Message from John Flynn, AIA - AIA Oregon President

 

John Flynn, AIA
AIA Oregon President

Hello, Colleagues –

I hope that everyone’s Fall is off to a great start! AIA Oregon has had a quietly busy Summer and is looking forward to an even busier Fall. I’m writing today to give you a debrief and a look-ahead on what’s going on at AIA Oregon.

Summer Highlights

  • Strategic Planning Retreat Members from all tiers of AIA Oregon leadership gathered in Bend in mid-May for our first Strategic Planning Retreat in several years. Board members, committee leaders, national representatives, and AIAO staff spent 2 ½ days working on optimizing our efforts as a member-services organization and elevating our profile in, and contributions to our communities. The results of this retreat are the first steps towards prioritizing strategic initiatives that will realize our mission and vision for the coming years. We are committed to revisiting our strategic plan on a biennial basis going forward. Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we share this important planning effort with you all.

  • AIA25 In June, many AIA Oregon members traveled to Boston for the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2025. I was honored to vote on behalf of AIAO members at the Annual Business Meeting, where we elected new National Board members, amended selected by-laws, and passed a resolution on AIA’s policies toward artificial intelligence. This resolution calls for “a formal establishment of AI Usage Policies, an AI Education & Exchange Platform, an AI Ethical Framework (AI’s integration into [our] Code of Ethics), and incorporating AI into the next AIA 5-year strategic plan.”

  • Big Sibs Conference August saw AIA Oregon host the annual Big Sibs Conference. Big Sibs is a peer group consisting of volunteers and staff from AIA’s 20 largest components. This two-day summit is an opportunity to share experiences and expertise, address common problems, and exchange best practices between components. Evelyn Lee FAIA, 2025 AIA President, was in attendance and also engaged with AIA Oregon members in a separate Q&A session. Thank you to AIAO Staff, who worked tirelessly before and during this successful event.

  • Summer Socials Of course, Summer brings with it each Section’s Summer Social. I hope that you all had a chance to attend your local event and meet up with colleagues. We appreciate our Section Directors and Directors-elect for planning and organizing these always popular gatherings.

 

Fall Look Ahead

  • 2026 Budget and Dues Increases Okay, this first one is important for everyone to know. On the cusp of Fall, the AIA Oregon Board of Directors, in conjunction with the Executive Vice President/CEO, begins to develop the organization’s budget for the coming year. One of the first questions is always, “What are we going to do about member dues?” Your member dues are divided into two parts: National dues and Component (State) dues. For 2025, AIA Oregon did not increase state dues for members. But for the coming year 2026, the Board has determined that a state dues increase will be necessary. Our reasoning is straightforward. We want to deliver clear and measurable value to membership. We want to provide more professional development opportunities, more accessible and reliable programming, and more opportunities for advocacy and community engagement. To achieve these goals, we need financial stability and solid reserve funds. We’ll be communicating more on this subject in October as we finalize our 2026 budget.

  • Chris White Golf Tournament The Chris White Scholarship Golf Tournament is right around the corner. This is the tenth annual edition and it tees off on Friday, September 19th. REGISTRATION CLOSES TOMORROW! This event benefits the Chris White Fund for Emerging Professionals, which supports one of our newest and most successful programs, “Project ‘Almost’ Architect.” PAA provides study materials’ mentorship, and events that help guide emerging professionals towards licensure. I hope to see you there!

  • Housing Oregon Conference AIA Oregon’s Housing Advocacy Committee (HAC) will present, and staff an outreach table, at this year’s Housing Oregon Conference, September 15th & 16th at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. The panel presentation will address bridging the gap between affordable housing policy and the practice of architecture. HAC’s goal is to promote the design community’s potential for direct effect on policy makers, developers, and local jurisdictions within the realm of affordable housing. I want to recognize committee co-chairs David Mojica, Assoc. AIA, and Molly Culbertson AIA for their unwavering dedication to this AIA Oregon committee and its efforts.

  • New AIAO Committees We are proud to announce the formation of two new AIA Oregon Committees, coming this Fall. The Historic Resource Committee will advocate for architectural heritage and promote the role of the historic architect within the profession and the building industry. The Committee on Practice and Licensure will focus on equitable pathways to licensure for associate members throughout the state. And it will be the new “home” for Project “Almost” Architect.

