Project Name, Firm Name, Award Name
State Positions
National Associates Committee
The National Associates Committee’s mission is to inspire the profession by promoting innovation, inclusiveness, and professional development while amplifying the voice of the Associate community within the Institute.
The National Associates Committee (NAC) is a committee of the American Institute of Architects. We are a unique committee representing a particular membership category with the Institute - Associate AIA members. Currently, in 2024, Associate AIA members represent about 19% of overall AIA membership. State/Territory Associate Representatives (STAR) are the Associate Member volunteers from across the nation that are responsible for gathering information and disseminating information about national activities and resources for the use at the local level. STARs serve as a vital link between Associates and the national organization.
NAC Purpose and Strategic Initiatives - The Purpose of the NAC is to serve as a source of communication and representation on issues pertaining to Associate Members through the lens of Career Advancement. To best serve and represent Associate Members, the committee focuses on Strategic Initiatives.
We ENGAGE by becoming agents of change.
We INNOVATE by challenging the status quo.
We CONNECT by representing our diverse membership.
We LEAD by example, promoting mentorship, fellowship, licensure, advocacy, service, and design excellence.
National Associates Committee – STAR
AIA Springfield
Morgan Harper, Assoc. AIA
Young Architects Forum
The Young Architects Forum (YAF) is a member group of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and is organized to address issues of particular importance to recently licensed architects (within 10 years or less of first licensure).
Roles of the YAR (Young Architect Representative)
Young Architect Representatives represent young architects within AIA at the state and national level. They are the primary connection between local AIA chapters and the national YAF Advisory Committee (AdCom).
Communicates information from AIA National to local emerging professional groups and vice versa.
Contributes to the direction and planning of the YAF.
Serves young architects at the state level.
May represent YAF within the larger AIA National community by serving as a member of or liaison to any of the following: Strategic Council work groups, Knowledge Communities, Board Committees, Member Interest Groups, or Task Forces.
Chelsea Davison, AIA
Young Architects Forum – YAR
AIA Springfield
Small Firm Exchange
Around 75% of all AIA firms are considered small firms (10 employees or less). The SFx has been working to curate a set of resources specifically built for small firms, giving them access to tools they might not get otherwise.
The mission of the AIA Small Firm Exchange (SFx) is to advance the mutual interests of architects practicing in small firms. The objectives of the AIA SFx are three-fold:
Advocate the value of small firms, the national SFx, and local SFx groups, both within the AIA and to the public.
Curate and disseminate the most pertinent resources and information, from the AIA & elsewhere, that benefit small firms.
Inform the AIA of current issues facing small firms and areas in which current resources/information are lacking.
Angie Geist Gaebler, AIA
Small Firm Exchange
AIA Kansas City
Strategic Councilor
The Strategic Council (Council) was first formed in 2015, following members’ overwhelming approval of the historic change to AIA’s governing structure in 2014. The Council advances the profession by informing the AIA Board of Directors and other AIA bodies of important professional issues and opportunities. It is charged with surveying the profession to identify opportunities and threats, and engaging in strategic planning to inform AIA’s goals, objectives, and strategies. The Council is an outward-focused, forward-thinking, and member-centric group. Its members include representatives from around the world, and includes a student and an Associate representative, as well as a representative from the Council of Architectural Component Executives (CACE). In addition, the Council may also choose to elect.
Role Roles of the Strategic Councilor
Much of the Council’s work is forward thinking: searching for new ideas and solutions to issues facing the profession with an element of futurist thinking. Collaborations seek to produce visionary thought and ideation, deliberation, prototyping of ideas, and consensus building. The Council develops ideas to inform future needs or opportunities for the profession and presents those ideas to the AIA Board for consideration. The Council focuses on long-term goals and outcomes as opposed to administrative or programmatic goals except in rare instances of profession-wide or societal changes urgently impacting the architectural profession and or health, safety, and welfare.
Strategic Councilor
AIA Kansas City
Galen Lif, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB