Three representatives of AIA Central Valley were fortunate to attend the AIA Leadership Summit in February; Desiree Gemigniani (Executive Director), Elizabeth Hawks McBride (Emerging Professionals Director) and myself, Melisa Gaudreau (Vice President). The four-day event drew in AIA component leadship from around the country to share best practices in guiding our AIA communities forward. We heard a range of inspiring stories and practical information to assist local components – AIA National and AIA California published takeaways from the Summit online. For me the primary points that resonated included:
Influence through Advocacy: Architects have skillsets that benefit the shaping of communities and therefore our voices can and should have influence on policy. Whether we meet with Congressional representatives or advocate for Chief Architects within our cities, design professionals can assist with solving challenges we face in land use policies, housing, or energy efficiency and resilience.
Lead by Purpose: People are motivated by purpose – our firms and our organizations attract participation when the mission is clear and there is alignment on values. Preeti Sriratana, founding partner at Modellus Novus, set out several points that shaped their practice with strong convictions – and that is the point. “The built environment is imbued with the values of the people who built it”. Have purpose, as it reflects in the work and sustains your practice.
Encourage Engagement: There is a wealth of resources and mentorship available to architectural professionals – yet this is found only when we seek them out or actively share them. By connecting with organizations such as the AIA, we each can support creativity, advancement, and continuous professional development in ourselves and others.
Practice Innovation: The architectural practice is at its essence a problem-solving endeavor and therefore is well suited to forging change and innovation. I heard from Dr. Simone Bhan Ahuja “If we don’t do it, someone else will” regarding adaptation, design and strategic planning. Amber Lombardo emphasized with respect to Artificial Intelligence platforms “if not you, who will train the model”. We should not hesitate to lead innovation in a good direction.
Returning from the Summit, we are truly excited to connect with our AIA Central Valley membership and our allied community, to leverage assets available from the AIA, and to plan programs that serve and inspire us. We hope you will participate with us!
– Melisa Gaudreau, Vice President
After our start of the year retreat, I had mentorship on my mind going into this year’s annual Leadership Summit in Washington D.C. Being one of the very few EP representatives at this conference, it was a wonderful opportunity to learn as well as find my own leadership pants and do some leading of my own. I learned more about the importance of mentorship, both as a mentor and mentee. Being right on theme for the goals of AIACV this year, I was ready to take home some of the best lessons.
- Seeing someone who looks like you or can relate to you doing a job makes it seem more accessible. Mentorship roles can influence a future generation of architects who knew they could do it, because they met someone who showed them the way. In a session with members of Next to Lead, a new program aimed at advancing ethnically diverse women to leadership positions, they discussed the huge impact they can make as mentors to college and high school students looking to join the profession. Diverse leaders, especially those who share their story through mentorship will lead to a more diverse profession.
- There is a difference between a Mentor and a Sponsor. This was referenced more than once during the summit and has an important distinction. A mentor can help advise, lead, or train someone in the profession. They can be a sounding board or a source of information, helping someone to navigate the workplace or chart a path for their future. A sponsor, on the other hand, is an advocate. They are a voice in the room with the decision makers that is ready to advocate for a promotion or go to bat for you. This idea was popularized by businesswoman Carla Harris who found that before she was in the room herself, she needed to find someone who could speak to her skills and talent and be sure she was not overlooked.
- Leadership is an action, not a title. Speaker Pretti Sriratana of Modellus Novus recounted some of his trajectory towards forming his own practice and valuable lessons he learned along the way. He shared that leading is not just “showing the way” but “going the way”.
- The AIA is full of potential mentors and sponsors who are passionate about their careers and happy to help. My time at dinner with members from across AIA California proved that our state is full of wisdom and talent, and they are open to being a resource to colleagues across the state. Now it is the responsibility of our emerging professionals to reach out and make connections. Use those resources! Success is not done alone.
– Elizabeth Hawks McBride, Emerging Professionals Director