AIA New Jersey Women’s Leadership attended the 2023 Summit in Boston

We applauded a future where women are leading the AIA, with 2023-2025 seats at the Presidential table filled by women: 2023 President Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA; 2024 President Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, and 2025 President Evelyon Lee, FAIA.  We are pleased to see a future that includes women, and especially women who are bright, dedicated, strong, kind, uplifting and compassionate.

While we were there celebrating this new future reality, we also realized that our own AIA Central New Jersey Section, also has three consecutive women Presidents in line for the future: 2023 President Elina Shchervinsky, AIA; 2024 President Erin Sharp Newton, M. Arch.; and 2024 President-Elect Nominee Tania Althoff, AIA.

Pictured together at this year’s Summit, these six women leaders look towards the future of our profession with hope for more equitable outcomes and promise for all architectural professionals. We are moving from trying to fit in, to being our best professional selves, and empowering all others to do the same.The Women’s Leadership Summit, founded by AIA, exists to support, and empower women on their leadership journeys and break down the barriers that get in their way. This year’s 2023 AIA Women’s Leadership Summit event brought together the industry’s largest network of diverse women in architecture, design, and the allied building industries: 900 people attended, in support of women who are moving into leadership roles and manifesting the careers they want, and simultaneously making a difference in the world. Attending this event helped us to have some hope that the profession is changing (and it’s about time). 2023 AIA President Emily Grandstaff-Rice, FAIA, began the Summit with a warm welcome to the attendees. There was a full schedule of breakout sessions, workshops, keynotes, and panel discussions with fearless women leaders in the private sector, public service, local government, and AIA leadership. Since the first Summit in 2009 organized by the Boston Society of Architecture, AIA WLS continues to grow and broaden with attendees spanning all backgrounds, career stages, and areas of expertise. The 2024 AIA WLS will be held in Chicago. We hope to see you there!