2016 AIA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE A COLLEGE OF FELLOWS SPONSORED EVENT by Jamie Crawley, AIA
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n November 18, 2016, the American Institute of Architects Leadership Institute engaged more than 600 members across the country for its second iteration. The program addressed a core pillar of the sustainability of our profession – leadership and growth of our members, especially emerging professionals. The Leadership Institute’s digital hybrid format fostered engagement amidst regional venues, participants, and the Institute, shaping a vision for what a 21st Century #CitizenArchitect leader looks like, how they position themselves, and how they contribute to their communities and practice. The volunteers responsible for organizing the Leadership Institute are part of the AIA Center for Civic Leadership (CCL) that maintains the Citizen Architect initiative. The core mission is to advance leadership among architects to ensure livable, healthy, sustainable, and quality-designed environments for future generations. Hence, the Leadership Institute is intended as the vehicle for the grassroots engagement of members and partners to address leadership in the 21st Century. Each regional event site, Charleston, Dallas, Indianapolis, and San Francisco, as well as the hub site in Washington, DC, provided a full day of programming (7 CEU). The event was also open to virtual attendees who engaged via desktop or a group conference room setting. They were able to participate in the Keynote broadcasts from the Institute’s headquarters, but did not have access to tailored regional content or networking opportunities. Our core team of volunteers worked for a year to develop this program and will continue the program’s growth and development as an institutional model. My Co-Chair, Michelle Stotz, Assoc AIA, were aided by James Yankopoulos, Assoc AIA, Kelsey Oesmann, Assoc AIA, and David Brotman, FAIA; AIA staff Kim and Christian; and the Chair of CCL JeN’en Chastain, Assoc AIA. We were also fortunate to retain Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA to serve as Honorary Chair for a second year. Her thoughtful guidance and resolve to strengthen this program is a true testament to its success this year. Lenore Lucey, FAIA introduced Helene and added timely, poignant remarks about both the importance of the event and the strength of the partnership between the COF and CCL in this endeavor. Helene then welcomed the DC attendees in the Institute’s board room and those spread throughout the country who were tuned in online at their individual desktops, studio conference rooms, and at regional partner sites. The regional venues also included local programming of their own to complement the keynote speakers out of Washington. Steadfast support of leadership programs like this are a core value of the COF. The time, talent, and treasure of its membership in these activities is truly appreciated.
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NEWSLETTER
THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN JOURNAL OF THE AIA COLLEGE OF FELLOWS
For those who have not yet had the opportunity to attend either virtually or at one of the regional partner sites, the event is intentionally a hybrid model of education for an evolving practice both generationally and societally. In the first year’s planning, there was often talk of describing it in a TED talk format with high level, extremely engaging speakers. That allowed for information to be bundled in an entertaining keynote and unpacked as important take-aways and activities stitched throughout the program. Hence our core team sought and secured Roselinde Torres whose TED talk on leadership has been viewed more than 3 million times in 2016 alone. She spoke of stewardship of one’s own career as well as the organizations we serve in an ever-evolving landscape. She provided distinct self-assessment models for attendees and encouraged engagement. “In a 21st century world, which is more global, digitally enabled, and transparent, with faster speeds of information flow and innovation, and where nothing big gets done without some kind of a complex matrix, relying on traditional development practices will stunt your growth as a leader.” - Roselinde Torres Midday, the five locations: Dallas, Charleston, Indianapolis, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, collaborated with personal responses and shared experiences during a deep dive into the workbook, “Living Your Life as a Leader”. Michael Strogoff, FAIA and Stephen Epstein of Strogoff Consulting engaged the local participants as well as facilitated discussion with the five regional venues in this unique workshop presentation that resulted in many takeaways. Similarly, the regional venues each built on the topics of the national broadcast with an added focus on leaders in their own communities. Speakers included elected leaders, past AIA National Presidents, and community activists. Closing out the National Plenary Broadcast, Katherine Darnstadt, AIA, founder and principal of LATENT DESIGN in Chicago, explained the process and commitment to community development through a strategy of define, design, and deploy. The firm’s innovative business model, as well as community activism and engagement, were clear highlights to attendees. “If we each dedicated that time instead to working with non-architects on issues that impact all members in our communities, the conversation of relevancy would probably resolve itself.” -Katherine Darnstadt The AIA Center for Civic Leadership’s 2017 goal is to institutionalize this event so it becomes a basic part of AIA’s yearly offering. On behalf of our core committee of volunteers, we appreciated the opportunity to serve the Institute and the membership in helping build an event and provide “a way forward” for this program. It is our hope that partnerships with the College of Fellows will also further foster this initiative and set the course for future Leadership educational programs that come. ■