Resolve to get involved.
The past few years have provided us with unprecedented challenges: pandemic, economic uncertainty, and personal and professional burnout. Despite these challenges, AIA Baltimore has continued to thrive and evolve, moving to The Center, hiring a new Executive Director, and bringing on new staff. Things have changed a lot in our world and that is something we should celebrate as we welcome the New Year!
With the New Year comes resolutions; goals to make this year a successful year and 2023 is no exception. At our annual meeting in December, we proposed that 2023 shall be the year of “RE.” Refocus. Recruit. Rejuvenate.
As our new staff settles in and our committees return to more in-person activities, we will refocus our efforts to meet the strategic goals we set forth in 2021. To meet our goals, we will recruit new members, more volunteers, and more diverse leadership. In doing so, we will rejuvenate the chapter with a refreshed vision and resolve that will sustain us in the years to come.
I encourage you to make 2023 the year you resolve to get involved! Across AIA Baltimore and BAF, we have many amazing committees that work on a wide variety of initiatives, and they are all looking for new members to help make our vision real! Our committees and events are also great ways to reconnect with people. We have all been in the digital world of the pandemic, having resorted to only interacting with others through small windows on our computer screens. While the virtual aspect is here to stay and will continue to be a part of our lives, recent advancements in medicine and public health have made it possible to be in-person again. Now is the perfect opportunity to break away from your screen, connect with other people, and give back to the community by getting involved in AIA!
Even if you cannot participate in person, there are still plenty of opportunities to engage with AIA Baltimore this year. Each one of our committees works to engage, inspire, transform, and make positive change, as outlined in our mission statement. That means meeting people where they are, whether that is in the city or at home on your couch. Many of our meetings and programs have become a hybrid of in-person and virtual components. There is truly something for everyone!
More information about our committees, including when they meet and contact information, can be found online here.
Please consider signing up for a committee this year and bring a friend! Many hands make light work; the more people we can get involved, the more we can do!
To help foster the development of our committees and programs, we will be issuing surveys throughout the year to gather your input. Please be on the lookout and provide your feedback to help us make 2023 the year we all resolve to be involved!
I look forward to working with all of you this year as your 2023 AIA Baltimore Chapter President.
Happy New Year!
Martina Reilly, AIA LEED AP BD+C
2023 AIA Baltimore President
