January 18, 2023

Opening Address From AIA New Jersey 2023 President Ronald C. Weston, AIA

I am honored to take the helm of AIA New Jersey as 2023 President in service to our profession. Before I outline some of my thoughts for the year ahead, I want to first thank our immediate Past-President, John A. Cwikla, AIA, for his steady leadership of the Chapter during 2022.

AIA NJ architects and designers share a common interest in using our creativity, skill, and knowledge to improve the built environment in the communities where we live and practice. Passionate as we are about what we do, I find that we tend to spend a disproportionate amount of time communicating internally with our community of peers. One of my overarching goals for this coming year is to have AIA NJ focus more on reaching outside of our professional network to better inform and educate the public about the impact and reach of our work.

In addition to continuing to support our members through the many valuable programs and core services that we offer, I look forward to working with our board and committees to step up our communications and engagement with external stakeholders. Our profession can only thrive if government officials, industry leaders, students, and the public writ large understand and appreciate the value that good architecture and design adds to their lives.

Some specific focus areas and initiatives that I plan to give voice to during my year as Chapter president include the following.

• On the heels of the introduction of a recent design-restrictive SDA Model School bill by the NJ Assembly (A4496), AIA NJ Legislative & Government Affairs and Public Awareness committees have been thrust into action recently. We are launching a School Design Task Force to promote the value of architects and architecture in the K-12 school sector.
• Climate Actionis clearly a top focus of AIA National, and together with our AIA NJ COTE committee I intend to continue to highlight the importance of Sustainable and Resilient Design here in New Jersey.
• Investment in infrastructure is at the top of the American agenda, and major new legislation and funding are coming out of Washington, DC to communities across the Nation. Closer to home, AIA NJ needs to champion Buildings as Infrastructure and develop messaging to promote the role of architecture and building design excellence in the public realm.
• Under the leadership of First Vice President, Andrew Thompson, AIA, our Chapter aims to re-launch the Mayors Symposium program in 2023. This initiative can showcase how we “Citizen Architects” can help envision and lead positive Community Design

Please check your email and social media posts throughout the year for announcements and information about AIA NJ happenings. If there is a topic that is important to you regarding our profession and architecture in New Jersey, or if you want to get more involved, please reach out to me or any of our Chapter leaders.

On behalf of the AIA NJ Executive Committee and Board of Trustees, I wish you a healthy and prosperous year!

Ronald C. Weston, AIA, LEED AP, PP

By Stacey Ruhle Kliesch, AIA, AIA NJ Advocacy Consultant | Posted in AIA-NJ News, Uncategorized | Tagged: #2023, #AIA, #AIANJ, #architects, #Architecture, #CommnuityDesign, #Communications, #NJArchitecture, #Presidentsmessage, #PublicOutreach, #ResilientDesign, #SchoolDesign, #SustainableDesign | Comments (0)