Members of all seven components of AIA Ohio attended the AIA National Grassroots program in Washington D.C. this past March 4-6. The programs focus is on leadership and member advocacy. This years event kicked off the Year of the Advocate, a program being run by the AIA Government Relations team that focuses member efforts on understanding advocacy activities and ArchiPAC.
A key part of the program is the scheduled Capitol Hill visits to local Senators and Members of Congress. An unfortunate snow storm canceled many Hill viists this year, although some members were able to meet with their House or Senate member during other times throughout the event. The Advocacy team had four key asks for Congress this year. They include Historic Tax Credits, 2030 energy standards, the Safe Building Code Incentive Act, and the National Design Service Act. In 2016, Grassroots will change to a leadership program, with the event scheduled for late February in Detroit, Michigan. The Advocacy program will take place in Washington D.C. in July.