by: AIA New York
On June 19, 2019, the Chapter held its 152nd Annual Meeting, a chance for members to come together and take care of business, voting on proposed bylaw amendments and confirming the following year’s leadership. AIANY 2019 President Hayes Slade, AIA, took the audience through the highlights of the year—including record-high membership levels and the expansion of the Center for Architecture’s K-12 programs.
Slade also highlighted the meaning behind her 2019 presidential theme, BUILDING COMMUNITY: “Through this lens we have focused on activities that help us build a career-wide network within the profession, strengthen bonds with related professionals, and make AIA New York of increasing service to the overall New York City community.” She cited the Chapter’s new DISCOVER ARCHITECTURE program, which brings public high school students to local architecture firms for a week-long, first-hand career discovery experience, as well as the Chapter’s recent Fellows Directory launch and the Summer Practice series curated for small firms.
This year, the Chapter was honored to celebrate 135 members who have completed licensure since January 2018. During the business portion of the meeting, AIA New York and the Center for Architecture announced that this year $62,250 will be awarded in scholarships and grants to students and architecture professionals.
The Chapter also passed a notable amendment to its bylaws. After some consideration and with an eye towards clear governance and transparent paths to leadership, the Board recommended a Bylaw Amendment that sets term limits for Program Committee Co-Chairs and aligns bylaws terminology with current practice. The amendment removes references to Chair and Vice-Chair in favor of co-Chairs titles, sets a single term of office as two years, and sets a maximum of three consecutive terms (a total of six years). The appointment process for a new co-chair, as defined by the rules of the Board, will now include an open call.
The program concluded by thanking this year’s AIANY board members and committee members for their hard work and congratulating the 2020 Board of Directors, who will begin serving on January 1, 2020.
The AIANY Annual Meeting also conferred the following awards to honor those who are making a difference in the Chapter and in our great city:
Harry B. Rutkins Award: Steven Zirinsky, AIA, Co-Chair, AIANY Building Codes Committee
Honorary Membership: Anne Rieselbach, Program Director, The Architectural League of New York
Public Architect Award: John Lee, RA, LEED AP, Deputy Director for Buildings & Energy Efficiency, NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability
Andrew J. Thomas Award: Supportive Housing Network of New York
George S. Lewis Award: Candace Damon, Vice Chairman and Partner, HR&A Advisors
Special Citation: Julia Gamolina, Assoc. AIA, Editor, Madame Architect