Dear Members,
Happy New Year, and welcome to an exciting 2025! As we step into this new year, I am honored to serve as your President and to work alongside each of you to advance our profession, strengthen our communities, and amplify our collective voice in shaping the future of architecture.
First, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Peter Darby, AIA our past President and the 2024 Board for their outstanding leadership and dedication. Their hard work and commitment have laid a strong foundation for us to build upon, and we are incredibly grateful for their contributions to our organization. They continued the focus on our Strategic Plan that emphasized Advocacy, Partnership, Membership and Organizational Excellence through the tremendous work of our members, staff, and committees.
Many times, we wait until the end of the year to thank our staff for the hard work they have done to make AIA Dallas the very best chapter in the country. Let’s start this year with an introduction to our talented staff, many you know and some new faces: Zaida Basora, FAIA – Executive Director; Cindy Stanley – Development & Operations Director; Elizabeth Jones, Assoc. AIA – Marketing Director; Conleigh Bauer – Membership & Education Director; Liane Swanson – Marketing Coordinator; Julie Hrabovsky – Marketing Coordinator; Sarah Ziegler – Event Coordinator; Adriana Guisa, Assoc. AIA – Program Director of Foundation; and Preston Fitzgerald – Office Coordinator. This is your team; they are here to work with you and ensure that our programs are second to none.
Do you want to know more about our Chapter? We thought you might – did you know that AIA Dallas has 2,557 members, making us the 6th largest chapter in the country? We now include Northeast Texas as part of our chapter expanding our geographic reach. We have developed, hosted, and led over 250 meetings, events, and programs a year for our members and the public making AIA Dallas one of the most active chapters on engagement. We estimate our outreach touches almost 5,000 members of the community. Our Emerging Leaders Program is in its seventeenth year and has graduated over 350 future and now current leaders of our chapter firms. We now have an Advanced Leadership Program which is geared to transform our young leaders into industry giants.
This year, advocacy will be at the forefront of our mission. We are committed to elevating our engagement at multiple levels—within our local communities, across the state, and nationally—to ensure that architecture remains a key driver of positive change. Whether it is through policy initiatives, public awareness, or professional leadership, we will make our voices heard and champion the issues that matter most to our industry and society. We encourage our members to join, participate, and lead. We have the opportunity to make AIA Dallas the go-to organization to help tackle the City’s biggest issues – permitting, workforce/affordable housing, homelessness, creative re-purposing of the downtown core buildings, resilient infrastructure to name a few, and there are many more that our profession has trained us to solve. We care, we listen, we analyze, we synthesize, we advocate….
One of the highlights of 2025 will be hosting the Texas Society of Architects Convention in Dallas – a momentous occasion to bring together thought leaders, innovators, and advocates in our field. Even though we have a limited role in organizing the essentials of this convention, this is our opportunity to showcase the very best of Dallas, celebrating its dynamic architectural landscape while fostering meaningful discussions on the future of our built environment. Let’s work together to make this convention a resounding success and shine a spotlight on the incredible contributions our profession makes to the city and beyond.
Additionally, as we look ahead, we will begin the process of developing a new strategic plan at the end of 2025 and into 2026. This will be a crucial effort to chart our course for the future, ensuring that our goals align with the evolving needs of our profession and the communities we serve. Our goal is to continue to align our strategic plan with the business of architecture, so we all have the opportunity to thrive.
As we embark on this journey, I invite you to engage, collaborate, and take an active role in shaping the path ahead. We will continue to offer a robust and diverse series of programs geared to membership interest. We are always evaluating our services to meet your needs. Use your voice, your email, your social media to tell us what you need, what your firm needs, what our profession needs. Your passion and expertise are what make this organization strong, and with your participation, 2025 will be a year of progress, inspiration, and impact.
Let’s make this year one to remember!
With enthusiasm and gratitude,
Mattia Flabiano, AIA
2025 AIA Dallas, President
Learn more about Mattia Flabiano, III, AIA, ACHA, view his COLUMNS Magazine profile >>