2020 has marked a year for the Chapter like no other. Throughout the trials of a global pandemic we have still seen triumph in fulfilling our commitment to our membership through support and programming. 

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Though we have been challenged to reinvent programming, create new resources, and communicate our constant support, our leadership and volunteers have embraced the hard work needed to make this year a success. 

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Here are some of this year's accomplishments 

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Let's start with some numbers.

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108

Members
Volunteered

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50

Organizations
Represented by
Volunteers

76

Professional
Development
Hours Offered

AIA Iowa's mission is to serve the AIA Iowa membership by being the voice of the profession of architecture,
promote the value of good design, and advocate for the health and safety of the public.

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You are the AIA, thank you for all the ways you contributed this year!
Listed below are a few of the accomplishments from 2020.

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2020 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Membership services

• Published 4 Addenda newsletters and 46 ARCH-E-NEWS newsletters with news articles related to the profession, including announcements, events, competitions, firm and member news, etc.

• Distributed multiple RFP’s and RFQ’s to AIA Iowa Firm Members

• Served as a communication and resource link to five sections across the state

• Sent Chapter representatives to several AIA events (in person and virtual) including AIA Grassroots, AIA State & Local Governance Network conference, and the AIA National Conference

• Worked with Iowa Architectural Examining Board to facilitate communication between the profession and the Board

• Diligently worked to provide programming state-wide

• Worked on relationship building with affiliate organizations-some of them include the ALSA, APA, USGBC, Iowa School Safety Coalition, iaWia, and the Iowa Environmental Council

• Recognized 34 members with Years of Membership Certificates

• Recognized 22 Newly Licensed Architect Members at the Annual Convention

• Invited all firm members to host month-long displays in the Iowa Center for Architecture and to use the space to showcase the value of architects and architecture to the public

• Hosted “Art x Architects” and invited member artists to display their individual artwork for one month exhibits at the Iowa Center for Architecture

Scholarships

• Participated in the ISU Scholarship Programs, distributing over $5,000 in scholarship monies

• Distributed the annual William M. Dikis, FAIA Service Scholarship

• Donated to the ISU chapters of AIAS and NOMAS

• Distributed the ACE Iowa Scholarship of $2,000

Media Relations & Social Media

• Increased following on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter

• Went fully virtual using the Whova app for the Annual convention

• Went fully virtual for the AIA Iowa Spring Conference with a two-week turnaround time

• Went fully virtual with all 2020 Allied Firm Visits

• Went fully virtual with all stand-alone Professional Development Seminars

• Went fully virtual with all committee meetings and leadership meetings

AIA Iowa National Individual Award Winner

Nick Lindsley, AIA

AIA Young Architect 

Committees

Awards

• Presented the AIA Iowa Young Architect award to Nathan Griffith, AIA

• Presented AIA Iowa Honorary Membership Award to Lynor Koch, Hon. AIA Iowa 

• Presented the Medal of Honor to Tim Schroeder, AIA

• Presented 4 AIA Iowa Excellence in Craft Awards –1 merit, 3 honor; 3 firms/companies represented

• Presented 6 Impact Awards- 2 merit Student Category, 1 honorable mention, 1 merit, 2 honor for Professional Category; 4 firms represented

• Presented 10 AIA Iowa Excellence in Design Awards -4 honorable mention, 3 merit, 3 honor; 6 firms represented

• Recognized 22 newly licensed architect members

• Presented 23 Central States Region Awards in the categories of Unbuilt, Interior Architecture, Historic Preservation/Adaptive Reuse, and Architecture at the virtual Awards Celebration.

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Disaster Assistance 

• Signed a partnership agreement with Iowa Homeland Security and are continuing to work on a SOP

• Accepted the responsibility to administer the new program

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Emerging Professionals 

• Hosted a workshop at the AIA Iowa Convention titled Building the Practice You Can't Find in Job Ad

• Held the 8th annual Emerging Professionals Breakfast at Convention, which brought in over 50 professionals for discussion

• Held the first annual EP Bootcamp virtually with 40 attendees and topics focusing on the RFP/RFQ process, Project Management, Life Safety and Code Analysis, Awards Submissions and Technology

• Increased Social Media presence through AIA Iowa Facebook page

• Hosted the Annual EP Design Exhibition and Competition in a virtual People’s Choice award format with $500 in prizes and 21 participating projects

• Made available ARE study materials across Iowa

 Government Affairs 

• Held 14th annual Design Professionals Day on the Hill in partnership with several Iowa organizations related to the design profession and engaged over 50 AIA Iowa Members in Design Professionals Day on the Hill

