So much change occurred in such a short period, which only increased my appreciation of the profession of architecture and the camaraderie amongst the AIA Wyoming community. Almost all our members have had to adapt through rolling shutdowns, and our AIA Wyoming Chapter has navigated many problematic realignments to include significant changes initiated at the AIA national level. Our Chapter remains in healthy financial standing because of our members, our leadership, our sponsors, and our exhibitors taking on each challenge while focusing our fellowship and stewardship.

For AIA Wyoming, the largest transition relates to the Western Mountain Region, which was dissolved after a “cart-before-the-horse” process that saw many from the WMR and CACE leadership work to competently transition our alliance through a difficult period. We will continue to evolve with our neighboring states, and each year, Wyoming will remain a leader in fellowship with our larger AIA membership. Each month, we learn more about connecting with Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, our past WMR members. We will also look to Idaho and Montana as we proceed to investigate collaboration and shared gatherings.

Board members Rachel Delventhal, AIA, Britney Sulzen, Assoc. AIA and I attended the final WMR Summit in New Mexico. While the business meeting led to no resolution for the future, we are all better informed, and many optimistic discussions have begun, including an extension for studying the WMR Pettigrew Leadership Scholarship as the first step in the Western Mountain cooperation moving forward. Please become involved within AIA leadership to help us shape the future for our AIA Wyoming chapter.

Our 2021 AIA Wyoming Fall Conference in Jackson was a credit to our AIA Wyoming members, sponsors and exhibitors. Susan Menghini, our Executive Director, earned an honorary gold medal in mental gymnastics while preparing for the conference, as each day brought some local or global crisis to keep things interesting. Our 2020 AIA Wyoming Fall Conference in Casper conference team laid the blueprint for this new normal. A great group — Lyle Murtha, AIA; Anthony Jacobsen, AIA; Brandon Daigle, AIA; Tim Schenk, AIA; Randy Hein, AIA; Aimee Bolton, AIA; Chet Lockard, AIA; Carl Kohut, AIA; Ramsey Skrepenski; Suzanne Norton, AIA; Clint Taylor, AIA; Britney Sulzen, Assoc. AIA; and Susan Menghini, Executive Director — put together a safe and superb conference that brought a moment of normalcy during a tumultuous period. In 2021, our AIA Fellows, John Carney, FAIA, Stephen Dynia, FAIA, and Bruce Hawtin FAIA, made our fall conference an event to remember. We greatly appreciate their continued effort, mentorship, and leadership.

Our members stick together, support each other, and safely gather together, regardless of the obstacles. We also met for our AIA Wyoming Celebrates Architecture Week 2021 event, held online to accommodate the government shutdown.

To quote our two-time AIA Wyoming President and our AIA Strategic Councilor for the State of Wyoming, Dan Stalker, AIA, “… let your voices be heard!” The future of the AIA and our AIA Wyoming Chapter is open to so many opportunities and some unknowns. Each AIA Wyoming member’s involvement will help shape our organization’s future.

If you believe in an idea, have a passion for an aspect of the profession, and want to preserve or be a steward of our AIA Wyoming culture, then there has never been a better time to be involved. Architecture is a great profession, and AIA Wyoming is the voice of our profession.