Message from the AIA Bend Director-Elect

Sara Bergby, AIA
AIA Bend Director-Elect

Happy Thursday! I’m Sara Bergby, Director-Elect for the Bend Section of AIAO. I’ve been a member of the AIA for about five years, but only started actively participating in the membership last year. My reasoning for that is two-fold.

First, when I initially became a member, it was paid for by my boss at the time; since the membership was free to me, I just coasted along without investing any time or energy into it. However, when my membership came up for renewal after I left that company, I had to make a tough decision: resign as a member or start paying for my own membership. Though I hadn’t been actively involved with the organization I wasn’t ready to give up my membership, but I realized that I could only justify the outlay of the fee if I were to become more involved – just coasting along was no longer an option.

The second reason that I wasn’t active in the AIA until recently is the awkward structure of the organization at the time I became a member. Bend was then a part of the AIA Southwestern Oregon Chapter, so opportunities for involvement were extremely limited. Any personal involvement required driving to Eugene during the work week, a difficult task considering my full-time job and active family life. My change in jobs concurred with AIAO’s change to a state-wide structure and the subsequent implementation of Bend as its own Section. Suddenly, I had an opportunity to become involved right here at home, and my involvement could have a direct impact on how Bend developed as a Section.

My direct involvement as a member was spurred by the Bend Section Director “volunteering” me last spring for the position as Bend’s Emerging Professionals Committee Chair. In that position, I attended the two AIAO planning sessions in Portland that year and realized that the more involved I became, the more benefit I would receive from my membership, and the more impact I could have on the growth of our Section. With that in mind, I decided to run for the position as the Bend Section Director-Elect last winter. Since being elected to the position, I have worked closely with Bend’s current Director, Jim Satzinger, and our steering committee to help develop the AIA Bend Section.

I envision the Bend Section of AIAO becoming a vibrant, engaged group. Key to that is ensuring that our members become more involved as well. As the upcoming Director, I hope to build upon the foundation that Jim has laid to create an AIA community whose members feel valued and heard. I want to be sure that we are putting our resources toward the programs and events that matter most to our members. After all, if the benefits that we provide aren’t valued by our members, members won’t have much more incentive to become involved than I did five years ago. And we need our members to be involved in order to be a success.

The message written by AIAO’s Secretary, Misti Nelmes, a few weeks ago really resonated with me, and I believe it’s applicable here. In my experience, the AIA hasn’t consistently focused on providing the programs and events that resonate with local members. Whether it’s too difficult to obtain feedback from members, or too tough to tailor the programming to so many different visions, I don’t know. I don’t expect that there is a single approach that will work for each of AIAO’s Sections. I expect that each Section will have to work with their own members to evaluate members’ needs and determine the path forward that provides the most benefit to the largest range of members. But I do believe that listening to our members – and to those who aren’t yet members but would consider membership if certain programming or events were more prevalent – is a key to growing a stronger and more collaborative membership. And I believe that the stronger our membership base is, the more benefits we will be able to provide to each of our members.

Whether or not you’re currently a member, I ask that you reach out and let me know which programs, events, and services that matter most to you. You can email me directly at sara@enclavearch.com with your thoughts, or join the AIAO Virtual Happy Hour at 4pm this Friday 8/21/2020 to give your feedback on ways that we can increase member engagement.

Message from the Chair and Vice-Chair of the AIAO Committee on on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (CoEDI)

Kelly Chanopas, AIA is an Associate at ZGF and has chaired AIA Oregon CoEDI since 2019, after serving as vice-chair since the committee’s founding.  Octavio Gutierrez, AIA is an Associate at Mahlum and has vice-chaired the committee since 2019.

Greetings, colleagues!

The AIA Oregon Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (CoEDI) was initially formed in 2018 in an effort to expand the (then) AIA Portland Chapter’s commitment to impacting equity, diversity and inclusion across our member community by offering programs that address leadership development, workplace culture, career development, and broader community engagement.  Our mission today remains to better reflect the global and demographic richness of our population through advocacy for under-represented groups in our profession.  Throughout our short history, our mission has been guided by four keystones:  supporting firms in attracting and retaining diverse talent, mentoring across all phases of the professional pipeline, facilitating connections to our communities, and promoting the value of design and its contributions to and from society.

While we currently serve as chair and vice-chair of CoEDI, our committee’s efforts are supported by a dedicated – and truly fabulous – group of members and allied professionals who selflessly volunteer their time to develop our recurring programs (Engage, Workplace Now), put on our flagship annual event (Future Vision), and identify additional tools, topics and speakers to offer learning opportunities for the greater AIA Oregon membership.  We are always happy to talk more about our events, but here is a brief summary:

Engage is a series focusing on opportunities to connect architects and designers with each other and our communities, celebrating the contributions of those who bring diverse experiences, views, and needs into the design process.  Past events have included a volunteer opportunity open house and bringing in speakers from local government and non-profit organizations.

Workplace [Now] is an interactive series exploring the elements of firm culture. The format and theme of each events vary, but past events have focused on the multi-generational office and mentorship.

Future Vision is a day-long symposium organized around themes of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.  Future Vision 2019 focused on the tools necessary to promote equity within the profession, and Future Vision 2020 will explore issues of identity and intersectionality.  Our 2020 event will be virtual with sessions held over multiple days.

