It was great to see some of you on Oct. 3 in Reston for the town hall networking event hosted by AIA Virginia. Throughout the year, AIA Virginia has hosted town halls in each of the five local components and wrapped up their tour of the state with AIA Northern Virginia. 

While much of the evening was spent networking and catching up with colleagues and making new connections, AIA Virginia also shared some of their accomplishments over the past year and gave us a look ahead on the advocacy front.

AIA Virginia recently achieved a significant milestone, surpassing 2,500 members, making it one of the largest state AIA components in the country. Notably, AIA Northern Virginia represents nearly half of the state’s membership, currently with 1,210 members and still growing.

Two leadership summits were held — one early in the year and one at mid-year — designed to enhance coordination and address obstacles within the components. Aiming to foster collaboration and identify ways to streamline operations between the state and local levels, there are plans for these summits to continue into 2025 with the new component leaders.

Similar to the Emerging Leaders in Architecture Program, AIA Virginia is currently developing a Mid-Career Professionals Program, recognizing the need for support and guidance for architects at this crucial stage of their careers.

Finally, advocacy efforts remain strong, with a focus on upcoming legislation that aims to re-establish apprenticeship as an alternate path to licensure.

As a reminder, there are many opportunities to get involved with AIA, both at the state and local levels. Contact Jaclyn Toole, Assoc. AIA, AIA NoVA Executive Director, Paul Battaglia, AIA, AIA VA Executive Vice President, or any board member to learn how you can contribute to the continued growth and success of the architecture community.

– Jaclyn S. Toole, Assoc. AIA, Executive Director, AIA Northern Virginia