AIA New Jersey’s First Equity Lecture Draws A Crowd

April 27, 2019

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AIA New Jersey’s First Equity Lecture Draws a Crowd

This week, nearly thirty architects and allied professionals from across the state gathered at the Paramus Porcelanosa showroom in the Architects League Section for the first in a series of lectures on the new AIA Guides to Equitable Practice. The lecture series is designed to coach individuals, principals, project managers and firms on increasing awareness and managing responses when faced with diversity to support the larger goal of evolving towards a more equitable profession. Each session covers one of nine areas of Professional Practice, featuring best practices, research and other tools to address a variety of employment and personnel issues related to equity, diversity and inclusion.   

 

 

This first program covered the Equity Guide to Intercultural Competence, presented by AIA NJ Equity Chair, Stacey Kliesch, AIA and featured a special report on 2020 Women On Boards shared by Suzanne DiGeronimo, FAIA. The presentation included facts and data as well as stories of personal experience and hypothetical role-playing. New legislation in California requiring greater diversity on corporate boards may be coming to New Jersey, so there was quite a bit of discussion surrounding the possible implications and opportunities. Audience members were also invited to share their experiences serving on boards and how it enriched their lives. 

AIA NJ President Judy Donnelly said, “Midway when we were really getting into it, I wanted to CLAP because what was being said was so powerful and important.”

The presentation on the Equity Guide to Intercultural Competence drew varied feedback from the audience as some were considering the information from the perspective of the discriminated and others from the perspective of the manager. But the resounding message from presenters and audience contributors alike was to the great value that architects bring to listening, observing and creating solutions that bring people together. Another common theme was the opportunity that AIA provides to allow architect groups of any description to support and lift up one another. 

Donna Levy and Donna Mikitan of Porcelanosa could not have been more generous and gracious, as always, providing everything needed to hold the event, including a wonderfully abundant buffet!

Special thanks to Ralph Rosenberg, AIA and Lauren Harris, Associate AIA, for their assistance in facilitating the marketing and arrangements for the evening.

 

 

To read or download the AIA Guides for Equitable Practice, click here

To save the dates for the next five Equity Lectures in 2019, check this article…

 

AIA New Jersey Guides to Equitable Practice Lecture Series

 

 

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