Being from New Orleans, it's hard for me to not think of events like the Annual Meeting without thinking of celebration. This truly is a time to reflect on how far we've come and how we have worked together to make our Council stronger—and in the process, affirm how essential our role is in protecting the public's health, safety and welfare. So I want to hold a mirror up to all of you, to remind you that without your dedication, this celebration wouldn't be possible.

 

And speaking of dedication, I wouldn't be up here today without the support of your Board of Directors. Thanks to each of you on the Board for allowing me to chair some very productive meetings and have a front row seat at a very exciting time for the Council. I continue to be indebted to my colleagues on the Louisiana Board and my dear board executive, Teeny Simmons. I am especially grateful to the staff at our firm of Blitch Knevel as I've wedged in calls and meetings around the crazy and always growing NCARB calendar. And of course, the NCARB staff has been consistent in its commitment to excellence throughout the year, constantly exceeding expectations!

 

As you all know, the Architect Registration Examination^® (ARE^®) is a 17-year passion of mine. I am thrilled with the opportunities NCARB has given me to ensure the exam remains the standard our Member Boards use to determine qualification for the practice of architecture. Having recognized its current challenges, listened to the experts, and seen the countless hours spent by volunteers and staff, our work has truly been a labor of love. Our ability to evolve the exam is truly something to celebrate. The confluence of the completion of the Practice Analysis of Architecture, our pause of the ARE Desktop project, and the breakthroughs by our ARE Research and Development Subcommittee have placed us on the threshold of a new future for ARE.

 

I’m also a big advocate for big thinking, which we call "blue-sky" thinking. I must thank my predecessor, Scott Veazey, for institutionalizing forward thinking at each of our Board meetings and for bringing many of you into the discussion through our strategic planning efforts. Now I've been given the opportunity by our incoming President Blake Dunn to keep the forward focus going. We are launching a new Licensure Task Force to create a forum for discussion around the future models for education, experience, and examination. Through reaching out to each of our existing committees, engaging with our collaterals, and utilizing resources ranging from the Intern Think Tank to staff-led special project teams, we can position the Council to stay at the forefront of an evolving profession.

 

As we move forward, let's not forget to keep asking, “why?” Asking why forces us to stay current, eliminate waste, and promote efficiency. Asking why also demonstrates a commitment to transparency, making room for new voices and ideas. Why do we have an exam, why do we have internship, and why do we require an accredited degree? These aren't accusations—rather, they are invitations for conversation. These questions invite us to strengthen the value of licensure in an era where some question whether it needs to exist at all.

 

So as we celebrate progress, sacrifice, and success, let's refer to some key accomplishments:

●  Our reputation with our collateral organizations has never been better, thanks to a renewed effort toward building trustworthy relationships.

●  Our customer service reviews are stronger than ever, thanks to a dedicated staff and recent technological improvements.

●  Our ability to respond to challenges, big and small, has become incredibly agile thanks to a more strategic culture that takes advantage of volunteer committees, internal and external expertise, and more sophisticated outreach.

●  Our financial stability is stronger, thanks to more attractive programs, prudent use of revenues, more efficient use of resources, and timely approaches to new opportunities.

 

These achievements did not all start and end in the past year. For several years, we have sustained a commitment to greater transparency, re-engineered business functions, strategic thinking, and improved technical services. But this year in particular has been noteworthy for the high degree of success in so many areas. In fact, our celebration should extend to how we have provided timely information to inform the entire architectural community:

●  We have issued four reports stemming from the Practice Analysis, covering education, internship, examination, and continuing education.

●  We published a white paper for the Accreditation Review Conference, which has turned into the primary catalyst for blue-sky thinking related to the role of education in the future of licensure.

●  At this meeting, we released the second edition of NCARB by the Numbers; the first edition has been widely referenced and has helped demystify several aspects regarding the path to licensure.

●  We have bumped up our presence in social media and sought new audiences for our communications through new outreach to the AIA CACE community.

●  Personal engagement with our Member Boards has resulted in successful amendments to law and regulation and provided a forum to update NCARB skeptics with new, positive information, transforming many critics into supporters.

 

Again, each of you are part of this story and responsible for making this celebration possible. Stay involved, because I hope to see you at many celebrations to come—during this Annual Meeting and into the future.

 

Thank you all!