  • 2025 Oregon Architecture Awards Finally, later this Fall, AIA Oregon will present the Oregon Architecture Awards. Mark your calendars for Friday, October 24th at Revolution Hall in Portland. This year’s esteemed jury is led by Douglas Ito FAIA, Principal at SMR Architects in Seattle and Recipient of the 2024 AIA Whitney M Young Jr. Award. We’ve received over 50 submittals for recognition and the evening, as well, includes awards for Professional Achievement.

That’s all I’ve got for now. I hope that you all are looking forward to joining your fellow members in an exciting Fall season with AIA Oregon!

Message from Heather Wilson, AIA Oregon EVP/CEO

 

Heather Wilson
AIAO EVP/CEO

Popcorn & Nostalgia: My Summer Movie List for AIA Oregon

Dear AIA Oregon Members,

Normally, as summer rolls around, I'd be excitedly curating and sharing my annual summer reading list with you all. However, this year feels a bit different. For one, who truly has the time to dive into extensive reading when the sun is shining (or, more realistically, when deadlines loom)? More importantly, this summer marks my first without my incredible dad, and I wanted to honor his memory in a way that truly resonated with his spirit.

My dad loved movies. Buttered popcorn might as well have been its own food group for him, and he had an enduring fondness for a good summer movie. He meticulously curated our home collection of VHS and Betamax tapes – often "pirated" from cable, carefully labeled, alphabetized, and even cross-indexed by genre in a little notebook – ensuring I had an endless supply of entertainment in the cool, dark comfort of our Ohio basement during those sweltering heat index record-breaking droughts. This list, then, is a nod to him.

This idea actually sparked from a wonderful conversation I recently had with Ana Yocum, Co-Founder and Board Member of NOMA PDX, who also works at Integrus. I was reminiscing about the glory days of the "summer blockbuster movie" and its profound impact on my Gen X upbringing. And, given that we seem to be returning to the politics that so uncannily match the fashion (have you seen the stores lately? The 90s called, and they'd like their…oh never mind), I thought it was the perfect time to revisit some cinematic classics that feel surprisingly relevant.

So, grab your popcorn (extra butter, please!), settle in, and enjoy my Summer Movie List:

  • TERMINATOR: An obvious choice, given its chillingly prescient connection to artificial intelligence – a topic that continues to shape our world.

  • War Games: Because... thermonuclear global war. Need I say more? A timely reminder of the delicate balance of power.

  • Raiders of the Lost Ark: Pure Harrison Ford magic! And let's be honest, the geopolitical landscape and the shadowy, manipulative forces at play in this film feel oddly, disturbingly familiar these days.

  • Poltergeist: The sheer irony of homebuilders unwittingly opening a portal to hell? That’s definitely not lost on me, and perhaps not on you either.

  • The Brady Bunch Movie: And finally, for a dose of pure fun, kitch, and a delightful, albeit comedic, connection to our profession. Mike Brady’s architect character is truly archetypical in the most hilarious way. And if we can’t laugh at ourselves…

After you've had your fill of nostalgia, I encourage you to get out and experience some of the new cinematic releases hitting theaters this summer – like "F1" (hello again, Brad Pitt!). Or, better yet, join us at one of AIA Oregon's fantastic summer events coming up. You can find our full schedule and details here: https://www.aiaoregon.org/events.

Enjoy your summer, and thank you, Dad, for the movies and the memories.

Warmly,

Heather

Message From John Flynn, AIA Oregon President

 

Hello Colleagues,

This week, the AIA Oregon Board of Directors, key volunteers, and staff are gathering in Bend to chart the course for the next five years of our organization. This strategic planning session is focused on one clear priority: delivering meaningful value to you — our members.

Your voices, experiences, and aspirations are the foundation of this work. As we look ahead, we’re committed to shaping an AIA Oregon that is responsive, inclusive, and aligned with what matters most to our community of architects and design professionals.

We look forward to sharing updates soon and continuing to build a stronger, more connected future - together.

Warm regards,
John Flynn, AIA
President, AIA Oregon