AUGUST 2023

State Conference



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AIA LA Seeks Applicant for National Position

DEADLINE TODAY!

National Associates Committee State Representative

By promoting excellence, providing information and leadership, fostering inclusiveness, and encouraging individual, community, and professional development, the NAC will integrate the growing Associates community of the profession into a strong voice within the Institute. The National Associates Committee is dedicated to serving Associate members of the AIA in the advancement of their career. The NAC aspires to be the catalyst for progress within the Institute and the profession.

This position is in service to both National AIA as well as AIA Louisiana. NAC’s transition meeting takes place in the Fall (likely Oct/Nov) and term becomes effective Jan 1 for two years.

Deadline for applications has been EXTENDED to August 15, 2022. Submit applications to Kathleen Gordon (kathleengordon@aiala.com).

Please feel free to reach out should you have any questions at all.

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

AIA LOUISIANA ELECTION

OF OFFICERS FOR 2024

Election will be held during the AIA Louisiana Annual Business Meeting

Friday, September 29, 1:30 p.m., The Westin New Orleans (Azalea II)

VP/Pres-Elect

If elected, he would serve as Vice President/President-Elect in 2024 and President in 2025.

Kevin Alford, AIA

Kevin Alford is a Consultant at Moran Construction Consultants in Baton Rouge, LA, where he is in the Construction Loan Monitoring Division. In his current role he performs Document Cost Reviews and Construction Monitoring for Historical, LIHTC, and Market Rate projects across the central United States for banks, investors, and developers.  

He has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Louisiana State University and is a licensed architect in Louisiana and Florida. While in school and for several years thereafter he worked for Kevin Harris Architect, a Baton Rouge residential architectural firm that specialized in custom renovations around the state. He then worked for RHH Architects in Baton Rouge where for 16 years he worked on custom high-end residential projects in several states. He also worked on historical and sports complex projects at Louisiana State University’s Baton Rouge campus location. He was the Associate Architect on the One Eleven Third Street and the Project Architect for Fiero Street Townhomes, both of which are Rose award-winning multi-family projects located in Baton Rouge.

Kevin served on the Baton Rouge AIA Board of Directors from 2016 through 2020. He served as president in 2019 during which time he was the Chair for the AIALA state conference held in Baton Rouge that year. In 2020 he began his tenure as the Regional Director for the Gulf States on the AIA National Strategic Council. During his first two years on the Council, he served and led multiple Work Groups and Council Sprints. These included the Study on Rural and Remote Architecture both for 2020 and 2021. He also was the Sprint Leader for the Clarify the Council sprint that took place in 2021. In 2022 Kevin was asked to serve as the Council’s Vice-Moderator; in this role he worked with the Council Elected Moderator (Korey White) and AIA Staff to plan the Council’s activities for the entire year. This included monthly calls with AIA President, Dan Hart and President-Elect, Emily Grandstaff-Rice, to coordinate Council and Board of Directors work groups and research efforts. Korey and Kevin were also responsible for Quarterly presentation updates to the Board of Directors. 

Candidate Statement



When I was elected to the AIA National Strategic Council, I wanted to represent the smaller states who do not always have a big voice on the National stage. I helped create and served on the Rural & Remote Architecture workgroup for 2 years. In that time, I was given the opportunity to meet with and learn from small firms, community development centers, university professors, and prominent architects located in rural parts of our country. That experience and knowledge allowed us to show not only the AIA Strategic Council but also the Board of Directors how important the “smaller” communities are for our profession and the organization. That idea of our profession really stuck with me, and I started thinking about what we can do to increase the general public awareness of our profession. I want to use that experience to help raise awareness within the state of the importance of Architects and increase AIA prominence to make it one of the first names our state leaders think of when solutions are needed. I am humbled be the opportunity to serve you as president and want to hear from and work with each of you to move our profession forward.

Codes Updates:

Both IBC and IRC have upgrades/updates/changes that took effect January 1^st of this year. Are you prepared? Do you know what those changes are? July 1^st of this year, Louisiana is on track for their first-ever actual Energy Code (IECC). Never having had this before, and with great impacts to the built environment, join colleagues to learn and discuss the changes that will not only impact your projects and business, but your clients and communities as well!

March 23        Monroe (Lotus Club)

April 12          Baton Rouge (City Club)

June 8            New Orleans (AIA NO Center)

July 12           Lake Charles (Lake Charles Country Club)

July 19           Mandeville (Beau Chêne Country Club)

Nov 8             Lafayette (Petroleum Club of Lafayette)

6 HSW (architects); 6 PDH (engineers)

Cost:

• $225/Member (you will be asked to include your AIA or ACEC-L membership number for current verification)
• $325/Non-Member

All sessions include the same information and schedule.

Each session is 9AM-4PM. Check-In begins at 8:30AM.

• 9-10:30 – icode changes overview
• 10:30-12 – energy code introduction
• 12-1 lunch
• 1-2:30 – icode changes/amendments and their impacts
• 2:30-4:00 – energy code (more in-depth)

Registration includes lunch.

Additional registration for other listed cities will open soon.



Who will be the “leader of the PAC”?! Local chapters and sections are taking on the challenge and “racing” against each other for the annual AIA LA Political Action Committee fundraising campaign. Your donation not only assists in the political realm as related to the profession of architecture and those candidates that are supportive, but it also helps your local chapter!

Race to the Finish results are shared via the “big check event” during the Annual Meeting at Conference in September.

Find out more about the AIA LA PAC

Ways to get more involved:

• Do you have a particular interest in public policy and advocating for the profession? Sign-up to be a part of AIA Louisiana’s Advocacy Advisory Circle. A new member benefit, and part of the Advocacy Committee’s outreach, the AAC will provide additional engagement opportunities such as offering insight and reflection on legislation affecting the profession as well as opportunities to advocate and learn more. (This is "more involved than the current member experience, and less involved than actually serving on the committee").
• Do you have another passion? Be sure to watch the newsletters for more ways, coming in in the Fall!

FREE STATE CONFERENCE REGISTRATION!

Elite Sponsors

SAVE THE 2023 DATES:

September

28-29 Annual State Conference (New Orleans)

October

10 Coffee & Conversations (virtual; members only)

November

8 Codes Session (Lafayette)

15 Espresso Yourself (virtual; conversations for Associates and Emerging Professionals)