2020 Annual Meeting Report

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["u"],["a",["href","https:\/\/aiaw.learnworlds.com\/course?courseid=2020-annual-meeting","target","_new"]]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"2020 has been a year like no other... which I think is the biggest understatement that has ever been made. All of us have been relying on technology more than we were a year ago to conduct business, and AIA Wisconsin has been no different. Although we haven\u0027t been meeting in person. I\u0027m pleased with the consistent touchpoints we\u0027ve had with members and the public to continue to support our mission and deliver several aspects of AIA Wisconsin\u0027s member services."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"This year, we had a unique opportunity to reflect on the significant impact William Babcock, Honorary AIA, has had on the advancement of our profession. Bill served as the Executive Director of AIA Wisconsin for 35 years and retired in July. The Wisconsin Architects Foundation has established a new Leadership Fund in his name. This fund recognizes Bill\u0027s legacy of leadership development through the mentorship of Wisconsin architects and staff. I want to thank the Foundation for honoring Bill in this way and supporting leadership development."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I\u0027m pleased to report the following:"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Membership continues to be strong. With over 1,400 members, a near all-time-high for the organization, AIA Wisconsin represents architects in private practice, business, industry, government, and education, as well as Aspiring Architects, allied professionals, and students. As programs shifted to online delivery, more members have been participating in events and accessing AIA Wisconsin resources. Technology and our \u0022new\u0022 programs, such as several successful "],[0,[0],1,"virtual"],[0,[],0," construction tours, allowed us to reach three to four times the membership of an in-person event. I encourage everyone to stay engaged and even increase your commitment to our profession through your continued membership and participation. Encourage your colleagues to commit to supporting the profession, mentoring others, and increasing outreach efforts to ensure that we can provide the programming and services critical to architects. I ask that you all reach out to professionals that you know and encourage them to join us in the important work that we do. The benefits of membership easily justify the cost. As of this morning, 170 of our members have renewed their membership for next year. Are you one of them?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The AIA Wisconsin Annual Conference took place on April 29th and 30th. Now don\u0027t worry, you didn\u0027t miss the bacon, unless you didn\u0027t cook it yourself, in which case you did, but as you can imagine, the conference did not look like any of our past 88 conferences! Scheduled to occur during the massive industry shift to working from home, the Conference Committee provided over 20 programs and hosted over 60 virtual booths online for members to gain valuable knowledge and continuing education credits. Seminars and resources from vendors remain available on-demand. I encourage everyone to look at the new AIAWNow.org website or return if you have not visited in a while as new programs and seminars are being added regularly. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the committee, the staff, and our vendor partners who collaborated on the new format to make it a success. Due to the historically strong financial planning of our organization and the income that we were able to gain from our virtual event, our loss of approximately $250,000 in conference income was reduced significantly, and the shortfall was able to be covered by our reserve fund. Innovative solutions implemented in the 2020 conference are being embraced in a new hybrid model for 2021, allowing for new opportunities to be combined with more traditional conference favorites."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In September, AIA Wisconsin welcomed Lisa Kennedy, FAIA, as its new Executive Director. She is an architect and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Lisa hit the ground running and is working with local, state, and regional AIA leaders to develop initiatives to advance the profession. Welcome, Lisa!"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In October, the AIA Wisconsin Board of Directors approved an operating budget for 2021 of $725,650 which is slightly down from 2020. Member dues support roughly one-third of the budget, with income from the state conference and expo contributing another third. We continue to have a healthy reserve fund of nearly one million dollars and are conservative in our 2021 income projections, given the economy\u0027s uncertainty as the pandemic continues. The Board of Directors will monitor the finances very carefully throughout the coming year and adjust as we see necessary to maintain a healthy AIA Wisconsin."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"We continue to advocate for the profession effectively and went a step further this year in hiring a professional lobbying firm to assist us in those endeavors. The most immediate result of their work was helping to successfully stall the proposed legislation to expand the scope and regulate the practice of interior design. I want to thank everyone who, this February, took the time to testify in person or contact your state legislatures when we had less than 24 hours notice of the public hearing on the proposed legislation. I\u0027m convinced our advocacy and turnout not only caught the Interior Designers by surprise but was pivotal in our success. This will, however, remain an important legislative issue for architects in 2021 and 2022 as we expect the bill to be reintroduced. With the help of our new lobbyist, we also have introduced a \u0022Citizen Architect\u0022 seminar series highlighting a public official to inform us on various governmental issues. We are excited to be able to make this easily accessible through a virtual platform."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Our successful design awards program once again brought public awareness to the architectural talent we have here in Wisconsin by recognizing eight award-winning projects. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"We plan to expand this celebration of design next year. Stay tuned for some exciting new opportunities!"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Our recent Fall Workshop focused on social justice and brought architects and community leaders together to address the issues of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. As another first\u2014we partnered with the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects in organizing the event. We look forward to a long relationship with the AIA\u0027s newest collateral organization."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In alignment with national initiatives, AIA Wisconsin adopted a Climate Action Statement. Our organization advocates for protecting communities from the impact of climate change. Through our activities, we will continue to provide resources to advance your value and improve the quality of our built environment. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Volunteer leaders of local sections continue to offer a diverse menu of informative educational programs, building tours, and networking events. These programs offer great value, are more convenient than ever for members to attend, and provide plenty of opportunities for members to fulfill continuing education requirements. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"This year, the second group of Architect Mentor Program (AMP) participants successfully completed the eight-part series. And I look forward to working with these professionals as they step into leadership roles at AIA Wisconsin and communities throughout Wisconsin. As the committee looks to kick off another AMP series when in-person meetings are possible, virtual one-hour sessions are being hosted featuring an introduction to several AMP leadership topics. I encourage everyone to join these online live sessions. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"On behalf of the AIA Wisconsin Board of Directors, I want to thank all of the members, sponsors, and exhibitors who have contributed significantly to our success. Getting through 2020 would not have been possible without everyone\u0027s support, dedication, and hard work. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"I want to take this opportunity to thank our staff. Brenda, who stepped up in a big way to serve as our Interm Executive Director for a few months between Bill\u0027s Retirement and Lisa\u0027s start. I also want to thank Mary and Tracy for being ever nimble and flexible in your duties, being willing to jump in to help anywhere it\u0027s needed. Everything AIA Wisconsin accomplished this year would not have been possible without the tireless work of our staff behind the scenes, who had to figure this all out just like the rest of us. Thank you for your commitment and dedication to this organization"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"We promise to continue to work hard for you--the members--by providing value and raising the stature of architects in Wisconsin. It has been my pleasure to serve as the 2020 president of AIA Wisconsin."]]],[1,"p",[]],[1,"p",[]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"____________________________________"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1],1,"View this video address"]]]]}