2023-27 Strategic Planning Priorities

Responses are due by Monday, Sept. 28

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Q1. Top Priorities and Goals: Rank your TOP FIVE priorities and goals AIA NoVA should focus on over the next five years. (Number 1 indicates top choice)

	◢ Provide and expand opportunities for people to connect and engage with each other and chapter
	◢ Influence the future of practice
	◢ Strengthen marketing and outreach efforts
	◢ Provide top quality education programming that is focused on topics members can’t find elsewhere
	◢ Increase Non-Dues Revenue
	◢ Create and strengthen connection with local communities
	◢ Create and strengthen connections to schools and firms
	◢ Build relationships with allied organizations
	◢ Define and promote chapter identity
	◢ Build and maintain high-quality, competitive office culture and staff team
	◢ Strengthen the value of membership messaging and communications
	◢ Leverage not having a physical location to increase digital content and expand reach
	◢ Strengthen relationship and collaboration efforts with AIA VA to enhance and improve overall member value and experience

Q2. Fundamentals: Rank your TOP FIVE fundamental services/initiatives/projects AIA NoVA should focus on over the next 5 years. (Number 1 indicates top choice)

	◢ Reaction to virtual vs physical space: Part-time space, Look into pop up locations (wework)
	◢ New Website
	◢ Making investments in long-term
	◢ Approach our budget process different rather than legacy - build from scratch rather than use old buckets
	◢ Staff Structure, ability to support current goals/initiatives
	◢ New membership/YAs - develop pipeline, give resources needed
	◢ More experienced members - increase value prop and articulate it to them
	◢ Identify membership groups to serve based on where they are in their careers and identify benefits/services they need and will see value in
	◢ Use audience needs to evaluate if we create/continue/stop programs and events
	◢ Culture keeps people/staff/members around and involved - create a sense of belonging
	◢ Ask members what they need year round “tell us what we can do for you?”
	◢ New member and current member outreach
	◢ Engaging with allied professionals, ensuring we have a presence in the communities we serve
	◢ Outreach with public demonstrating value of architects and design
	◢ Creating unique connections among allied professionals for members that others want to be part of
	◢ Be the organization that the cities/counties/local gov’t officials go to first for input, architect representative
	◢ Learn from WIA and YAF success
	◢ Create centers within region to overcome geographic challenges
	◢ Develop criteria for holding events, determine fees, define successful event types
	◢ Firm of the Year (recognize good workplaces, JEDI initiatives, could conflict with AIA VA/needs to be VERY different), new Fellows, recently licensed architects
	◢ What value are we providing, keep in mind when evaluating existing and new program/events/services
	◢ Firm Open Houses/Firm Crawls
	◢ Rotate Board Meeting along with concurrent Firm Open House/Tour with expanded areas of interest to attract broader audience (members and non-members)
	◢ Spotlighting a topic that has wide interest to attract new and existing audience (with contractors, developers, govt officials, etc.)

Q3. New Benefits: Rank your TOP TWO new benefits to AIA NoVA should provide. (Number 1 indicates top choice)

	◢ smaller connection opportunities. directly connect people who live and work near each other.
	◢ influence the future of practice - through integrating hybrid work, advocating for working parents and women in the profession, correct the culture of overwork
	◢ More programming to engage with public, build awareness of profession, and network with allied professionals.
	◢ Invite guest speakers to give presentations about projects and design. not enough focusing on design - include famous architects or professors, to inspire architects, attract yps and students.
	◢ more networking events with organizations such as NAIOP or other organizations where architects can mix with other industry professionals other than architects.
	◢ more meetings/ webinars/seminars with local code officials & various planning boards to demystify the process, build a better understanding btn the design community & regulatory agencies.
	◢ Themed get together. (bowling, sports, etc.) There should be a reason in addition to networking.
	◢ ask our members what collective benefits would be of use to them, and exploring new ways to serve our professionals (albeit with as minimal maintenance as possible).
	◢ look for ways to unite our members for more common-good efforts, whether through partnerships, service days, or pro bono connections.
	◢ Facilitate connections to other local organizations where architects are needed as "citizen architects". These could be orgs looking for architects as SMEs on boards, programming, etc.
	◢ A bigger mentoring program
	◢ create a legal architectural co-operative that is an extension of the Association, or some such group, so that small firms can buy in and group together for things like health insurance, or legal services?

Q4. Please provide any other comments or concerns regarding AIA Northern Virginia and/or the 2023-2025 Strategic Plan. *