• Held 6th Legislative Roundtable with several AIA Iowa Members and Legislators across Iowa

• Lobbied at the Iowa Legislature about issues affecting the built environment and practice of architecture, and those related to construction business

• Monitored multiple bills and amendments

• Led another successful Design Professionals Day on the Hill event

• Engaged and built relationships with many Iowa Legislators

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Professional Development 

• Held 3 AIA Iowa standalone seminars and two conferences/conventions

• Provided accreditation for Build It Seminar

• Provided accreditation services for Civil Rights Commission Seminar  

• Provided accreditation services for Preserve Iowa Summit

• Partnered with the EP committee to host the EP Bootcamp virtually with 40 attendees and topics focusing on the RFP/RFQ process, Project Management, Life Safety and Code Analysis, Awards Submissions and Technology

• Provided GBCI credits during our Virtual Convention through partnership with USGBC Iowa

• Offered 76 combined hours of learning units held throughout the year to members and nonmembers across the state

Public Relations 

• Hosted Architecture Month across the state in April

• Held another year of the Citizen Architect Program and grew the Advocacy Track participation to over 107 participants

• Applied and received a Governor’s Proclamation for Architecture Month

• Successfully executed the 5th AIA Iowa People’s Choice Award in celebration for architecture month driving large amounts of traffic to IowaArchitecture.org

AIA Iowa Central States Region Virtual Convention 2020

• Held the 8th annual Emerging Professionals Breakfast with over 50 professionals

• Offered 4 Keynote Speakers and 21 Workshops in a virtual setting for the first time

• Offered 25 total learning units (up to 12 per attendee)

• Continued free convention registration for ISU Architecture students and faculty

• 14 firms represented on the Convention Committee

• Hosted the Annual EP Design Exhibition and Competition virtually with $500 in prizes and 21 participants

• Created the first ever virtual awards celebration with emcee Scott Siepker, the Iowa Nice Guy which has been viewed over 1,000 times

• Recognized over 20 newly licensed architects at the convention and provided them free convention registration

• Provided a space for 70 exhibitors to join the event and connect in a virtual setting

AIA Iowa Spring Conference 2020

• Held a successful conference titled Woven Space

• Presented Certificates of Service and Years of Membership to Chapter members

• Presented annual Impact Awards

• Engaged AIA Iowa Members in the annual business meeting

• Offered 8.5 total learning units (8.5 hours per attendee)

• Pivoted to offer all of the above in a virtual format with only two weeks’ time as the pandemic hit

Allied Membership

• Brought several events across the State, increasing member value

• 3 Allied Member Business Meetings

• 5 Visits to AIA Iowa Firms

• 30 + Dine & Discovers presented by Allied Members

• 3 AIA Iowa Socials sponsored by Allied Members continued on in a virtual format with fantastic attendance.

AIA Central States Region

• Represented AIA Iowa at AIA Central States Region meetings

• Mindy Aust, AIA served as AIA Regional Representative

• Kate Thuesen, AIA re-elected as AIA Young Architects Regional Director

• Matthew Gaul, AIA served as AIA Iowa’s Young Architect Representative to the CSR EP Committee

• Jamie Craine, Assoc. AIA served as AIA Iowa’s State Associate Representative to the CSR EP Committee

• Thomas Thatcher, Assoc. AIA served as AIA Iowa’s Representative on the Emerging Professionals Committee.

• Produced 4 issues with a readership of over 15,000 people per issue

• Continued to email a successful digital magazine version of the magazine

• Increased advertising, subscription, and readership base

• Continued a successful social media presence that has 980 followers on Instagram and 532 likes and 586 followers on Facebook

• Continued to increase AIA Iowa presence in the magazine through ad campaign and advocacy pieces

• Created media kit for advertisers for the 2020 year  

• Continued successful partnership to publish the magazine with Associations, Inc.

Iowa Architectural Foundation 

• Created the American Institute of Architects, Iowa Chapter Impact Endowment for the Iowa Architectural Foundation and donated $50,000 to the endowment

• Supported IAF programming and initiatives

• Participated in committees and on the IAF board of trustees

• Worked to foster the relationship between the Chapter and the Foundation through open communication

• Provided over $75,000 total donations including in-kind and financial support to the Foundation

AIA Iowa Sections

• Provided member benefits state-wide with 5 active & engaged sections.

• Held virtual social events

• Offered several Dine & Discovers across the state

• Tracked finances and provided insurance coverage to volunteers within each Section

• Supported several in person social events early in the year

• SWIAS engaged in a continued partnership with the Society for American Military Engineers

Thank you for supporting us throughout 2020.

We are hopeful for another successful year in 2021.