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President's Message

It would be an understatement to say that this will be a challenging year. Our profession is reeling from the effects of the mother of all recessions and recovery promises to be slow and painful. AIA Florida is all too aware of the hardships that many of our members are experiencing and we are committed to implementing strategies that will facilitate revival.

So what are the challenges for our Association? Let’s begin with our advocacy efforts. The state of the economy has our legislature staring at a revenue shortfall that’s been forecast to be almost $3 billion on the high side. The political reality of this scenario is that all efforts will be focused on slashing the budget. Our agenda will concentrate on issues that will affect change in our favor with little to no fiscal impact. Other uncertainties include decreased member dues revenue and cash flow, declining sales in AIA Contract Documents, and the reduction of 33 staff positions at AIA National.

Not exactly a rosy picture but we don’t plan on suffering through the pain. The Board of Directors and staff will continue to implement, with adjustments, the five-year Strategic Plan. At the top of our legislative agenda is the filing and passing of a bill that will mitigate severe liability issues created by recent court rulings. The implications are great for all design professionals around the state and we have collaborated with the engineers and surveyors in this effort. We will also be proactive in promoting projects that are shovel-worthy, more sustainable, and that will have the greatest impact toward reviving the economy.

Our annual meeting and convention, August 19-22 at the Sawgrass Marriot Resort in Ponte Vedra Beach promises to be great and exciting. With a theme of “Back to the Future” we have already enlisted Peter Bohlin, FAIA, winner of the 2009 AIA Gold Medal, to be the keynote speaker. The resort has also agreed to allow us to hold our golf tournament on the famed TPC championship course. Stay tuned for further details.

In closing let me say that the future is bright- it has to be. Florida’s economy must be reinvented in a way that encourages smart growth. The mistakes of the past must be corrected and that means we have the opportunity to transform our communities into more sustainable and livable environments. AIA architects have the necessary vision and skills to lead the way to make this change happen.

Richard J. Logan, AIA
AIA Florida President