January 2023 Chapter President’s letter

A personal letter from Angela Mazzi, FAIA, FACHA, EDAC on AIA Cincinnati’s 2023 focus

I am excited and honored to serve as the 2023 President of AIA Cincinnati. It’s going to be a great year to focus on making your AIA membership one of your most valuable resources. You’ll notice streamlining of events and more collaborative experiences. We’ll be providing more opportunities for you to be a part of the action.  Whether that’s building your network, learning a new skill, or getting a leadership opportunity, this component is here for your personal development. Part of how that happens is through your involvement and your feedback. We conduct triennial surveys and learned from the one we did in 2021 that being present in the community as an advocate, as well as raising awareness about the value architects bring is important to you. Last year, we developed a strategic plan and began implementing it. Look for a focus this year on ways to optimize communication and increase engagement and identifying and sharing with the public great places and good design.

Since we hired our new Executive Director Julie Carpenter a few years ago, you may have noticed AIA showing up more in the community. Whether through social media, member profiles, meetings with allied organizations, or outreach/collaborative efforts. I hope you’ve enjoyed the Soapbox Architecture Matters series of articles Julie has written featuring AIA members, the exhibits at various Cincinnati Hamilton County Public Libraries about what architects do, or our relationship with the Cincinnati Museum Center (including the upcoming STEM Girls event where several of our members are volunteering). Ashlee Dingler-Marshall joined us part time last year to help with administrative support so Julie can get out into the community even more. Look for more communications from her as well.

As a member organization, AIA Cincinnati is what you make of it. I hope you will take advantage of the variety of events and opportunities to make a difference in our community. Check out our full committee list. Consider joining one, or going to one of our events. If you have questions or suggestions, please reach out – I want to hear from you and make sure that the things that matter to you as an architect are reflected in our organization.

Angela Mazzi, FAIA, FACHA, EDAC
2023 AIA Cincinnati President