architecture.","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/118th-congress\/house-bill\/7024","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/kimberlydowdell.com\/","target","_blank"]],["sup"],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2023-12-29\/kimberly-dowdell-seeks-to-change-the-face-of-american-architecture?embedded-checkout=true","target","_blank"]],["i"],["a",["href","https:\/\/mndpc.com\/","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/apexforyouth.org\/","target","_blank"]]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Last week I had the opportunity to represent AIA Toledo at\nthe annual AIA Leadership Summit in Washington D.C. This was a first-time\nexperience for me and despite a bit of initial intimidation it turned out to be\na rewarding and informative conference. The first full day of the conference is\noutlined on the schedule as \u2018Congressional visits\u2019 from 9am to 5pm, having\nnever done something like this before, that sounds like a long intimidating\nday! Thankfully the evening before AIA Nation leadership went over what to\nexpect the following day and I was able to connect with the 4-5 other AIA\nmembers that I would be in the congressional meetings with. We all grabbed\nbreakfast the morning of and divided up talking points for our visits. The\nthree main points we addressed:"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"1. \nAIA\u2019s support for the Democracy in Design Act ("],[0,[0],1,"H.R.\n964 "],[0,[],0,"\/ S.366), which prescribes against the development of an official\narchitectural style for government buildings and encourages the government to\navoid excessive uniformity in building design. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"2. \nThe Tax Relief for American Families and Workers\nAct of 2024 "],[0,[1],1,"(H.R. 7024"],[0,[],0,"),\nTITLE II \u2013 which continues to allows architecture firms to take advantage of\ntax deductions for research and development. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"3. \nEncourage congress to clarify within the Federal\nAcquisition Regulation (FAR), used primarily by the Department of Defense\n(DoD), the General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and\nSpace Administration (NASA), a 6% cap on Cost Plus Contracts which has been\nmisapplied to A\/E contracts. The DoD has\nrecently increased A\/E fees to fall within 6% and 10%, this is a move in the\nright direction!"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Hundreds of architects from across the globe met with representatives\nof Congress to share AIA\u2019s stance on these items. This was an eye-opening day\nfor me and was a great example of democracy in action! "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"Kimberly Dowdell"],[0,[],0,",\nAIA National\u2019s 100"],[0,[3],1,"th"],[0,[],0," president, shared one of her goals for the year\nis to advocate for cities across the country to create the role of a Chief Architect.\nIn this recent "],[0,[4],1,"Bloomberg\narticle"],[0,[],0," Kimberly had this to say, "],[0,[5],1,"\u201cEarlier this year, I had a chance to\nspeak on behalf of the AIA at the US Conference of Mayors. I thought it was\nimportant to share with the mayors that they should seriously consider hiring a\nchief architect if they don\u2019t have one already. It\u2019s a role that has existed in\nmany places in years past. The city of Charleston, South Carolina, has a rich\nlegacy of a chief architect making a big difference in the way that the city\noperated and how it\u2019s laid out. The mayor of Charleston came up to me\nafterwards and said, it\u2019s true, this person is a key advisor to my\nadministration. So I really want to elevate that concept, so that mayors,\ncounty or state leaders look to architects to help solve some of our more\ncomplicated civic issues.\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Lastly, the conference keynote speaker, Preeti Sriratana,\nPartner\/Managing Director of"],[0,[6],1," Modellus Novus"],[0,[],0," and\nBoard Chair of"],[0,[7],1," Apex for Youth"],[0,[],0,", shared\nhow his practice prioritizes inclusivity, not just in its design ethos but in\nthe firm as a whole. The firm champions a new business model that serves to\nchallenge the exclusivity of architecture and promote its capabilities for\nchange. His presentation was encouraging and left me feeling energized to\ncontinue to do the rewarding work of an architect! Two key takeaways for me\nfrom his message: "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"1. \nfind reality \u0026 give hope \u2013 identify the\nrealities that exist and find a way to bring hope"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"2. \nseek value alignment \u2013 be intentional about\npursuing efforts that align with your values"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"2025 AIA Leadership Summit is less than a year away, would\nyou consider participating?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Jake Miley, AIA\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"2024 AIA Toledo Vice President "]]]]}