AIA 2004 President-elect Douglas L. Steidl FAIA joined the AIA Seattle crowd in celebration of the sunny summer solstice season - and of special achievements in mentoring and community-building. His presence helped cap off the drive by the AIA Seattle Diversity Roundtable to endow a second scholarship program to benefit students from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds as the University of Washington College of Architecture and Urban Planning. The AIA Seattle Fund for Diversity perpetuates the annual program of student support, first given in 1988 and each year since under the Roundtable's stewardship.

At the Honors Gala: Norman Strong FAIA, Jon Rustad, Judith Runstad, Tomio Moriguchi, John Nesholm FAIA

On Friday afternoon June 25, Doug and Sue Steidl joined Summer Solstice Sequence celebrants at the downtown Seattle offices of Streeter and Associates in honoring AIA Emerging Professionals Mentorship Award recipient Grace Kim AIA, Denice Hunt K-12 Intern Yamani Hernandez, and Mel Streeter AIA, recipient of the AIA Seattle 2004 Community Service Award. Diversity Roundtable Chair Clarence Kwan AIA joined AIA Seattle President Kristen M. Scott AIA in welcoming the distinguished visitors and congratulating the honorees. Yamani Hernandez, a graduate student in the University of Washington Department of Architecture, made a compelling presentation of her project, "In A Girl's World, " engaging middle school girls in design studies as a way of understanding and affecting their communities. Ms. Hernandez completed this work under the direction of UW Professor of Architecture Dr. Sharon E. Sutton FAIA (cited below). As the 2004 Denice Hunt Intern, Ms. Hernandez received assistance for her project from the fund endowed by the family and friends of the late Denice Hunt AIA, who as AIA Seattle President in 1995-96 became the first woman of African American heritage to serve as President of an AIA component.

At the Gala: Doug Steidl at the podium

In his remarks, Doug Steidl offered commendation and encouragement to AIA Seattle for the ongoing effort to encourage diversity. "Diversity within the practice of architecture is critical to our long-term relevance. And with the only way to access this profession being through accredited schools, scholarship programs for diversity are absolutely critical to our future. Please keep up the good work."

In addition to the Friday evening event, the AIA Seattle Diversity Roundtable's 7th annual Summer Solstice Sequence also included a June 'teenth celebration on Thursday evening June 24 at the recently-opened offices of DKA in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood, where Donald I. King FAIA and colleagues welcomed guests to the new home of one of Seattle's largest minority-owned design practices. A Friday luncheon featured the insightful remarks of Dr. Sharon E. Sutton FAIA, in the AIA Seattle Fellows Series. Her presentation included observations from her current work in progress, "The Power of the Other: Toward an Architecture of Community."

The festivities continued on a more formal note at the Honors Gala on Saturday evening June 26, when Doug and Sue Steidl joined some 150 home-town celebrants to "bring home the Medals" bestowed on five AIA Seattle nominees elevated to the AIA College of Fellows this year: Karen Braitmayer FAIA, Bill Karst FAIA, Tom Kundig FAIA, Sheri Olson FAIA, and Norman Strong FAIA, welcomed by AIA Seattle Fellows/Honors Council President Don Carlson FAIA.

AIA Seattle 2004 Honors presented by Honors Nominating Committee Chair Johnpaul Jones FAIA included a Special Citation to the University of Washington Architecture-Urban Planning Library, accepted by AIA Seattle Honorary Member Betty Wagner who retired earlier this month after more than 53 years of service as the Librarian, and the 2004 Allied Organization Award to the Cascadia Chapter U.S. Green Building Council, accepted by President/CEO Glen Gilbert and Board Chair Paul Anseeuw. Attendees welcomed new AIA Seattle Honorary Members Debbi & Paul Brainerd, Robert E. Filley (posthumous), Tomio Moriguchi, and Jon & Judith Runstad; and applauded 2004 Community Service Award recipient Mel Streeter AIA.

This year's highest local honor, the AIA Seattle Medal, recognizes the lifetime achievement of John F. Nesholm FAIA, welcoming him into the distinguished company of other AIA Seattle Medallists, including these on hand for the occasion: Norman J. Johnston FAIA (1990), Wendell Lovett FAIA (1993), Phillip L. Jacobson FAIA (1994), L. Jane Hastings FAIA (1995), William J. Bain Jr. FAIA (1997), Lee G. Copeland FAIA (2000), and Thomas L. Bosworth FAIA (2003). Review John Nesholm's remarks on receiving the AIA Seattle Medal 6/26/04.

The evening closed with the joyous singing of "Happy Birthday" to esteemed colleague Bill Bain, and champagne toasts, at the Grand Hyatt Seattle.

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Note: Founding members of the AIA Seattle Diversity Roundtable include David Fukui AIA, the late Denice Hunt AIA, Johnpaul Jones FAIA, the late Tom Kubota AIA, Marga Rose Hancock Hon. AIA, and Mel Streeter AIA.