The AIA, why get involved?

14. June 2011 by gleearch.

I decided to start writing a little about my involvement within the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Did I hear some groans and moans? The good old white boys club say some?  A organization that does nothing but lobbying and catering to the big firms, etc, etc.  The litany goes on.

So let me say my piece.  First, I’m an immigrant from Malaysia who is very proud to be an American and I definitely did not come from a privileged back ground.   As an immigrant, I really should have chosen a career path that had better income prospects but I really do love architecture.  I joined the AIA back around 1995 because my employer paid for my dues and to take advantage of the reduced fees a member derived for the ARE seminars.  However once I took the 3 courses I wanted, I never did anything again with the AIA until I broke away from my employer and went out on my own around 2005.

That year I tried to contact the AIASF about obtaining some contract documents but was unable to get through.  So since I was in the east bay anyway, called the chapter in Oakland, CA.  I fortunately managed to talk to Sidney Sweeny who happens in my mind to be the best darn Executive Director of any AIA chapter.  She was friendly, helpful and for the first time ever, made me feel I had a resource in the AIA.

The next thing I knew by the next year, I was chair of the YAF, Young Architects Forum and served in that capacity for two years before joining the Board of Directors for a year.  I was then elected Vice President and thereby became President elect by default and is the current post I hold with AIA East Bay.   The only reason I ever decided to become active was because I felt that whining and complaining about anything only goes so far.  To enact change, you have to get involved and try to be part of that change.

Does the AIA need to change? Well, yes.  In my mind it does and I want to be part of that change.  So in that regard, I doubt many long term hard core AIA members are going to like what I stand for.  Does the AIA do any good? Yes it does and much of it is unheralded and that is a big part of the problem.

However I am part of the East Bay chapter which has a proud tradition of promoting change.  I am but one person but I’ll do whatever I can while I have that capacity.  So I’ll post within my blog occasionally about things I feel strongly about in regards our profession and the AIA.  I have no further ambitions for office within the AIA and therefore don’t really care what the rest of them think about what I say or do.  I run a small business and that with my family already takes a huge chunk of my time and priority.  Taking anymore time away from that is not something I wish for.

Note: Whatever I write here is strictly my own personal opinion and is in no way an endorsement of any organization mentioned.

Posted in AIA | Print | 1 Comment »