Join the Board for a unique opportunity to serve and influence your profession and peers. If you have ideas, they should be heard!  Open positions are made available in August and voting takes place in the fall.  Winners are announced at our Annual Meeting in October, and new board members are onboarded for the remainder of the year. While a few positions are only open to registered architect members per the bylaws, most positions are available to any member, regardless of licensure status or experience.  Contact Linda Hewitt, Executive Director (lbhewitt@aiaroc.org) for further information or to express interest in a role.

 

OFFICERS

President

The President exercises general supervision over the affairs of the Chapter; presides at general membership and Board of Directors meetings. He/she appoints, with the concurrence of the Board of Directors, all committees; signs all contracts and agreements to which this Chapter is a party; has charge of and exercises general supervision over the offices and employees of the Chapter. The President acts as spokesperson of the Chapter and is its representative at meetings with other organizations and committees unless otherwise delegated by the Board of Directors.

Committees overseen: Past Presidents’ Council, Principals’ Roundtable, Medal of Distinction Award Jury, Holiday Party

Responsibilities include:

• Chairing the Past Presidents’ Council, Principals’ Roundtable, Medal of Distinction Award Jury

• Attending Grassroots/AIA National and AIA NYS Conventions

• Attending Design Awards Celebration and participates in the award presentations

• Holding regular meetings with the Executive Director to review Chapter business

• Attending and chairs all Board of Directors Meetings

• Overseeing collaboration with the Rochester Architectural Foundation and is responsible for fundraising events such as the annual Golf Tournament and Holiday Party

• Leading the Board in fundraising including securing sponsors for the annual and general chapter meetings.

• Representing the Chapter on the AIA Regional Network (Buffalo/Western, Central, Southern, and Rochester)

​

Vice President

The Vice President possesses all the powers and performs all the duties of the President in the event of the absence of the President or of the President’s disability, refusal, or failure to act and shall perform other duties assigned by the Board of Directors.

Committees overseen: CES Programs, Nominating, COTE, Principals’ Roundtable, Social Impact

Responsibilities include:

• Scheduling annual CES events with the assistance of the Executive Director

• Attends and introduces all CES programs

• Assembles and chairs the Nominating Committee to solicit names for open board positions for the following year

• Overseeing the Committee on the Environment (COTE)

• Attends Grassroots Conference (if budget allows)

• Attends AIA National and AIANYS Convention (if budget allows)

• Co-chairing Principals’ Roundtable

 

Secretary

The Secretary records Board business and writes correspondence for the Board.

Committees overseen: co-chairs Honor Awards

 

Responsibilities include:

• Preparing agenda for all Board meetings

• Keeping minutes of the proceedings of Board meetings

• Issuing all notices of the Chapter

• Signing all instruments and matters that require the attention or approval of the Chapter Secretary

• Preparing the reports of the Board of Directors and the Chapter

• Furnishing the Institute, and the State Organization with such reports as may be required

• At least annually furnishing the Secretary of each of the above organizations with the names and addresses of all officers and directors of the Chapter with assistance of the Executive Director

• Co-chairs and handles the Honor Awards program (local, state, and national) with the Membership Director

 

The secretary may delegate to an assistant secretary or other assistant employed by the Chapter the actual performance of any or all duties as recording or corresponding secretary, but shall not delegate responsibility for the property of this Chapter, or the making of any attestation or certification required to be given by the Secretary, or the signing of any document requiring the signature of the Secretary.

 

Treasurer

The Treasurer has charge of & exercises general supervision of the financial affairs of the Chapter.

Committees overseen: EDI

 

Responsibilities include:

• Keeping records and books of account of the Chapter

• Preparing the Budget

• Collecting amounts due the Chapter

• Giving receipts for and have the custody of funds and monies and makes disbursements of funds

• Having custody of its securities and its instruments and papers involving finances and financial commitments

• Making a written report to the annual meeting of this Chapter and a written report to each regular meeting of the Board of Directors. Each of said reports shall set forth the financial condition of the Chapter, and its income and expenditures for the period of the report and the Treasurer’s recommendations on matters relating to the finances and general welfare of the Chapter.

 

The Treasurer shall not authorize any person to sign any order, statement, agreement, check or other financial instrument of the Chapter that requires the signature of the Treasurer, unless such delegation is expressly permitted in the bylaws. The Treasurer may delegate to an assistant treasurer employed by the Chapter the actual performance of any or all duties as Treasurer but shall not delegate responsibility for the property of this Chapter, or the signing of any document requiring the signature of the Treasurer.

 

DIRECTORS

Membership Director

The Membership Director recruits, enriches, and maintains all levels of membership.  He/she periodically investigates the value of membership with regards to services rendered vs. assessed dues.

Committees overseen: Women in Architecture, Membership Directory, co-chairs Honor Awards

 

Recent activities have included:

• Working with the Executive Director to produce the Membership Directory

• Contacting new members to welcome them to the Chapter

• Providing outreach presentations and question/answer sessions with local firms (3-4 times per year)

• Identifying and addressing issues with non-returning members

• Addressing individual member questions or issues with the Board

• Co-chairing and handling the Honor Awards program (local, state, and national) with the Secretary

• Overseeing the Women in Architecture (WiA) Committee

 

Practice + Design Director

The Practice + Design Director supports practice and design by providing opportunities for AIA members to showcase their design skills. Along with the Membership Director, he/she also provides opportunities for members and their firms to enhance the functional aspects of their practice.

