Thanks to each of you for helping AIA Utah enjoy a successful 2024! Your AIA Utah Board and staff are dedicated to providing members with meaningful value. This key objective has driven most of our discussions this year and our goals for 2025.

If you have renewed your membership for 2025, thank you. If you are still considering the return on investment for your membership, please keep in mind the comprehensive list of benefits you receive both nationally and locally. The following is a small sampling of how your AIA membership benefits you:

• Leadership opportunities to build leadership skills and interact with other leaders in the profession, AIA and universities. At the national level, this includes the AIA Leadership Academy and Women’s Leadership Summit.
  • AIA Utah has nine active committees, board opportunities and a revitalized partnership with UCFA if you want to get more involved!
• Professional development through various channels and on multiple topics to meet your specific continuing education needs, such as AIAU and the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design.
  • AIA Utah, through partnerships with Allied Members, offered 11.5 LUs and 16.5 HSWs.
• AIA advocacy is the voice of architecture to legislators at the federal, state and local levels. AIA is a bipartisan organization that lobbies and supports candidates on topics of importance to members, such as resilience, school safety, affordable housing, climate change and infrastructure investment.
  • AIA Utah leaders met with Utah’s members of Congress to advocate for comprehensive tax reform that directly impacted architecture firms and no mandated style of architecture for federal buildings.
  • AIA Utah’s Government Affairs Committee and Board also advocated for maintaining licensure requirements for building officials, the preservation of Abravanel Hall and the positive impacts of a diverse talent pool in the state.
• AIA community connects you with over 100,000 architects and design professionals at the local, state and national levels. There are 21 Knowledge Communities to connect you with architects who share similar interests along with resources and tools to reach future K-12 architects.
  • AIA Utah’s committees and Board provide monthly educational and social opportunities for members to engage with and learn from each other. In addition, AIA Utah offers an annual conference and annual Architecture Awards celebration to recognize the incredible talent here in Utah. This year, we brought back CANstruction, which saw seven teams comprised of design professionals compete to create iconic Utah scenes from canned goods that will support the Utah Food Bank.
• AIA designation helps you stand out in the competitive architectural profession. Having AIA behind your name lets clients know about your commitment to the profession.
  • AIA Utah and its members are seen as a resource for issues of importance regarding the health, safety and welfare of our communities.
  • AIA Utah members are viewed as leaders in the architecture profession.

In addition to offering the benefits just listed, here are some new and improved things to look forward to in 2025:

• In addition to the Legislative Breakfast, the Government Affairs Committee will host pre- and post-legislative session discussions with our lobbyists so all members can understand how to become more involved in advocacy.
• A membership directory will go out in early 2025 to all members, sponsors and allied partners. Please, update your AIA National member information before the end of December so your profile is correct.
• A more robust calendar of activities for member engagement with a focus on tours and socials.
• A new membership committee will enhance our recruitment of new members and strengthen our understanding of member needs.
• Improved efforts to educate about and promote the profession of architecture in our local communities.

Thanks again for your belief in AIA Utah, and cheers for a peaceful holiday season and 2025.

Angie