I'm thrilled to report that Walter Netsch is, indeed, an architect. In August 2007, I wrote about the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation's ridiculous efforts to strip Netsch of his license, becuse he failed to complete continuing education requirements. Netch, the designer of postware icons such as the U.S. Air Force Academy, is 88 years old in in poor health. He filed suit, and in early May, Cook County Circuit Judge Kathleen Pantle ruled in his favor. The state regulators did not appeal.
Netsch isn't out of the woods yet. His license goes up for renewal again in November. A spokesperson for the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation told the Chicago Tribune, "We certainly hope Mr. Netsch will be able to complete the continuing education, but since he has not yet applied for renewal, there's nothing we can talk about." A poorly veiled threat? Let's hope the state doesn't make the same mistake twice. Stay tuned.
