One of the best examples of how AIA is advocating for its members and the profession is the AIA State Government Network, otherwise known as SGN (#AIASGN).
Established in 1991 to give AIA state organizations the support they need to advocate effectively within state government, SGN has become an invaluable resource for components facing legislative challenges on issues that affect architects and their practice.
The 2017 SGN Annual Meeting was held on June 14-16 in St. Louis, MO. New this year was the inaugural State & Local Policy Dinner Series where SGN members gather at local restaurants to discuss trending issues. AIASC Executive Director Adrienne Montare, AIA and AIAGA President-Elect Kathryn Bedette, AIA were joined by NCARB CEO Mike Armstrong to lead a lively discussion on Alternative Paths to Licensure at Mango, a wonderful Peruvian restaurant in downtown St. Louis. Adrienne also met with AIA Senior Director of Advocacy, Cindy Schwartz, for a one-on-one review of SCArchiPAC and enhancing its role in developing strong relationships in the legislative community.
Among the many topics covered in the two days of inspiring, and often heated, discussions were:
The Practice of Architecture:
- De-licensure of Occupations & Professions
- Interior Design Encroachment
- Unlicensed Practice
The Built Environment & All Things Codes Related:
- Energy Code Rollbacks
- De-coupling Codes from the ICC & Extending the Adoption Cycle
- States with No Building Codes (Missouri!)
For more information on SGN or AIASC’s advocacy efforts, pleasecontact Advocacy Committee Chair Geordan Terry, AIA at gterry@bainc.com or AIASC Executive Director Adrienne Montare, AIA at adrienne@aiasc.org.
Coalition for Current Safety Codes
During the SGN Annual Meeting last week and discussions of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in London, Bryan Soukup (@BSoukupJD)
ICC Regional Manager and Director, Resilience Initiatives, invited AIA members to join the Coalition for Current Safety Codes in advocating for the adoption of current building, sustainability, electrical and life safety codes.