Varying in shape, size, reach, and impact, industry organizations offer a vital path for becoming engaged at a local to national level. AIA, for example, “is a group of professionals who are banding together to be of service to society but also to protect the profession, our craft, and its interests,” says Kevin Holland, FAIA, NOMAC, a 16-year member of the national association who was recently elected to its board of directors.
The size and stature of national organizations initially might seem overwhelming to those interested in serving. A nudge from a peer can help. “I served because someone asked me,” says Holland, who is also the managing principal of Los Angeles–based K. Michael Architects and a past president of the National Organization of Minority Architects.
Holland’s sentiment is echoed by Angella Dariah, NOMA, vice president of NOMAPGH, the Pittsburgh chapter of NOMA. On her first day in the local office of AE Works, another NOMAPGH member drew her into membership. Dariah, who had served as the student representative for the NOMA Students chapter at Hampton University, sees the organization as a place to build camaraderie, friendship, and confidence. “As young professionals, we don’t always get to see [our designs] get built and change the world,” she says. By volunteering for NOMA’s Project Pipeline, which teaches middle and high school students about architecture through camps and workshops, she feels “a sense of fulfillment.”
Opportunities to mentor can spark inspiration at any career stage. “Even when a student thinks they know what an architect does, they usually don’t,” says Diana Eidenshink, president of ACE Mentor Program of America, a free, after-school initiative designed to attract underserved high school students to careers in architecture, construction, and engineering through mentorships and hands-on leadership training. “Most of our mentors are emerging professionals,” she says. “Skills to be a good leader are the same skills needed to be a good mentor. Mentoring students is the perfect training ground for future leadership.”
Local organizations also allow professionals to target their expertise toward advocacy and apply their skills in new ways. “Working with different communities allows me to shine a spotlight on what’s important to them and to help protect, preserve, and elevate the narrative of communities that aren’t able to do it themselves,” says Preservation Pittsburgh president Matthew Falcone.
Matt Galluzzo, president and chief executive officer of Riverlife, a community organization that is reimagining Pittsburgh’s waterfronts, became interested in addressing systemic challenges that neighborhood-level organizations face when trying to effect changes regarding land use and infrastructure. “We have architects as part of the design review committee and board of directors,” he says. “Anytime you’re working in space and place, having an architectural lens is critical.”
Though my professional work takes me across the country, my involvement in community organizations keeps me connected to my current hometown of Pittsburgh. My seat on the board of Preservation Pittsburgh immerses me in the city’s architectural history. As one of the design review committee members of Riverlife, I have an impact in my neighborhood, located a block from the Allegheny River. Through AIA Pittsburgh’s Leadership Institute for Emerging Professionals, I connect with designers throughout the region. And by volunteering with NOMAPGH and Project Pipeline, I help students discover the world of design.
Regardless of whether you become involved in organizations to make connections, inspire the next generation of architects, or leverage your skills to benefit communities, service can provide grounding in your professional and personal aspirations.
