Delegates at the American Institute of Architects Convention 2014 voted to change the governing structure of the Institute. The number of members on the national board will be significantly reduced, while a new body—the Strategic Council—will be added.
The current board structure includes a president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer, four vice presidents, regional directors, two associate members, and the AIA's executive vice president and chief executive officer (EVP/CEO), a non-voting member. It also includes Council of Architectural Component Executives (CACE), student and public representatives, and an international director. This structure includes more than 50 members.
This new board structure will top out at 16 members. It includes four elected officers: the AIA president, first vice-president/president-elect, secretary, and treasurer. (The AIA announced these new members Saturday.) The board will also include between six to eight at-large directors—three elected by convention delegates and three by the newly formed Strategic Council. The president can also choose as many as two additional at-large directors that would need to be approved by the board.
Additionally, the national board will include an associate director, a CACE director, and a student director. The AIA's EVP/CEO will also sit on the board as a non-voting member.
Current positions will be phased out at the conclusion of the member's terms.
The new Strategic Council will advise the board on topics such as public policy, goals, operation plans, and budgets. The council includes the four current elected members of the board, the immediate past president, and the EVP/CEO (non-voting), as well as international region, associate, student, and CACE representatives. It will also include 35 regional representatives and 10 at-large representatives. This council is not to exceed 60 members.
"[The Strategic Council] will look forward to investigate emerging issues in business, practice, and design that our members will be asking about in the months and years ahead," said EVP/CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA, in an AIA press release. "Cooperatively with the Board of Directors, it will promote a relevant strategic plan for our present and future needs."