Committees overseen: Design Awards

 

Recent activities have included:

• Planning and executing the annual Design Awards and Design Awards Celebration

• Coordinating traveling board displays with the Executive Director

 

Emerging Professionals Director

The Emerging Professionals Director is responsible for demonstrating and increasing the value of membership in the AIA to Associate and emerging professional members.  The Emerging Professionals Director represents the interests of recently graduated students, interns, and recently licensed architects. 

Committees overseen: Emerging Rochester Architects (ERA)

 

Recent activities have included:

• Organizing and running exam review classes and ARE Workshops

• Developing programs for Associates and Emerging Rochester Architects (ERA) to increase involvement and interest

• Holding social gatherings to help Associate members become more comfortable with ongoing AIA involvement

• Collaborating with local schools of architecture and their AXP Coordinator(s) in the spirit of advancing the profession.

 

Education Director

The Education Director is responsible for educating the general public and interested students about the field of architecture.  He/she also assists in the continuing education of AIA Rochester members.

Committees overseen: ACE Mentor Program, Scholarship, Career Fair

 

Recent activities have included:

• Serving as a liaison to Rochester’s chapter of the ACE Mentor Program

• Procuring scholarship funds and chairing the Scholarship Committee

• Chairing Scholarship Committee

• Presenting scholarships

• Helping students secure shadowing positions in local firms

 

 

Communications Director

The communications team consists of two directors – Communications and Social Media, headed by the Communications Director - who work in tandem to promote the brand of AIA Rochester and to advance public advocacy for AIA Rochester, its members, and architecture in general.

The Communications Director controls the AIA Rochester brand to become a preeminent presence in the community.

Committees overseen: Communications

 

Recent activities have included:

• Scanning regional news to become part of the public conversation

• Mining information/generates content

• Writing pitches/media releases

• Executing calendaring (breaks down quarterly/monthly)

• Forwarding appropriate interest stories to the Social Media Director

• Consulting with others as required to generate special interest stories

 

Social Media Director

The Social Media Director collaborates with the Communications Director to generate and post content to promote AIA Rochester, its members, and the organization, and to promote architectural awareness to the community at large.

 

Recent activities have included:

• Generating social media content

• Scanning regional news (media) to become part of the public conversation

• Tweet/Retweeting posts that add the voice of AIA Rochester to the public conversation

• Having the ability to react immediately (participation in Twitter/Instagram is a now or never kind of opportunity)

• Aiming to post updates to all social media 3-4x/week minimum, in collaboration with the Communications Director and other volunteers. (Can preschedule using Hootsuite or similar.)

 

Development/Outreach Director

The Development/Outreach Director is AIA Rochester’s internal liaison with firms and external liaison with other organizations. This role is suited for a member who is outgoing, enjoys making new connections and collaborating on endeavors to benefit the community.

Committees overseen: CANstruction

 

Recent activities have included:

• Curating a list of Firm Liaisons and distributing updates through these individual AIA Rochester champions within firms to help reach our members and to increase participation

• Teaming with outside groups to cultivate new relationships

• Seeking opportunity for collaboration and cross-pollination

• Organizing teams for architecture related events – e.g. CANstruction

 

Government Affairs Director

The Government Affairs Director actively lobbies at the local, state, and national levels specifically representing and promoting the interests of AIA Rochester.

Committees overseen: Local Government/Activism

Recent activities have included:

• Building communications on legislative issues to membership

 

Potential new activities:

• Perform an inventory of AIA participation on local planning, zoning, architectural review, and historic preservation boards and report findings back to the Board (this has been done several years ago via a grant)

• Develop a placement procedure for promoting AIA members to fill positions noted above

 

Member-At-Large

Recent activities have included:

• Acting as an advisor on legal issues

 

AIANYS Representative

The state representative acts for and on behalf of the Chapter in all matters that may come before the state organization. This is a non-voting role on the AIA Rochester Board of Directors.

 

Responsibilities include:

• Attending AIANYS Board meetings

• Reporting significant actions back to the AIA Rochester Board of Directors

• Representing AIA Rochester’s interests at the state level

​

​

​

Committees

Past Presidents’ Council (President)                              Holiday Party (President)

Principals’ Roundtable (President & V.P.)                      Medal of Distinction Jury (President)

CES Programs (Vice President)                                       Nominating (Vice President)

Women in Architecture (Membership)                            Membership Directory (Membership)

Honor Awards (Membership & Secretary)                      Design Awards (Practice + Design)

Scholarship Committee (Education)                               Career Fair (Education & Executive Director)

ERA (Emerging Professionals)                                         Golf Tournament (Executive Director) 

Communication (Communications)                                 CANstruction (Development/Outreach)

Newsletter (Executive Director)                                        Social Impact (President)

Committee on the Environment (COTE) (V.P.)               Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee (Treasurer)