We are now in the second half of the year, and several important events and programs should be on your calendar for the months ahead. This is also the time when the Board and committees begin planning in earnest for the coming year. With this in mind, I want to revisit our Chapter’s strategic plan and invite more members to join a committee or event that contributes to our planning efforts. Our strategic plan is organized around four overarching goals:
- Justice, Equity Diversity and Inclusion
- Value of Membership
- Member Experience
- Maximizing the value of the Center
At the start of this year, we divided our Board into groups to champion each area of the strategic plan. This structure allows us to spend focused time vetting strategies and working closely with committees to align their goals with the Chapter’s priorities.
In upcoming letters, I will highlight one strategic priority at a time and share the progress being made toward each goal.
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Previously, the Equity Committee focused on JEDI-related programs and committee discussions. Now that JEDI is a formal Chapter goal, the Board approved a new focus for the committee last year: developing rubrics that committees can use when planning future events and providing summary to the Board on the events to assist in determining progress and potential goals for future programs.
These rubrics will help the Board better understand our members and assess how effective our programs and events are overall. Stronger data will allow us to evaluate participation more thoughtfully, gather feedback, and make more informed decisions that support both Member Experience and Member Value.
Samia Kirchner, Madhuri Subramaniam, Lauren Hill, and Nia Anthony serve on the Board focus group for this priority. Samia chairs the Equity Committee. The group currently meets virtually at lunchtime, and additional committee members, including a Co-Chair, would provide valuable support for this important work.
During this inaugural year, the group has identified useful information to collect, developed member survey ideas, and continued to define the rubrics.
How can you help?
- Please make sure your member profile is up to date
- Join the Equity Committee by reaching out to Samia or Nia
- Provide feedback on events you attend
Our Chapter Board of Directors, Committee Chairs, and staff will develop our next strategic plan in the upcoming year. Now is the time to get involved and help shape the future direction of our Chapter.
Several important events are coming up in the months ahead:
Golf Outing and Adapt or Fall Behind: AI and the New Standard of Architectural Practice is in September
Design Awards in October
Health and Wellness Showcase in November
Annual Meeting/Party in December
I hope to see you in person soon- please introduce yourself. If you would like to schedule a call or Zoom meeting to start a conversation, please reach out to me.
