President's Message January 2012

As 2012 begins, I am privileged to step into the presidency of the AIA Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter. Having worked my way to this position for the past few years, I now appreciate all the hard work and dedication of my predecessors. The chapter’s past presidents and board members have laid a foundation for success. To all of them, thank you.

The upcoming year promises to be filled with uncertainty, similar to years past; however, this year’s scheduled events will be educational, inspirational, and will allow you to connect with aspiring professionals and fellow colleagues. This year, AIA Eastern Pennsylvania will continue to reach out to other organizations to provide our members the ability to connect with professionals from other disciplines. We will have joint events with CSI Allentown, the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, the Berks Lancaster Green Building Council, and the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers. I encourage you all to join us for a wonderful schedule of events.

Since the 2012 National Convention will be in Washington, D.C., I hope you will be able to attend this momentous event. This year’s theme is Design Connects, which “celebrates the uniqueness of design as the synthesis of theory and practice, the relationship of the built and natural environments, and the aspiration of architecture to serve the broader goals of humanity.” For those who have traveled to D.C. before, the convention promises to provide many educational exclusive tours, many which are not offered to the public.

Lastly, I encourage all of you to become involved with your Chapter. We cannot succeed without your input and participation.

To those of you I have met, I look forward to seeing you this year. To those I have yet to meet, I look forward to meeting, and learning from you. I look forward to working with all of you to serve our members, our profession, and the greater community.

Ryan P. Kennedy, AIA
2012 AIA Eastern Pennsylvania President