2018 Directory

13 Membership Development Committee Ability to Rise in the Profession BY DALE BUCKINGHAM, AIA, CHAIR Committee Members: Dale Buckingham, AIA, Chair Rachel Delventhal, AIA Jacob Ernst, AIA Lewis Matthew Miller, AIA Carl Kohut, AIA A s I travel around the Cowboy State, I am intrigued by the billboards with the slogan “This Season We Rise…” Hopefully architects across Wyoming are find- ing themselves in a “rising” economy. While we all welcome the increased construction activity and are seeing more projects and an increased backlog, we also recognize the chal- lenges that develop to handle the volume of work rising. Our committee headed into 2018 with a fresh view of what it means to Develop the Membership. The mission of the MDC is no longer to simply add members to the Wyo- ming AIA Chapter, but to really help the mem- bership develop relationships and to “rise” in our profession to meet those challenges. Networking with fellow design professionals positions us to rise. Does your firm need to grow? People in your network probably know of several individuals who are looking for architectural work and want to move to Wyoming. Do you need focused expertise for a specific project? Someone in you network of professional associates and acquaintances likely can put you in touch with the expert you are seeking. Do you need to freshen up your perspective on practice? Just attending an AIA Wyoming conference and networking with other attendees can be a great encourage- ment and source of new ideas. We on the Membership Development Commit- tee spent significant time and effort promoting relationship building and networking by spon- soring a couple of really fun events at the two conferences held this year. In April, at the spring conference in Laramie, we sponsored a Design Charette event where we combined architects, manufacturer’s representatives, students and engineers onto teams to work through a char- rette process. The 3-hour event gave those who participated the opportunity to meet some new folks and increase their network, in a light-heart- ed creative atmosphere. At the fall conference in Jackson, the Membership Development Committee worked with Carney Logan Burke Architects to host a Pecha Kucha event where we, again, formed teams of individuals of different professional persuasions to work together and build presentations focused onWellness in Architecture. In follow-up conversations with those who participated, it was clear some new relationships were formed and people’s respec- tive networks increased. The longer I practice architecture the more I understand that, contrary to the old Paul Simon song, “we are NOT a rock and NOT an island”… Our ability to rise in this profession is closely tied to our willingness to help those we work with and even those we compete against. We at the Membership Development Committee are committed to continue to promote growth of AIAWyoming members as we develop a culture of encouragement, networking and building new relationships for the good of our members, and the Design Community at-large inWyoming. b