Wearing various hats, several from AIA Seattle joined with some 750 elected, volunteer, and staff leaders from around the AIA world in our nation's capitol for AIA Grassroots 2/9-12:

• Steven Arai AIA, AIA Washington Council President-elect
• Jennie Sue Brown FAIA, AIA Risk Management Committee
• Randy Everett AIA, AIA Seattle President-elect
• Ben Gist Assoc AIA, AIA National Associates Committee (NAC)
• Peter David Greaves AIA, AIA Seattle President
• Leslie Moldow AIA, AIA Design for Aging Knowledge Community
• Bill Nichols Assoc AIA, AIA Risk Management Committee
• Marga Rose Hancock Hon AIA, AIA Seattle EVP
• Norman Strong FAIA, AIA NW+Pacific Region Director
• Julian Weber Assoc AIA, Emerging Professional Grant Recipient
• Daniel Williams FAIA, AIA R/UDAT Task Group

Highlights:
* AIA Advocacy on Capitol Hill. Action kicked off with a Wednesday afternoon assembly, eagerly receiving a comprehensive and targeted "how-to" briefing orchestrated by the AIA Government Affairs team. This year's issues took strength from the participation of emerging professionals alongside veterans (as cheered by the influential ArchVoices) and from connection with AIA's carefully-crafted and values-based Public Policies, guiding the selection of key issues:
� Affordable Housing/Community Revitalization/Historic Preservation, with a focus on the Portman-Jefferson Bill
� Energy and the Built Environment: Photovoltaic Energy Commercialization
� Brownfields Redevelopment
� Community Enhancement/Transportation Study
� "Green" Buildings/Sustainable Architecture
� 21st-Century Schools: School Modernization and Healthy Design
� Small Business/Association Health Insurance
� Protect the Brooks Act/Qualification-Based Selection (QBS)
� Broadening the Use of "Cash" Tax Accounting for Architects
� National Affordable Housing Trust Fund

AIA Washington Council Executive Director Stan Bowman facilitated the Washington delegation's meetings with members of the Washington delegation. Julian Weber mentioned his strong positive impression of Steve Arai's commentary on the Portman-Jefferson Bill at Sen. Patty Murray's, Rep. Jim McDermott's, and Rep. Jay Inslee's offices where he related the example of his firm's highly relevant work on historic preservation projects in the home district. On the strength of this and other experiences, Julian made a commitment to help connect national legislators and their staffs to local events - for instance the April What Makes It GREEN? Sustainable Design Conference, the May Historic Resources Forum, the Annual Meeting and other activities and programs that reflect advocacy concerns.

· Introduction of Candidates for AIA national office: Among 10 candidates who offered 2-minute statements, our own Norman Strong FAIA stood out in his clarity and competence, and the commitment to carrying forward AIA's Knowledge Agenda. His colleagues from throughout the Region and the US have come to respect and rely upon his professional dedication, and have expressed their intention to support his candidacy toward the elections at AIA Convention.

� AIA Financial Condition: Thanks in substantial part to the success of the venture to redevelop the AIA contract documents software (such that for the first time revenues from these sales exceeded those from membership dues) and to mobilization of industry partnerships, AIA has met and exceeded economic recovery goals put in place in the difficult times of 2000-2001. This has resulted in the availability of surplus revenues which AIA has invested to sustain successful programs - and made available to state and local components through revenue-sharing programs initiated last year. Leaders mention the possibility of reductions in dues levels in future years (gasp!).

� AIA Big Sibs. The interaction with elected and staff leaders of large urban components always brings illumination and energy to all of us. We continue to share interest in urban issues including an ongoing initiative relating to permitting procedures - and will invite local design professionals and public officials to participate in a survey on the effect of current processes. Watch for more on this soon.

� "One AIA." How can AIA components local-state-regional-national achieve synergies and avoid expensive and confusing redundancy in coordinating design action and delivering information and services? The example of advocacy programs aligned upon a simple set of principles seems to make a strong step in the right direction - suitable for immediate application in Seattle-Washington-NW+Pacific. As Randy Everett noted, "Keep it continuous."

The nation-wide Sesquicentennial celebration in 2007 to honor the 150th anniversary of the establishment of The American Institute of Architects has enormous potential to unify a message of, by, and about architects affecting their communities.

� Promoting Knowledge by Design/NW+Pacific Case Study Conference (8/4-6, Seattle). We appreciated numerous and spontaneous expressions of interest and support from members of various national Knowledge Communities, as well as colleagues from throughout the Region, in the ongoing knowledge quest. We have had a most positive and gratifying response to the Call for Entries for the Knowledge by Design Case Study Prize, and numerous people have let us know they look forward to their time with us in Seattle for the 111th Birthday observation.

� And much more: including new AIA contract documents to support effective design-build relationships; the traditional Octagonal gathering of past and future AIA Seattle Presidents; solid comradeship supplemented by good food and drink; workshops on topics of practical value in meeting the challenges of organization leadership; an introduction to the wealth of human and other resources at the Institute; meeting with colleagues and heroes who have become friends, from near and far; visiting our nation's treasures scattered throughout the city - including the National Museum of the American Indian, the East Wing of the National Gallery, the Corcoran, the Renwick, the Holocaust Museum, the National Archives, and other hallowed halls.

This report only begins to offer a sense of the special enrichment and synergy of AIA Grassroots. Let us hope it has the intended effect of inspiring and coordinating AIA activists, from all backgrounds and locations, and engaging our colleagues to advance the profession, together.