Mid-Year Message from Executive Director, Melissa K. Neher

To Our Valued 10-County Community,
We are halfway through 2025, a year which is hard to characterize beyond the word we hear everywhere we go—uncertain. When the world is full of uncertainty, local action is most relevant.
The first week of June at AIA ‘25 in Boston, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, ‘Mayor Pete,’ shared a message for the more than 15,000 attendees, and our 100,000+ AIA membership.
“I’m convinced, in our moment, salvation comes from below…and the work of our architects is exquisitely local. Architects are the stewards of those overlapping circles of belonging,” Buttigieg said. “You are, collectively, an incredibly important force at an incredibly delicate time for life in our country…[Your] work can be conducive not just for better energy efficiency or housing affordability, but to better levels of social trust.”
Mayor Pete’s experience as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana inspired this wisdom, where he employed data-driven strategies to boost investment, improve infrastructure, and spark activation of community spaces, with neighborhood-focused programs tackling blight, transit, and sustainability.
Our AIA Seattle member community has always demonstrated strong local engagement, and 2025 is no exception. AIA Seattle’s thriving community of advocate practitioners engaged in a sold-out Housing Forum on June 16, evidence of our chapter’s readiness to push the profession and our policymakers forward to create plentiful housing in livable communities that are accessible to everyone. AIA Board President Evelyn Lee, who just the week prior had interviewed Mayor Pete on the mainstage at AIA ‘25, joined Housing Forum, showcasing AIA Seattle’s local leadership linking to the housing priority of AIA as a national organization.
At the halfway point of 2025, I invite you to consider local action and engagement to counteract uncertainty:
Vote for your local AIA Seattle leadership
Vote for the AIA Seattle Board of Directors to support the selection of incoming leaders who will ensure the implementation of the 2025-2030 strategic plan. Review candidates’ bios here. Vote and you will automatically be entered for a chance to receive a $200 Peter Miller Books gift card! Per AIA bylaws, AIA and AIA Associate members have voting rights for this election. AIA Seattle’s JE:DI Council (Justice and Equity for Diversity & Inclusion) is collecting information to support member needs and progress of the profession through a survey included with your vote. Thank you for supporting JE:DI.
Nominate yourself or a colleague for a steering committee
AIA Seattle steering committees are actively seeking self and peer nominations for dedicated members with diverse perspectives. Review information and make nominations for steering committees seeking new members. Nominate yourself or a capable colleague who is an AIA member, Allied Member, Firm Network Member, or one of our Corporate Allied Partners.
Review the AIA Seattle Annual Meeting recording
Our annual virtual chapter meeting was on Monday, June 23. Review the recording to hear updates on the AIA annual meeting, AIA Seattle’s 2025 strategic plan, the fall 2025 move, and support for your membership benefits. Note: if you are experiencing hardship, AIA Seattle wants to support you to keep your membership current. Complete the confidential Dues Adjustment Request Form to request a dues reduction or waiver in times of hardship. Share the completed form to Camila Nicholas.
Plan to volunteer with or attend Seattle Design Festival
Seattle Design Festival unleashes the design thinker in everyone, and is the largest publicly created Festival which is FREE and accessible to attend! Volunteer during the Festival in August, and review the full calendar of Festival Events and hold the date for a Design Mixer, Block Party, or Closing Party! This year’s theme FEEDBACK encourages curiosity, creativity, and collaboration across different perspectives.
Local engagement is the antidote to uncertainty. Thank you for considering what you can do locally. Thank you for your engagement! – Melissa K. Neher, Executive Director, AIA Seattle + Seattle Design Festival