December 18, 2022

Wyoming is known as a state of firsts. The state elected its first woman governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross. In 1869, Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote. Yellowstone was designated as the first National Park, and Devil’s Tower was the first national monument in the United States.

The AIA Trust is the premier risk management resource for AIA members and components. AIA member trustees working with independent experts identify, evaluate, develop, monitor, and update a wide range of member benefit programs as well as free practice resources designed especially for AIA members and their firms. And all are available to you 24/7 on TheAIATrust.com.

The State and Local Government Network (SLGN) of AIA is a national network of architects working together in advocating for and helping to craft public policy that can address issues involving the built environment, public safety, climate change, affordable housing and many other challenges facing our profession and our communities.

The Wyoming Board of Architects was established on Feb. 17, 1951. In 1991, legislation added the regulation of the practice of landscape architecture, increased the membership of the Board to five, and changed the Board’s name to the Wyoming State Board of Architects and Landscape Architects. The Board is comprised of three architects, one landscape architect, and one member of the public.

As AIA Wyoming’s Associate Director, I was fortunate to attend this year’s AIA Conference on Architecture 2022 (A’22) in Chicago. I was one of a handful of individuals from Wyoming in a crowd of over 9,000 architects who attended the Conference. A’22 was an exceptional event designed to encourage architects to explore new ways of thinking and influence design-forward thinking. The city of Chicago was presented through multiple tours and lectures and was an amazing backdrop for the Conference and all the speakers.

Each year the AIA brings leadership together for the AIA Grassroots conference sessions to develop our leadership to the fullest potential. Grassroots curriculum and participants change and evolve annually, while the goal of supporting component and community leadership remains. Participation is vital to the AIA, AIA Grassroots, and a priority for AIA Wyoming. Please contact the AIA Wyoming Board and leadership to learn how to attend and become more active in our AIA Chapter and attend AIA Grassroots in the coming years.

The Public Awareness Committee has had a good year promoting Wyoming Architecture. The last couple of years have been difficult for all in various ways. As things start to get back to some sense of normal, we look forward to 2023 and the potential to increase the exposure of Wyoming Architecture. AIA Wyoming is always thinking of ways to reach out to the public and membership to keep everyone involved and educated, and to strengthen our relationships with industry partners.

The mission of the Membership Development Committee is to enhance the membership experience. By embracing the mission, the committee holds activities for members, non-members, and industry partners at the two Chapter conferences, as well as throughout the year, to engage in conversation and networking. With a small group of volunteers, we continue to hold these events and look for additional committee members to enhance and grow the member experience.

Committee Members: Dale Buckingham, AIA Cornelius Kinsey, AIA Lyle Murtha, AIA Charlie VanOver, AIA Will Wedemeyer, AIA William Wheatley, AIA The Government Advocacy Committee continues to meet monthly via Microsoft Teams conferences to discuss issues affecting the architecture profession across Wyoming and at the national level. The goals of the committee are to introduce, monitor,

The Education and Resource Committee’s primary goal is to promote architecture to the public and provide educational resources for architects to use when engaging with students and clients across the state.