In this issue:
·WIA Returns to Promote Women’s Leadership
·Property Portfolios Made Easy With New Toolkit

WIA Returns to Promote Women’s Leadership
By Lisa M. Chronister, AIA, LEED AP

The Women in Architecture Committee (WIA) of AIA New York Chapter has recently reorganized and is excited to announce its first event, Speed Mentoring. The primary mission of WIA is to be the leadership resource for women in the architecture profession. “We want to expand the dialogue regarding issues and challenges that affect women in the architecture profession,” explains Carolyn Sponza, AIA, member of the WIA Steering Committee. WIA seeks to enable, empower, and encourage women to succeed and advance in the profession. The Steering Committee is in the process of developing a vision statement as well as organizing a series of programs for the year ahead.

The first program, Speed Mentoring, to be held September 25, will provide a means of connecting women in the profession; each participant acts as both mentor and mentee to benefit from each other’s experiences. In a similar format to “speed dating,” women architecture professionals at various career stages will be paired together to exchange ideas. The event will provide immediate mentoring (“How do I handle this difficult client?”) as well as the opportunity for longer-term mentoring relationships among participants (“Let’s do lunch!”).

Diane Tien, AIA, committee co-chair, notes the timeliness of WIA’s mission. “The profession is growing. Because of a strong economy, the architecture job market is flourishing, providing numerous opportunities for women professionals at all levels to excel.” Women-focused and women-led leadership development programs can help women define and establish their future. “WIA will challenge women to know their leadership potential,” affirms co-chair Nancy Goshow, AIA.

Look for the Speed Mentoring announcement and details to come in the coming weeks. In the meantime, share your thoughts online at the WIA forum.

A member of the WIA Steering Committee, Lisa M. Chronister, AIA, LEED AP, also serves on the national AIA Young Architects Forum as Communications Advisor. She is a Senior Associate with Helpern Architects.

Property Portfolios Made Easy With New Toolkit
The National Asset Management Steering Group (NAMS) recently released
a toolkit, Asset Management Planning for Property Assets. The toolkit consists of three parts: a manual, an interactive website, and the demonstration asset management system. The manual includes the theory of managing a property portfolio offering case studies and examples. It also provides templates, data collection forms, and analytical models to use in planning and managing a portfolio. The interactive website offers downloads of analytical models, building component guidelines, health asset standards, and planning templates. The demonstration asset management system provides access to a full range of tactical functions and reports — users can enter their own data for renewals analysis, project planning, levels of service analysis, and depreciated replacement cost valuations.