Message from the AIAO Secretary

Misti Nelmes, AIA
AIAO Secretary

Have you felt a shift?

Hi, I’m Misti Nelmes, Board Secretary, Architect, and member with AIA Oregon going on two years.  After a career of 17 years, half practicing architecture, half in a parallel industry, I decided in 2021 to get involved with AIA, and I’m thrilled I did.  I’d like to tell you 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.  It was rewarding to live in a small town yet still have the opportunity to work on fulfilling projects, often within walking distance of my office and with a high focus on sustainability.  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 AREs, I first felt the void of not being connected to a larger professional network.  At the time, there was no AIA chapter in Bend, 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 a practicing architect, I found that 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 interesting, than finding free online courses myself.  The potential additional value of having access to a broader network was there, but clunky; Bend members at the time would be joined with the Eugene chapter (130 miles away) and while there were efforts to connect these groups which I supported, the divide was still felt. The small firm I was employed at didn’t have resources to cover employee membership fees.  Again, 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, and the follow through since then has solidified my trust in the value of being an AIA Oregon member.  Not only are resources funneled to my local network, but members have an opportunity to shape what AIA Oregon is, and leadership is listening.  I have felt through the pandemic and social awakening our country has grappled with over the last year, that AIA Oregon has been a valued resource and voice of its members.  From national to local issues of housing affordability, homelessness, and wildfires, AIA Oregon has “stepped up” to be part of the solution by supporting members in engaging with our local communities and providing education on state and national issues.  The multitude of virtual trainings hosted by AIA Oregon during the pandemic have kept many of us on track for licensure renewals, for free.  And the recent member survey aims at additional continued improvement.   I am inspired by the support and connection, during a time of crisis, that I have seen come from being an AIA Oregon member.

“Something good comes out of every crisis.” rings true.  I do believe we’ve seen shifts in AIA Oregon that have solidified trust during a time of crisis and unveiled opportunities that will remain lasting.  Have you felt the shift?  Have you or your firm been positively impacted by AIA Oregon through the last difficult year?  I’d love to hear - feel free to email me.

Message from the AIA Southern Oregon Director

Sam Uccello, AIA
AIA Southern Oregon Section Director

Hello Oregon Architects and friends of Architects. My name is Sam Uccello, and I am the Section Director for Southern Oregon. I have been a licensed architect for over 24 years, an Oregon resident, and a member of the Oregon AIA since 2015.

A little about myself, I attended and received my degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. This included a year overseas study at the Ecole D’Beaux Arts in Versailles France. During my time in Versailles I traveled extensively in Western and Eastern Europe, including Russia. I have had many successful projects in southern Oregon as well as in the Caribbean, Cypress, Spain, and many on the eastern United States.

Southern Oregon has so much to offer including outdoor activities, world class wineries, the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, and a thriving architectural community. We have a diverse range of Architecture firms that are responsible for all types and sizes of projects.

As a group in Southern Oregon, we are striving to showcase our Architects and projects. For example, last year we had a successful People’s Choice Awards. Southern Oregon has not had a People’s Choice Awards in a few years and with the success of the one we had last year we hope to make it an annual event.

We are also hopeful we can start in-person meetings by the end of summer or early fall. We have had many suggestions on finding venues to hold our first in-person meeting. Since we have so many world class wineries, we may start there.

Last year there were devastating fires in Phoenix and Talent which have kept many Architects in our area busy with rebuilding. Last year Curt Wilson and Andrew Owen were invited to participate in a radio program to respond to a misleading letter to the editor on rebuilding Talent and Phoenix. It was a successful way for our professional organization to set the record straight on rebuilding after a natural disaster.

We have had discussions about working with Re-make Talent, which is an organization working to facilitate information for the community to rebuild. The web address is http://remaketalent.org.

One of the items that Architects may be able to help with is to contribute generic house plans for the library they are setting up on their web site. In this process we are also learning from Rebuild Paradise, an organization responding to the California fires in 2018.

Southern Oregon emerging professionals are working together to help each other in the process of getting licensed. There has been a lot of sharing about the way that the new testing is being conducted via online testing. I have heard some positive responses to online testing.  Also, the emerging professionals recently accomplished an in-person visit of a project under construction. This is something that we will strive to continue with the emerging professionals.

As always, we wish to bring in more Architects to AIA Oregon from the Southern Oregon section. We constantly reach out to individuals and firms that are not currently part of AIA and encourage them to join and participate in all the activities the AIA Oregon has to offer.   

I encourage anyone to reach out directly to me with comments, concerns and info on upcoming events and programs at designdept@SBJames.com and remember to register for the Thursdays @ Three where there is so much information about AIA Oregon and the different sections, including our own Southern Oregon Section.

Thank you.

Samuel Uccello

Message from the AIA Oregon Treasurer

Stephanie Morales
AIAO Treasurer

When I joined the AIA as an Associate AIA member in 2017, after completing the three-year master’s program at the University of Oregon, I never imagined myself landing here as your Statewide Chapter Treasurer just four years later. That bright-eyed student knew too well that she had so much to learn, and so many challenges yet to overcome before gaining any position of leadership within the profession, even less a local chapter of a national organization. Nonetheless, I am here. I am here as one of two current Associate AIA Board members, and as one of the few people of color currently holding the position of AIAO Board member. 

I got involved with AIAO when I became an active member of the Committee on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (CoEDI). The work by this committee, Co-Chaired by Kelly Chanopas and Octavio Gutiérrez, along with the AIAO Board, became the bedrock for what we now know as the AIAO Social Justice Action Plan and the Social Justice Resources Page on the AIAO website. This shift in conversation cannot be discussed without the global impact that the murder of George Floyd had on our society. May 25th will mark one year since Mr. Floyd’s murder. In the time that has passed, AIAO held a listening session to hear from its members regarding social justice and CoEDI hosted the annual Future Vision Conference last November, centering on Critical Race Theory and community advocacy as a means for equitable design. Community members formed the Portland chapter of NOMA, and firms around the state are gathering to report on the implementation of equity, diversity, and inclusion ideals within their practice.

So where do we go from here? During the first Board meeting of 2021, we held a planning session where each member had to commit to one of the Social Justice Action Plan Framework Goals in a tangible way. My commitment to you, our members, is to increase the number of BIPOC Board Members to better represent the diversity within our community. What I have learned in these past few months as your Treasurer is that I will always be encouraged to share my thoughts during Board meetings, and I feel welcomed to think critically on how the Board can better support its ever-changing membership. This support fuels my commitment to inspiring others to arise and become the future leaders of our chosen profession, but my commitment takes more than the power that I hold, it also takes you. 

We need your voice as a future AIAO Board Member. I’m looking at all of our BIPOC members who may have never seen themselves reflected in leadership. I see you. While it’s important to gain knowledge and devote oneself to the work, it’s also very important to lead, be part of the waves of change. Be the mover. Whether you are a recent graduate, an emerging professional, or a seasoned professional. You matter, your voice matters. I truly believe we can make positive change if we work together with sincere commitments to centering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. This means having each of our organizations reflect the population it serves. Our collective consciousness has been elevated and we cannot turn back now. Will you take up the challenge? Will you support your fellow BIPOC designers to lead as the next AIAO Board member? The change we need is within us, we just have to answer its call. 

If you are interested in joining the CoEDI, contact info@aiaoregon.org. 

If you would like to learn more about this topic or get involved, visit our social justice resources page at: https://www.aiaoregon.org/social-justice-action-plan or email info@aiaoregon.org.