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DETROIT CHAPTER
President, Message
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2010 AIA Detroit
Presidents Message
Raymond Cekauskas AIA
Despite the difficult economy we find ourselves in, we must continue to strive for excellence in our all of our chapters work. It is vitally important that we function as a unified team, supporting one another towards the achievement of shared goals. The 2010 board and committees consist of talented and motivated individuals with diverse and complimentary skill sets. The challenges and initiatives in 2009 have been dealt with by a relatively small group of people, but the rewards of their labors will be shared by all. My thoughts, as your elected president for 2010. For your careful review and welcome comment. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK Big Picture Goals Do what is necessary to accomplish these three fundamental goals:
2009 was a watershed year for the chapter in terms of consciousness raising, mobilization and the beginnings of change. It is of the utmost importance to maintain the momentum generated in 2009 to achieve even better results for 2010. There is much that has been done, to pave the way….for more to do….. Strengths We have the right team of talented, motivated and smart individuals necessary to get the job done. We have a growing body of emerging professionals who are passionate about architecture and who are determined to cause change and make improvements. We have mature, experienced leadership that is forward - looking in their vision and highly motivated in their hearts. Weaknesses Our only weakness can be ourselves – if we allow ourselves to be this way. No goal or initiative is too lofty or difficult to achieve if we really believe in it. With total focus and commitment I believe the chapter’s leadership team and greater membership have the skills and energy to get the job done. Opportunities Our creative, professional community is restless and fed - up with “business as usual”. The city and region is poised to make a comeback after decades of decay and turmoil. A younger, energetic generation is growing in strength as the agent of change, and they are mobilizing to make a difference. It’s really up to us. Threats
Board Roles and Responsibilities Each board member will be asked to take an active role in pursuing the chapters’ goals. Each board member will be asked to take on one major initiative, of their design and choosing, that supports the strategic goals, as well as help facilitate ongoing program activities during the course of the year. As an example, Jacquie Arredondo, while a member of the board, volunteered to develop and launch in 2010, an ongoing presentation series based on AIA Nationals educational data base. This is her project to build, develop and make meaningful. There is also a good chance that Jacquie will volunteer to help in the planning of the Design Celebration, like she did in 2009. We truly appreciate this kind of contribution. I believe that board members who serve are highly motivated and mission - focused individuals that seek the challenge of building something new and of high value to the community. They are here in part, as members of a team that will change the future course of our chapter. 2010 Planning Overall planning for 2010 will be vetted with the board at the annual strategic planning meeting scheduled for January of 2010. The intent is to render a SWOT analysis and then set goals, brainstorm ideas, develop implementation strategies, and make specific assignments. Knowledge from the 2010 AIA Michigan Leadership retreat will help inform the discussion and AIAM leadership and past AIAD leadership will be present to impart insights and wisdom into the proceedings. We have also invited representatives from the EPC to participate in a big way. This collaborative planning session is very important towards setting the dials for strategic and tactical actions that support the chapter’s 2010’s overall goals. Programming All board members will be urged to contribute ideas to the chapter’s evolving list of programming activities that are offered to our membership. As our membership needs change in response to a changing world, our programs must stay critically relevant and of high value. We need to increasingly think outside of the box and expand our definition of what value means to membership. Activities and programs that will include more varied allied professionals and leaders of non‐related industries that have something important to say are most welcome. Exploration of different ideas is crucial – even if they end up landing with a thud. This area of value is so important that it will require its own focused team led by a member of the board. The pace of information consumption and cultural change is rapidly increasing ‐ our creative output must be ahead of the curve. Communications We have historically underutilized the power of modern communication portals afforded other industries. Building awareness and understanding of our profession and its value to the community and our culture is mission critical. To be considered for 2010 is the position of a communications czar who would be the driver of our collective voice in a world increasingly filled with noise and chatter. Our message must be clear, strong and ongoing. I will ask board members to write at least one message through the president’s message portal, to membership, on a topic of their choice that is steeped in the importance of the moment. I will encourage board members and our greater membership to write opinion pieces in popular media on important public issues that engage our expertise. In 2009 both Frank Arvan and Jeff Zokas made significant contributions to this. We all must in 2010, aggressively seek opportunities to better utilize the multiple, high - quality, public communications devices available to further our objectives and initiatives. We must be proud and confident of what we have to say. Creative Linkages The creative community in our chapter’s region is deep and broad. The quality and number of groups and organizations focused on the creative potentials of the human spirit is manifold. For a region historically steeped in heavy industry and to some, light in the creative arts, the Detroit area is rich with talent and powerful in unfulfilled potential. We must get to know one another better and find synergies that create strength, pool resources and uncover new possibilities. The EPC’s outstanding record with Pecha Kucha and Detroit Synergy is testimony to this. Operations / Finance As what seems the norm for our professional practices, we must