23 Oct, 2017
A couple of weeks ago I met with a number of members across the country alongside National President, Richard Kirk. It was an invaluable opportunity to chat openly and receive direct feedback from members about their Institute and the profession. Despite the differences in practice size, specialty and location, there were some common themes explored. Peter Kelly from communications firm Three Plus, will be following up with attendees at the lunches to further tease out issues raised and there will be further opportunities for more members to be involved in these discussions. It was however, encouraging to discover that the themes correlate with our ambitions outlined in our new three-year strategic plan which will be launched late November.
As part of the development of the Strategic Plan, the executive team along with the Board, National Council, Committee Chairs and the broader staff have extensively considered the organisation’s role in supporting the profession to reach our goal of making the world a better place through architecture. We asked you, the members, to tell us what your priorities are for your practice and the profession; your feedback has formed the very basis of the plan for the next three years.
An important element of our new strategic direction was the establishment and in some cases re-establishment of integral National Committees. The National Practice Committee chaired by President-Elect Clare Cousins, is well and truly up and running and following our call for interested members in June we have recently created a National Policy Committee led by Adrian Fitzgerald. I’m pleased to announce that Brad Hooper, Ros Magee, Tania Davidge and Bob Nation will join Adrian on the committee. Along with the National Education Committee and the National Committee for Gender Equity, these committees form a central driver for the activities the Institute will undertake and we are very grateful to all members who dedicate their time.
Nominations are now open for your Chapter and National Councils, with ACT, NT, Queensland and Victoria also nominating for Chapter President. This is your chance to be an active participant in your Institute and we hope to see many of you stepping up or nominating colleagues.
Member Level 1, Fellows, Life Fellows, Affiliate Level 1 and Graduates are eligible to participate in this election.
Nominations close on Friday 17 November but remember to get your nominations in at least 72 hours prior to ensure they are validated before closing.
I’d like to congratulate the Creative Team for the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale on their successful call for submissions for the exhibit. Over 100 entries were received from around the country and I’m sure the team will enjoy reviewing them all and revealing the successful projects as part of repair.
And finally, it’s only a few weeks until the National Architecture Awards (Thursday 2 November). Don’t forget to secure your tickets, view the shortlist and vote for your favourite house in the People’s Choice Award.
Jennifer Cunich
Chief Executive Officer
