By Chris Holt, AIA
2020 AIACV President
It has been nearly 5 weeks (Mar. 19th) since the statewide stay at home order was issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom to combat the spread of Covid-19. Through this order, most of us began to adapt to new challenges and issues including: remote access to our work, conducting Zoom meetings (and apologizing for sounds that weren’t present on our phone calls just a few days ago…my daughter and dog are now regular meeting attendees) and we battle blurred work/life boundaries, sometimes answering e-mails late into the evening or along with our morning coffee, just to name a few.
These challenges are not without benefits. We have increased the resiliency and adaptability of our practices and strengthened some of our relationships between colleagues and opened new relationships over greater distances. The AIACV Chapter has also adapted. Our Executive Director Kimberly Anderson and Events Coordinator Tinn Lee are both working remotely, have learned new methods to invite and register us to events, and to conduct events and committee meetings over digital platforms. They deserve a great amount of recognition in these efforts.
The impact on our Chapter events can’t go unstated. Initially, some events were cancelled or rescheduled to the fall, but now we are adapting events (as format allows) to be conducted over the Zoom platform and are trying to capitalize on the opportunity to reach out to members outside of our Sacramento metro area. In the past, our outlying members found travel to events difficult, but digital platforms span that distance instantly! The staff and Board of Directors is active, at all levels of the AIA, to support our membership including Kim’s participation on the AIA’s National Council of Component Executives (CACE) Committee, who are currently conducting a nationwide chapter survey of component executives and volunteer leaders; hosting a townhall with AIA CA; and developing a new series of dialog events at the chapter called “Let’s Talk”. There have been six of these so far, with topics including the City and County of Sacramento, Division of the State Architect and OSHPD–with more to come, including a happy hour with the Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee this evening and an update on what’s happing at the National AIA with 2020 AIA National President Jane Frederick, FAIA on April 27th. Visit: https://aiacv.org/members-lets-talk/ to sign up.
There is still much work to be done. As you continue to evaluate the effect this pandemic will have on your businesses, the Board of Directors is actively reviewing the long-term affect that it will have on our operations and the resiliency of our chapter. Our focus, as always, is on serving our membership and we will continue to plan events and identify resources that are relevant to you as well as those that can help our profession and community as we forge ahead, through this pandemic, together.