by: Rick Bell FAIA Executive Director AIA New York
The Council of Architectural Component Executives (CACE) – AIA National’s staff association – had its annual meeting the weekend of 08.04.13 in Atlanta. Mickey Jacob, FAIA, 2013 AIA President and Robert Ivy, FAIA, AIA National EVP/CEO, were there to discuss the Institute’s Repositioning initiative and to announce eight innovation grants to Chapters including Seattle and Chicago.
“Fund-to-Fit” grants, intended to support the installation of AIANY’s “FitCity” exhibition at five smaller Chapters, were awarded to AIA Birmingham, AIA Columbus, AIA Eastern Oklahoma, AIA North Dakota, and AIA Phoenix. The announcement’s location was appropriate considering one of the 33 projects in this exhibition, now on view at the Center for Architecture, is Atlanta’s partially-opened BeltLine. When complete, this radial park will link some 35 neighborhoods as it defines a green perimeter of the city.
Newly elected CACE Executive Committee members include 2015 President Torrey Stanley Carlton, Hon. AIA, from AIA San Antonio, and Directors Adrienne Montare, AIA, of AIA South Carolina, and Zurich Esposito of AIA Chicago.
A presidential citation was given to Valerie Brown, Executive Director of AIA Westchester-Hudson Valley, and the component executive of the year accolade went to Michael Waldinger, Hon. AIA, of AIA Illinois. Hanley-Wood grants went to AIA Baltimore and AIA Birmingham. Major sponsorship of the conference was provided by Reed Construction Data, ably represented by Laura Marlow, and by Ann Casso of AIA Trust.
For the first time in memory, the CACE meeting was held concurrently with the annual convocation of the American Society of Association Executives, which brings together association executives from different disciplines. AIA National made it possible for many to attend the superb programs and events organized by this large national umbrella. At ASAE, a “Certified Association Executive” distinction was achieved by AIANYS Executive Director Georgi Ann Bailey.
The historic architecture of Atlanta, from the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in the Fourth Ward, to Marcel Breuer’s Atlanta Public Library, were visited by many of those attending.