LEADERSHIP FORUM

this year

LET’S GET STARTED

Vision & Value Session

In this industry, designers provide a service, but we are also leaders and public servants.  How do we exemplify and implement positive values within the restrictions and practicalities of our trade?  This inspirational session provides a deep dive into the story of one local practitioner.  Past speakers have included: Ellen Weinstein, AIA; Frank Harmon, AIA; David Hill, FAIA.

Community Planning

Participants meet with Mayors, City Planning Directors, and community activists from Triangle municipalities to hear about the wider goals behind restrictions we design and plan within.  These conversations cover both big-picture goals and specific programs currently being implemented to promote positive growth. Past speakers have included Steve Schewel, former Mayor of Durham, and Patrick Young, Director of City Planning for Raleigh.

Communication

This session is an annual favorite.  It challenges participants to get comfortable presenting information in a variety of formats.  There are both fun challenges and personalized feedback from consultants.

Career Speed Mentoring

A panel discussion on forging careers followed by the opportunity for participants to speak to each panelist about their 5—10 year career development plans.  The session’s panelists are successful leaders from firms of various sizes and specialties from across the Triangle chosen specifically to provide a wide base of industry knowledge.

Collaborators Round Table

The Forum meets with consulting engineers, landscape architects, interior designers, and vendors to forge a wider understanding of all the stakeholders in a project.  The goal is to develop better relationships, get candid feedback, and hear about successful strategies that work well for our collaborations.

 

Retreat

Our annual retreat pulls participants to a city with exciting community development and growth.  This event pairs leadership and development sessions from outside presenters and strategically pairs those sessions with tours of architectural highlights, active construction sites, and local firms.  With great accommodations, good meals, and thought-provoking tours…this is not your typical team-building exercise.

Mid-Career Panel

It’s helpful to get advice from architects and designers at all stages.  This panel discussion focuses on feedback from architects in the midst of rising careers.  Speakers share recent career successes and failures that, hopefully, allow participants to sidestep common career concerns.

 

 

Lunch with the Awards Chair

Each year the Leadership Forum gets first dibs on a lunch meeting with the visiting Jury Chair for the AIA Triangle’s Design Awards.  Past sessions have offered candid conversations with: Peter D. Cook, FAIA; Alex Anmahian, AIA; Julie Snow, FAIA; Marlon Blackwell, AIA; and others.

Networking & Management

When tough situations arise we either respond with knee-jerk reactions or from a foundation built on basic management principles.  Seasoned leaders share stories and hard-won insights you can fall back on.

We answer questions like:

  • How do you build a successful career network in a genuine way? 
  • What basic management tools should we take into our first management experiences?
  • How can we lead laterally (our peers) and avoid antagonistic co-workers?
  • How can we help guide those who are leading us?

 

Ready to take your career to the next level?

Are you an emerging professional with at least 3 years of experience in architecture or a related field? AIA Triangle Leadership Forum is open to non-licensed professionals and professionals who have been licensed for 10 years or less.

2023 Applications will be available the first week of January 2023