AIA New Jersey members Venesa Alicea-Chuqui, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP, WELL AP; and Manny Pereiras, AIA, were honored to participate in the inaugural AIA Hispanic & Latino Architects Congressional Hispanic Caucus Fly-In in Washington, D.C.
The select delegation was co-led by our The American Institute of Architects (AIA) president-elect, Yiselle Santos Rivera, AIA, ACSA, NOMA, SHRM-SCP, along with AIA at-large Board Member Graciela Carrillo, FAIA, NOMA, NCARB, LEED AP ; Willy Zambrano, FAIA, LEED AP; Dillon Romero, AIA, NCARB; and Patricia Alarcón. Venesa and Manny joined fellow AIA advocates from across the country in elevating the voice of Hispanic and Latino architects at the federal level.
In a single day, the delegation conducted 10 meetings with Congressional Hispanic Caucus members and staff representing California, New Mexico, New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Texas, and Puerto Rico. Together, they advocated for policies that strengthen the architecture profession and the communities it serves, including:
The 21st Century Road to Housing Act Student loan designation and relief efforts Minority contracting opportunities Historic preservation initiatives Democracy in Design The 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax Deduction
As the inaugural AIA Hispanic & Latino Architects fly-in delegation, these leaders demonstrated the impact of architect advocacy and the importance of Hispanic and Latino representation in shaping policies that influence housing, sustainability, economic opportunity, and the built environment.
AIA New Jersey is proud of Venesa and Manny for representing our chapter and contributing to this historic effort alongside their fellow delegates.
Yiselle, Venesa, Graciella, and Manny talking with Representative Pablo José Hernández of Puerto Rico
Special thanks to AIA Government Affairs for organizing this groundbreaking event and creating opportunities for architects to engage directly with policymakers on issues critical to the future of the profession.
Congratulations to everyone who helped make the day happen!