Message from Heather Wilson

Trust in a Time of Fracture

In a time when truth itself feels contested, under fire, and increasingly difficult to tease out, where do we begin if we want to build trust?

We begin closer than we think.

When I was young, my father told me that trust is fragile. When it is strong, it can endure for years. When it breaks, it is never quite the same again. He compared it to a broken vase carefully glued back together. It may still hold water. It may still serve its purpose. But the fracture lines remain visible.

Trust is structural. It carries weight.

In our Institute, trust is not abstract. Members trust us with their dues and their professional reputation. Volunteer leaders trust staff to operationalize vision with integrity. Staff trust volunteer leaders to provide clarity and accountability. The public trusts architects to protect health, safety, and welfare.

When trust is intact, disagreement does not destabilize us. Debate strengthens us. Change is possible without collapse.

When trust fractures, repair requires more than explanation. It requires consistency. Transparency. Follow-through. It requires behavior that matches words over time.

But institutional trust does not begin at the institutional level. It begins with self-trust.

What do you trust yourself to do, and why?

Do you trust yourself to seek truth even when it is inconvenient?

Do you trust yourself to speak clearly and listen carefully?

Do you trust yourself to hold boundaries with professionalism and respect?

Do you trust yourself to correct course when you are wrong?

In a climate where information moves quickly and certainty is scarce, our credibility depends on individual integrity. Institutions do not generate trust. People do.

Our newly published strategic plan (https://aiaoregon.box.com/s/i6q9g8xc3cnfy6j3f5c0id5bilag82az)  is a landmark in that work. It represents AIA Oregon leadership listening carefully and working deliberately to reflect the values and goals of our membership. It is forward movement. It is clarity of direction. It is a public commitment to who we are becoming.

But a plan, no matter how thoughtfully constructed, does not become impact on its own. It becomes action through shared lift. Through members who show up. Through leaders who follow through. Through daily decisions that align behavior with stated values.

If we want to elevate our Institute, we cannot outsource that responsibility. We must embody it.

I hope each member will trust AIA Oregon to be your partner, your wise counsel, and your safe third place. A place to test ideas. A place to wrestle with complexity. A place to grow into your most integrated and effective self.

Momentum without trust is noise. Trust is what gives our work weight.

Let’s earn it, together.