It’s that time of year again to make New Year’s resolutions. While many of us will focus on ways to improve our health and well being, it is also a good time for us to focus on our profession. With the start of the new year, we also begin a new election cycle that should prove to be both interesting and contentious as members of both the Ohio Assembly and Congress position themselves for re-election over the next two years. Coupled with the ever changing dynamics within various agencies and boards, it can be said that advocacy is never boring.
Whether your concern is preservation or project delivery methods, advocacy plays a roll. The AIA, through state and national efforts, addresses issues that play an important role in our industry. As the AIA implements it’s “Year of the Advocate”, we ask members to consider contributing to the AIA Ohio PAC and ArchiPAC so that we might continue our efforts to create connections and establish relationships with our senators and representatives. To make a contribution, please click on the contribute button above, or visit the AIA Ohio weblink. To contribute the the national ArchiPAC, visit our webpage at www.archipac.org.
In 2014, ArchiPAC, the AIA national PAC, raised $283,625.70 which represented approximately 71% of our goal. In this effort, contributions were made by approximatley 2% of the national membership, with a mean contribution of just under $175 per member. The median contribution was actually significantly less. With the money raised, the AIA supported 71 House and Senate candidates with $186,000 in contributions. Although we were short of our fundraising goal, 90% of the candidates ArchiPAC supported were elected to Congress. With many of the AIA champions returning to Congress in 2015, we hope to have a positive impact on the architectural profession and built environment this year.