AIA Grand Valley

Questions, call or e-mail Deborah Dik at 616-340-6200 or deborahdik@yahoo.com

Current Newsletter

I Enjoyed

Every Minute of it,

Almost…

My term as president of AIA Grand Valley is, unfortunately, at its end. I want to thank all of you, our members, for giving me the opportunity to serve you and our profession.

This past year was successful due to an incredible board that worked very hard to make our chapter the best it can be, and they succeeded. We still have more that we want to accomplish, and it will happen. It is our hope, as we continue to put on functions and social events, that you, our members, will start attending in greater numbers and also provide us with feedback. Just about everything we do is for you, the members, so do not be afraid to give suggestions. We promise that we will not ”force“ you to join the board.

First, I would like to thank Deb Dik, our chapter’s administrative assistant for taking the job. She has quickly become the lifeblood of the chapter and makes all of our lives easier. Without her tireless help, we would not have accomplished all that we have.

The board was lucky to have two ”young“ members this year, and they helped execute several new ideas that are successful. Brian Swem, associates director, is the main force behind Nosh Night, Chalk the Walk, and building tours. In addition to these, Brian helped out on many other events and represented our chapter at a multitude of functions. Thank you, Brian, for your energy, ideas, and enthusiasm for our profession. The other ”young“ member, Matt Slagle, membership director, thought up and organized the very popular designThunk lunch series that spotlights West Michigan architects and architecture. A big thank you to you, Matt.

Gary Gerber, continuing education director, made sure that our members would not have any excuses for not being able to earn our required CEU credits. Every month he organized and hosted our chapter’s lunch and learns, and he would also get many of our lectures accredited so that attendees could earn credits for them. This is a very valuable service, and thank you, Gary, for all of your hard work.

I would also like to thank both of our Michigan directors, Wayne and Bob, for bringing our voice to the state board. Thanks to their efforts, state dues were lowered for all of us.

I want to thank Mark Miller, past president, for the great honors awards program and his efforts in helping to organize Canstruction. In addition to that, he was an amazing resource for me and great voice of knowledge and reason. My posting as president would have been impossible without his guidance.

Glenn Rahn, the new president, was the perfect vice president. He was always there with advice, he was an immense help, he was a great companion at retreats and conferences, and his passion for advocacy served our chapter well. I was lucky to have had him as my right hand. Thank you, Glenn.

Many boards tend to have that one person that you immediately have a great respect for and find yourself turning to them constantly for advice. My wise sage was Neale Bauman, our treasurer. Neale, I cannot thank you enough for being my confidant, my main man. Oh wise one, I will not stop turning to you for words of wisdom as I continue on my journey in this profession. I thank you for all of the times that your words helped with the many issues that our board had to confront.

Lastly, I wish to thank Bill Roy, secretary, and Jason Carpenter, affiliates director, for their ideas and advice, and also Jason for the great golf outing.

Also a big thank you to Jeff Vanden Bosch, PR director and webmaster, for all of his help on the website.

The hardest part of being president was the many layoffs that happened in our profession. My heart goes out to all of you who were unfortunate to have been a recipient of a layoff. I am hopeful for 2010 in West Michigan, and I truly hope that every one of you finds employment.

Greg Metz, AIA

2009 AIA Grand Valley President

Sponsors

Platinum Level AIAGV Chapter Sponsor

http://www.beldenbrick.com

To build a successful family-owned business takes commitment, knowledge, hard work, sacrifice and determination. To build a business that spans over one hundred years of growth and development requires more than a firm family commitment. It takes the skill, knowledge, dedication and hard work of countless others who, together, create a reputation for excellence that is reinforced every day at The Belden Brick Company.

Platinum Level AIAGV Chapter Sponsor

www.grandrapids.pella.com

Pella Commercial Division by Horne

2120 Oak Industrial Drive, NE

Grand Rapids, MI 49505

800-235-3600

Silver Level AIAGV Chapter Sponsor

www.veenstra.com

Address: 850 Grandville Ave. SW Grand Rapids MI 49503

Phone: (800) 542-4789

E-mail: mob@veenstra.com

Event Sponsors

Golf Outing Sponsor

www.acousticsbydesign.com

Golf Outing Sponsor

www.huntington.com

Golf Outing Sponsor

www.centria.com

Honor Award Event Sponsor

www.professionalunderwriters.com

Professional Underwriters, Inc., is not just a name, it is who we are. We are an insurance agent whose sole focus is providing quality and cost-effective insurance services for design professionals. For over 35 years, we have focused our efforts on providing customized insurance solutions to our clients. Based upon our unique understanding of the risks inherent to the business of design professionals, we work with our clients to provide individualized services to meet their specific needs.

We and our affiliated agencies are recognized within the industry as a leader in providing insurance products and bonds for architects and engineers. Nationally, we provide insurance coverage for over 1,500 design firms. Professional Underwriters, Inc., was one of the first agencies to identify the need to provide risk management and loss prevention services to our clients. For 15 years we have sponsored annual seminars for architects and engineers on risk management and emerging issues for design professionals.