2023 AIA Dallas President Greeting

The second decade of the 21st century has finally shown us its belly, so we are diving in with renewed vigor and a fresh perspective to tackle the priorities that will strengthen our chapter by empowering you, our members. We want to hear what you think. We want to know what you know. We have been working hard to set into motion a second round of objectives and tactics in year two of our strategic plan, adopted in 2021, to support our strategic goals of Advocacy, Membership, Partnership, and Organizational Excellence, all of which have been identified as goals that respond to what we’ve heard from you.

You have told us that the website is outdated and difficult to use, and we’ve heard you. We have made it a priority to overhaul our current website, in order to bring new, fresh functionality to you. This work will be happening throughout the year and will be overseen by a dedicated task force composed of staff and members who are passionate about delivering a thoughtful and beautiful final product. This will help you find out about what is happening inside the chapter and provide more clarity and transparency into the work being done.

I have also just returned from an enlightening and inspiring AIA Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. I, along with President-Elect, Peter Darby and Executive Director, Zaida Basora, and a few hundred other architects, spent four jam-packed days in the Capitol advocating for you and for the profession. Our top priority was visiting our elected officials (state senators and representatives) to gain their support on the Democracy in Design Act, and the Resilient America Act, both of which have consequential impacts on the work we do. Our day on the Hill was a long one, but we were pleased to know that the majority of representatives we spoke with were happy to learn more and to work with us. It is not lost on us that the value of architecture is difficult to communicate and we are working diligently to rewrite that narrative, starting with our elected officials.

While these highlights do not speak to the entirety of our work plan for the year, I do hope it gives you a glimpse into what I hope to accomplish during my time with you. I would love to hear from you, and to know what’s on your mind. There’s no better way to do that than directly, so join a committee, attend a program, or read our newsletters. We are here to listen. I am excited to work on your behalf to promote our value, promote design excellence, address access and equity, and to advocate for our profession, and together, we can go further.

Sincerely,

Kate Aoki, AIA
2023 AIA Dallas President