Dear Friends:
Thanks again to all of you who attended the 2010 AAO/A+DEN Conference earlier this month.
I’m proud to report that we welcomed 157 delegates to this year’s meeting, a record number for us. People came from across the country and as far away as Hong Kong to take advantage of this rare networking opportunity within our industry. It was great to see everyone in the same room, people who clearly hold a common language and shared pursuit. It helped me in my first year as Executive Director to truly understand the power of this annual event.
As John Cary reminded us in his opening keynote address, our organizations ought to be vocal, knowledgeable, and useful leaders in the work to preserve and beautify a world whose resources are in jeopardy. The Shrinking Cities panel challenged us all with overt appeals for heightened public education and the development of new language to spur communal action. This theme of leadership ran through the conference, and you couldn’t help but see the exciting opportunities for our emerging field.
I mention this not because it is a new thought, but because it demands greater organization and action on our part. Be it on local, national, or international levels, we all have a role to play. And together, working as a strong network, we can be a real force for change.
We want to keep the conversation going. And, to that end, we’ll be unveiling a few additional AAO Networks in the coming weeks, including, at long last, a listserv for design educators. Other service refinements and new offerings will be developed in the upcoming year. We’ll keep you posted. Also, please know that we will be creating volunteer opportunities for our members, giving you even more ways to get personally involved in those parts of AAO and A+DEN which most appeal to you.
If you have any suggestions or questions, please write us at aao@architecture.org or give us a call at 312.922.3432 x260.
Sincerely,
Michael Wood
Executive Director