A message from the 2023 AIASMC Board President, Hiromi Ogawa, AIA
Happy New Year! I hope 2023 is off to a great start for you.
Despite continuing challenges we faced with COVID-19 and related ripple effects, 2022 was a banner year for our chapter. Some of our triumphs included:
- Huge community support in the form of numerous new and renewing chapter and event sponsors
- Our largest membership to date
- A very successful Summer Social and Design Awards ceremony
In addition, we are proud to have updated our chapter’s mission statement, to better reflect the goals of our chapter and membership. I’d like to share it with you below:
AIA San Mateo County advocates for the profession, partners with our
local communities to improve the quality and sustainability of the built
environment, and enriches its members through the sharing of
knowledge and experience.
We will continue to build on this mission statement in the coming year, by developing the vision statement and strategic plan. Stay tuned!
As we rejoice in our return to “normalcy”, we still have much work to do. Our chapter strives to continue our deep dive into climate change, housing needs, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion topics so that we can continue to be an advocate, not only for our profession, but for our clients, collaborators, and our community as a whole. We hope that, through our programs, scholarships, and outreach, we can support you in meaningful ways that help equip you to make the world a better place.
Another one of our goals this year is to increase in-person programs and to create more opportunities for members and collaborators to connect. We wouldn’t be where we are without our support network, and we look forward to seeing many of you at a future event. That said, it is also worth noting that all of us are now well-equipped to do valuable work remotely, and to that end, our chapter will continue to offer events via Zoom (as well as recordings of past events through our website) so that you can attend from almost anywhere in the world.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the San Mateo County chapter of the AIA. This is a huge milestone for us, and one that warrants year-long celebration and reflection. Please stay tuned by reading our newsletters, and following us on Instagram and Facebook to get the latest news and event registration details.
We look forward to seeing many of you at our first chapter event on Wednesday 1/25/23. This will be a new-and-old member social gathering held at our fellow board member John Stewart’s lovely home. In addition, committee chairs will be sharing their goals for the year, and will be available to answer any questions you might have. We encourage you to join one or more committees, as they are a great way to be with like-minded colleagues, make new friends, and be part of the change you want to see. Don’t forget to register.
A big, heartfelt thank you to our chapter and event sponsors – we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without your generous support. We look forward to continuing our partnership with you for many years to come.
And thank you to our members – you are what motivates us, as a board, to do our best.
Please feel free to reach out any time – we would love to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Hiromi Ogawa, AIA
2023 AIASMC Board President