Message from Jake Zander, AIA
Belonging Requires Participation
At AIA Oregon, we believe everyone belongs.
Our members are AIA. You are the pulse of this organization. You shape the vision. You create the value. Every project you design, every client you serve, and every community you invest in reflects the strength of this profession.
Recently, I attended both our own AIA Oregon Leadership Summit in Salem and the AIA Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. Here at home, we convened about 20 individuals to learn about effective political action and learned about the ways we could impact short session. In DC, seeing 700 to 800 architects walking the halls of Congress with a shared message was encouraging. It was affirming to stand alongside colleagues from across the country advocating for healthy communities, housing access, resilient infrastructure, and a strong future for our profession.
But these experiences are only a starting point.
Impact does not happen after one event. It happens when each of us chooses to participate, consistently. Membership is not a spectator activity. It is a shared responsibility and a shared opportunity.
If you want stronger advocacy, step into the conversation with your legislators.
If you want better professional development, help us shape it.
If you want deeper connection, show up and invite someone with you.
Positive impact flows both ways. When you engage, you strengthen the organization. When the organization is strong, it creates more value for you.
So let me ask directly: how can we help you?
Tell us what you need to do your best work. Share the challenges you are facing. Bring forward your ideas. Communicate directly with me or with the AIA Oregon team. We are here to listen and to act.
Please also mark your calendar for ODC 26, September 23 to 25 in Portland. This year’s theme is Creating Community. We are actively developing the conference content, and your input is greatly appreciated. If there is a topic you want explored, a speaker you would like to hear from, or a conversation our profession needs to have, let us know – you can either complete a response to the call for presentations we have released this week or communicate it directly by email. Creating community requires participation, and this conference is built by and for our members.
My commitment as President is to lead by serving, to build vision collaboratively, and to advance meaningful change through the collective power of our ideas.
I look forward to building that vision and creating community together – and I look forward to seeing your ideas help us create community at ODC 26!
AIA Oregon Lobbyist Cindy Robert speaks to the participants of the 2026 Oregon Leadership Summit