Meet Megan Pritts, Associate AIA, our new Regional Associate Director

February 6, 2018

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AIA NJ welcomes Megan Pritts, Associate AIA, as the new Regional Associate Director for New Jersey. Megan has previously won a service award for AIA NJ 2016 Intern Architect of the Year and worked side-by-side with Regional Representative, Bruce D. Turner, AIA, to arrange and orchestrate our state and regional congressional visits in 2017.  She is a prime example of how individual members, even new to the organization and profession, can have a huge impact on opportunity for all of us, beyond the borders of AIA and our members, to benefit the public. AIA NJ is very fortunate to have Pritts join our board.

 

AIA NJ invited Pritts to tell us more about herself and her role at AIA NJ. Please read on and join us in welcoming Megan Pritts, Associate AIA, to our board…

 

“At the age of five I knew I wanted to be an architect. I drew a house for every person and pet in my life. The colors, forms and patterns of materials defined their personalities in my early imagination. I pursued my passion by attending Syracuse University School of Architecture.

 

During summers off from school, I interned at a local firm primarily focused on mixed income, multi-family housing for the United States Housing and Urban Development. I had the opportunity to make an impact in my own community.

 

I later interned at Perkins Eastman and worked on larger scale projects as a member of a collaborative design team. Project types included adaptive reuse, workplace and senior housing.

 

Before graduating, I volunteered with a non-profit, disaster relief organization in Japan after the Great East Tsunami. Through gutting, demolition and deconstruction, I quickly learned fundamentals of building construction. It also gave me an education on how rebuilding efforts and volunteerism impact a community.

 

I currently work as an architectural designer in a multidisciplinary studio, JZA+D, in Princeton, NJ. The firm focuses on architectural design, interiors, space planning, furniture design and sustainable design.

 

As an active member in my local and state AIA chapters, I sit on the AIA Central NJ Board as an Associate Member focusing on emerging professionals and women’s issues. For the past 2 ½ years I served as the Advocacy Directory At-Large for AIA NJ Emerging Professionals Community (EPiC).

 

As the Regional Associates Director (RAD), I am the representative of the New Jersey Region of the National Associates Committee (NAC). The committee is made up of people from all over the country representing regions of large states to regions of several states and territories. Within the committee are work groups that focus on different goals representing Associate AIA members.

 

At the state level, the RAD sits on the State Executive Committee and is expected to report back any activity or research from NAC. In AIA NJ, I am also an Associate member on the Central section’s Board as well as an active member in AIA NJ Emerging Professionals Community (EPiC).

 

As RAD I am fortunate to represent our region at different conferences including an annual joint meeting with NAC and the Young Architects Forum (YAF), Grassroots and the Large States Conference. I will have the opportunity to meet other Associates from across the country and gain knowledge to bring back to our Associates.

 

This is a 2-year term. Within that time I hope to advocate for Associate members on a  range of issues from student loan debt relief for recent graduates, equity in design and practice for emerging professionals, women and minorities, and achieving workplace and career goals. I look forward to the opportunity.

 

I hope that all AIA NJ members will follow EPiC and get more involved in supporting and encouraging Associate AIA NJ members. We offer programs and services all year long. Find out more by following us on social media and checking out our webpage.”

https://epic-aia-nj.weebly.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AIANJEPiC

 

Sincerely,

Megan Pritts, Associate AIA

AIA NJ Regional Associate Director

 

About AIA and AIA New Jersey

 

Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through a dynamic network of more than 250 chapters and more than 90,000 member architects and design professionals, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. The organization’s local chapter, AIA New Jersey, has served as the voice of the architectural profession in the Garden State since 1900. Based in Trenton, AIA New Jersey has 2,000 members in six local sections. For more information, please visit http://www.aia-nj.org.

By Stacey Ruhle Kliesch, AIA, AIA NJ Advocacy Consultant | Posted in AIA-NJ News, Architecture Students, Associates, Emerging Professionals, IDP / ARE, Legislative & Government Affairs, Uncategorized, Women in Architecture, Young Architects Forum | Tagged: #AdaptiveReuse, #AIACentral, #AssociateAIA, #BruceDTurnerAIA, #EPiC, #equity, #GreatEastTsunami, #HUD, #InternArchitectOfTheYear, #Japan, #JZA+D, #LargeStatesConference, #Minorities, #NAC, #NationalAssociatesCommittee, #PerkinsEastman, #RAD, #RegionalAssociateDirector, #ServiceAwards, #SyracuseUniversitySOA, #USHUD, #WIA, #YAF, #YAFNJ, #YoungArchitectsForum, MeganPrittsAssociateAIA, Princeton | Comments (0)