We both got involved with CoEDI as a call to action and a determination to take the necessary steps to effect meaningful change. For us, CoEDI embodies a framework necessary for just and equitable processes to be developed, tested, and widely shared through our professional networks in order to create diverse and inclusive work environments where BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) professionals are treated equally as their true, authentic selves. 

Although the current pandemic has upended many of our lives, we remain committed now more than ever to bring social and racial justice to our profession.  We are encouraged by the overwhelming response that you – our members – have shown by attending our June 2020 social justice listening sessions and monthly committee meetings, and we appreciate your patience as we re-tool our processes for a broader, albeit remote, level of committee engagement.   We are forging ahead with planning for Future Vision 2020, and we are preparing to re-launch our discussion groups around the AIA Guides for Equitable Practice and other member-suggested reading selections. 

CoEDI meets on the fourth Thursday of each month, from Noon to 1pm, and we look forward to welcoming you at a future meeting or event.  Until further notice, we are meeting remotely via video conference.  We are joining the 8/14 AIA Oregon Virtual Happy Hour at 4:00 to discuss allyship within our profession.  Join us!  If you have any questions or would like to receive meeting notices and committee announcements, please e-mail us at info@aiaoregon.org.

Message from the AIA Oregon Board Secretary

Misti Nelmes, AIA
AIAO Board Secretary

A Call to Non-Members - You Are Important

Hi, I’m Misti Nelmes, Board Secretary, Architect, and a new member with AIA Oregon.  After a career of 17 years, half practicing architecture, half in the energy efficiency industry, I decided heading into 2020 it was time to get involved with AIA. Given how this year has unfolded, I’m grateful for that decision and would like to share why.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Oregon in 2003, I moved to Bend where my career in architecture predominantly existed.  I moved there during the pre-recession boom and was fortunate to stay employed through the downturn.  Mentorship came from my boss and peers at the small office where I worked, which was great.  However, as I started to prepare for the ARE’s I first felt the void of not being connected to a larger professional network.  At the time, AIA membership in Bend required joining AIA Southwestern Oregon, centered in Eugene 130 miles away, and I just couldn’t see the value in paying fees to an organization that didn’t have a presence in my community.  I also didn’t see access to resources that would help me prepare for the ARE’s, which even despite the lack of a local network, could have been provided through the internet (Bend isn’t that remote).  So, I borrowed ARE study manuals, buckled down, asked questions from a few peers that recently tested, and drove myself across the mountains 10 times to take the exams – since the only testing locations were in Portland or Eugene.  It worked, but I felt, wouldn’t it be nice if there were more support for emerging professionals in regional areas?   

That experience wasn’t necessarily negative, it just didn’t label the AIA in my mind as a valuable resource.  As I continued practicing, I found that continued to be true as I navigated maintaining my license.  Though eligible CEU’s were provided through AIA, I had to pay for them on top of paying the annual membership and they weren’t any easier to access, or any more interesting, than finding free online courses myself.  The potential additional value of having access to a broader network was there, but again, across the Cascades. I was left questioning whether that easily recognizable acronym on my signature line was worth the cost and effort to reap the value that I needed.

The restructuring of the AIA in Oregon entirely reset my perception.  Having a local section in my area was the first reason I became interested in becoming a member; finally, my resources would be funneled to my local network.  But more so, when I began to follow the shift in culture is when I decided to become an active member and decided to jump in full force by taking on the role of Board Secretary.  I’m inspired by the possibility to shape this organization’s future and be a voice for those in similar situations as myself while also learning from the front line.  Not only is the Bend Section directly represented by its members, but there is a burgeoning vision of connecting all Sections to each other, sharing resources, leveraging content and momentum to regional sections – and vice versa.  I am inspired by this; the strength of our Sections should not be limited by the membership numbers, or the topography divide between us.  As a practicing architect in Oregon, an AIA Oregon member now has access to statewide peers, knowledge, professional development, etc.  There is value in learning from local peers, as well as those practicing in different regions of our state.  At no other time during my observation of this organization operating in our state have I felt this to be true. 

Fast forward to the here and now, I feel it is more true than ever that AIA Oregon members have an opportunity to shape what the organization is, and leadership is listening.  As a parent juggling family, work, and health during a global health and social injustice crisis, I see the resources AIA Oregon providing members as a lifeline to maintaining business operations, continuing education, and - most importantly - connection.  It would be all too easy (and logical) to scale back, not get involved, focus on my most immediate needs.  Membership gives me the opportunity to be engaged in this moment in a way that aligns with my personal values.  I feel reinvigorated, reminded of how design touches all facets of community, and how we can make an impact together.  I’m also reminded of how important maintaining connection is, so that when crisis calls, we have a place to band together.   I am thankful I joined the AIA.

“What you put into life, is what you get out of it” rings true.  This isn’t necessarily a plug for membership, though I hope my story resonates with some of you.  My ask is to those that aren’t members; if you’re a practicing architect in Oregon, why are you not a member of AIA Oregon?  Do you have a similar perception of the “old” AIA?  I genuinely want to hear your story.  I hope you want to get involved, but as a non-member, your voice is equally if not more important in shaping the future of this organization.