continue to find ways to operate leaner and smarter. The world of unbridled growth and prosperity that characterized much of the regions post war growth is gone – we must do as much, if not more, with less. Cycles of change and recalibration are often difficult. We must be creative in our rethinking of business as usual and we must be sensitive to those affected by change. Our shifting away from traditional mailings towards electronic media, the streamlining of required business proceedings and the increasing use of our website as the primary portal of communications are examples in place, that make our operations more efficient. Until revenue that is collected thru membership, programs, sponsorships and fees, increases, and we brainstorm new, alternative income streams, we will continue to see a gap between our ambitions and our practical capabilities. Chapter leadership is eager to work with Michigan leadership in a symbiotic and collaborative partnership to achieve this. Emerging Professionals Energized, motivated, and active, the community of emerging professionals will play an increasingly prominent role in sustaining a healthy future for the chapter. Since its formation in 2007, the EPC has been a success story in terms of membership recruitment, programming and overall consciousness raising. Well-organized, creative, and focused on actions versus deliberations, this team of young people has built a new world within the framework of the institution. Their creativity and energy is boundless, their love of life and work is to be admired. Both Lawrence Tech and UDM have active AIAS chapters led by enthusiastic cores of bright students that need to be reached out to and brought into the fold. We must support them, encourage them, and enable them because they are, the future. Committees As foot soldiers in the field of action, our committees are charged with getting it done. Often the primary interface with the greater community, they volunteer much time and effort to develop goals and implement special projects that give back to the community. A few committees like the Emerging Professionals and the Building Enclosure Council have shown exemplary activity and value. Our Government Affairs team has been in the trenches of Lansing for years, protecting and furthering our strategic needs. For 2010, the chapter will give enhanced attention and support to these active teams striving to make a difference. A healthy and consistent program of reporting with the active support of a board liaison will be vitally important to strengthen and build committee results and membership. We will explore the AIA Detroit A Chapter of The American Institute of Architects 5 possibilities for restarting committees that have gone dormant or developing new ones that could be focused on emerging challenges. We will call on the EPC and newly licensed to offer their energy and enthusiasm not only as participants, but as leaders as well. What better place to engage these issues than the premier urban laboratory of the 20th century, the city of Detroit. For new members just starting out, committee work is the perfect way to get involved, meet colleagues, better understand the AIA, and contribute to initiatives that can help others. Alliances As we strive to work smarter internally, we need to develop stronger relationships and collaborations with allied organizations possessing additional and complimentary assets. The enduring alliance with the AGC that has assured the continuity of the mid‐summer conference is a prime example of this. With over 6000 members, many of whom which are captains of industry and technology, The Engineering Society of Detroit presents a prime opportunity to pool resources, develop joint programs and generally help one another grow and prosper without losing each other’s principal mission and focus. Other organizations we can work more closely with include MOCAD, the ULI, and the USGBC. In 2010 we will engage organizations like these with renewed vigor to build a larger and stronger community of allied professionals. Membership The single most critical issue that affects the chapter on multiple levels is the need to increase membership. Membership levels drive revenue which supports programs, operations, and our important single-state status at the national level. As the largest chapter in the state, Detroit contributes the most funding to AIA Michigan and commensurately engages staff to support its needs. Our efforts this past year to reduce dues which ranked among the highest in the nation, has been applauded by many. The Detroit Chapter has historically also been the largest contributor to AIA Michigan executive leadership. Great strides were taken in 2009 to assuage declining memberships - most notably in Ben Tiseo’s membership drive campaign that is already showing positive results. The often heard question, “why should I join the AIA” must be answered by us convincingly in the affirmative. We should not expect to overcome long standing skepticism unless we truly rebuild the value proposition our organization once offered. In Conclusion With these humble thoughts I share with you, I am honored to serve as your president in 2010. With much already accomplished, I firmly believe that with these troubled times comes great opportunity. I feel privileged that after three decades of practice, I have been placed to lead a team of supremely talented and motivated individuals who know that one’s horizon is as distant as one’s mind’s eye wills it to be. My role as president will be in part, master facilitator, ambassador of good will, and driver of change. In simpler words, coach and quarterback. I’d like to thank Jeff Zokas and the entire 2009 AIA Detroit team for all of the hard work and effort they continuously gave to start the big wheels turn’in. It was a sincere pleasure to collaborate with these very fine folks. I look forward to working with Joe Veryzer as chapter Vice-President, the chapter board and its overall membership, Alan Cobb as President of AIA Michigan, and with Rae Dumke and the wonderful staff at Beaubien House in 2010 to:
And remember, our future is not a gift. Our future is our achievement. Best wishes for 2010. |
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The baton has been passed and the
challenging journey to prosperity continues. We are beginning the
third leg of a process that began in earnest with Mark Nickita’s
presidency in 2008, followed by Jeff’s Zokas’s leadership and banner
year in 2009 in which many new ideas and reforms were introduced and
implemented. Your board and committees have worked intensely to
review, reform, and rebuild our chapters’ effectiveness.