December 15th, 2023 was the day when I took on the most monumental role of my career. 366 days ago (because 2024 is a leap year), I embarked upon this unbelievable journey. Today, I return home to re-enter my life post-AIA Presidency. People have asked me repeatedly, “what’s next?”. My reply has simply been to rest and reset after a marathon of a year. I'm going to go back to minding my own business, just like I was when I was first asked to run for AIA President. I am not planning to take on any other major projects or roles at this time. I simply wish to exist and let God’s will be done in my life, as has always been the case.
I am grateful to all of those who have supported me in this AIA endeavor. There are too many individuals to name, but you know who you are and I'm so appreciative. I would not have been able to do this without the support of HOK, one of the greatest architecture firms on the planet. They have had my back since I started in 2008. Thank you, team! The backing of the firm’s leadership allowed me to focus on the many responsibilities that belong to the AIA President. Most notably, I was able to set ambitious goals and pursue them with great focus. As a result, and of course with the help of the larger AIA team, we were able to crush our goal of exceeding 100,000 members to mark the milestone of our 100th President. It was actually 100,362 members, or 1,619 more members than what we had at the end of last year…a new record-high. We set out to do #MoreIn24 and that is what we did. You can read more about how the year turned out in my final column as 2024 AIA President, which is linked below.
My final thanks is to God and my faith community. I would not have had the strength to persevere without divine support. I appreciate all of the prayers that have been lifted on my behalf. They were needed and welcolmed.
That's it. I'm grateful. I've grown a lot. I am looking forward to having some time to reflect on a dynamic year as AIA President.
Happy Holidays!
100 Out 🎤