Board Meeting

11 November 2004, Paris

Attendees:

Minutes

as recorded by Richard Anderson

1. Sandra Zettersten, AIA, President declared a quorum present and called the meeting to order.

Welcome and opening remarks included special thanks to Jim Cowey for taking on the remainder of Tom McDuffie’s position as Treasurer. Noted that nominations for open Officer positions are this meetings priority.

2. Treasurer’s Report by James Cowey, AIA

Transfer of Treasurer responsibilities and account access is complete. Highlights of the report: Paris Conference payments are being made as the invoices come in. A conference surplus is a possibility. Zettersten commended the strong effort to keep the Paris Conference in the black. Anderson noted that we can expect around 170 members next year. Download the full report (PDF) ↵

Questions:

Q: (Herren) Please clarify the members dues revenue.
A: (Anderson) The number used in the report is likely low.
Q: (Spano) Is Lutron included in the sponsor revenue?
A: (Cowey) Yes. Noted that SAMAS payment is at risk.

Comments:

Zettersten: presented a check for $1724.69 from AIA National. Schwartzman noted that the $50.00 advertising assessment fee is not being waived this year for overseas members. Anderson noted this is still under discussion at National and our final dues rate has not been set.

Motion:

Zettersten asked that the report from the Treasurer be accepted as official part of the minutes. Motion seconded.

Vote:

Passed unanimously.

Comments:

Zettersten asked that a note be added to the web site, again thanking Tom McDuffie for his work as Treasurer as the chapter.

3. Secretary Report: Membership and Website

AIA National invoice report includes 126 members, 11 of which are emeritus or honorary. AIACE (local only) members total ±46 — this will change but will not vary by more than ±10. The Chapter will solicit ±171 members for renewal. A discussion covered the definitions and meanings behind the various levels of Chapter membership.

Kwist and Anderson will review the membership database in the coming weeks and proceed with a letter by post and email to all members about continuing membership.

Comments:

Koerner: recruitment is a week part of our organization.

The discussion continued on the types of chapter membership. All definitions are on the web site with instructions and links to join. Tri-fold is available for use.

Zettersten: In September, the task of chairing a Membership Committee was assigned to the Secretary. Anderson noted that he could not fulfill that role.

Motion:

Vice President be appointed to direct a Membership Committee with assistance from the Secretary. Motion seconded.

Comments:

Herren: Recruitment should reach out to european architects. Giancarlo: has participated in conference calls about an "International Region" to have real representation of international in Washington (with AIA National).

Vote:

Motion passed. Thanks from Zettersten to Koerner for working to create committee.

Comments:

Miller: Vice President should ask for volunteers to assist.

Read the Secretary’s full report →

[Note: due to time contraints and questions the full report was not presented at the meeting.]

4. Nominating Committee

Daniel Herren, Chair of the Nominations Committee will present the nominations at the Chapter Business Meeting.

5. Sponsorship

—Lew Koerner, Chair Corporate Partners Committee

With member efforts, Spano and Meinecke noted, financial prospects are looking up. Require coordination between Corporate Partnership Committee and Treasurer. Koerner requires assistance and participation for continued success.

Comments:

Zettersten: Corporate Parter Form needs to be completed for each sponsor.

Alhadeff: lack of clarity sometimes exists between sponsorships and amounts given.

Spano: more than one-half hour at a bar is needed to coordinate among Corporate Parters. We also need to work well in advance of Conferences for associated Corporate Partners. Yearly budgets of corporations (i.e. possible Partners) are set early. Knowing about our association of people can be an important draw for sponsorships.

Alp: Explaining “What is the AIA” is a problem. (Tri-fold can be used as tool to introduce chapter.) Mention of membership numbers and past conferences should be included on the tri-fold.

Anderson: tri-fold has no space for events and officer names. Can officer names be removed?

Concensus indicated that officer names could be removed. [Ed. note: in follow-up, Alp restated his desire to have the officers names included on the tri-fold as “When we approach potential sponsors, etc., they feel more confident seeing our name and capacity there in a printed document.”]

6. Architect’s Council of Europe (ACE)

—Giancarlo Alhadeff

[ed. note: This draft, from notes taken by Anderson, is being reviewed by Alhadeff and will be revised accordingly. A report on the ACE meeting will be added as a supplement.]

The Architect’s Council of Europe, based in Brussels, addresses problem confronting architect's practicing across the European Union. Membership numbers are on the rise. Their next meeting is next week [ed. note: that would be the third week of November, 2004]. The last meeting was in Milan. The organization is currently mired in procedural issues regarding governance of the institution. Trying to open a dialogue with the AIA and some progress is being made. The AIA President typically attends the meetings. The biggest single issue is licensing. The ACE hopes for NCARB reciprocity [in the United States] but this needs the review of 54 jurisdictions. The same problem exists in Europe. Policies on reciprocity are all over the map.

The three-year position of liaison to the Architect's Council of Europe was started by Tom Vonier. Alhadeff holds the post through 2006. Alhadeff is also going to Grassroots conference in Washington as part of the International Committee. Washington p[ays for his attendance.

Comments:

Grassroots sidebar: Berg and Rüegger should be going to Grassroots as well. [ed. note: Anderson will also likely be attending at his own expense.

7. Conferences

Udine: David Jay Thompson, organizer. Ragni and Alhadeff assisting. 30 September — 3 October 2005. Those interested can look at a draft of the conference.

Helsinki: Hans Buchwald, organizer. Conference in May 2005.

Comments:

Zettersten: Buchwald has noted he is getting no younger and can not wait. He has wanted to put together this conference for some time. He needs sponsors and assistance. Buchwald would like to take two trips to Helsinki to meet speakers. A sense of size for the conference was noted as not being important.

Alhadeff: Made note of discussion of one conference per year.

Meinecke: Helsinki meeting could be billed as a "section event."

Zettersten: An assistant is need for Buchwald in the event he becomes ill. Assistance is needed with printed materials and communication. Assistance is needed with sponsors.

Istanbul: Ahmet Alp, organizer. Section event as part of Union International of Architects Conference in June 2005. Perhaps an associated event can take place.

Comments:

Schwartzman: 20 AIA people are already attending conference.

Could make this a section event. One conference per year means sections can hold these things.

Alp: Should meeting go outside of UIA days? Noted there are some free evenings.

Suggestion for more of a social event with local speaker to introduce Turkish architecture.

Berg: What about the cost? Will chapter bear some expense?

Reinersten: Noted section event with Novartis was done at no cost to the chapter.

8. Meeting adjourned

The Chapter Board Meeting morphed in the Chapter Business Meeting. Read the minutes.

— Richard Anderson, AIACE Secretary