Lakisha Woods, CAE has been named as the 15th Executive Vice President/Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute of Architects.
Woods is currently the President and CEO of the National Institute of Building Sciences as well as the Secretary and Treasurer of the U.S. Green Building Council. She previously served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of the National Institute of Home Builders and has spent the entirety of her professional career in the D.C. metro area.
The University of Maryland alumna has had a successful career, rising from her beginnings in Fairbanks, Alaska to become a leader in the CRE industry.
"I am excited, from day one, to build on AIA’s strong foundation of achievements and to expand its leadership role in the industry and society,” Woods said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the AIA team, volunteer leaders, and most of all, AIA’s passionate and engaged members to take full advantage of this dynamic moment in history to secure a future for the association that is as diverse as our society, as inclusive as everyone deserves, and as sustainable as the next generation demands.”
In her new role, Woods, who is also the incoming Chair of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), will manage the AIA’s D.C. office in addition to implementing her expertise in the CRE industry by serving on the organization’s independent Construction Document business.
Woods replaces Robert Ivy, who is retiring in December. She will officially step into the role on January 31st, 2022.
“Her breadth of experience in the building industry combined with her leadership in making the built environment more sustainable, equitable, and safer for Americans makes her a natural fit for advancing AIA’s strategic priorities,” AIA president Peter Exley said. “I look forward to seeing her further empower architects to improve society and transform the built environment as well as inspire the next generation.”
Woohoo! This is excellent news. You guys: the AIA *can* be a voice (albeit a small one, in the realm of DC) for a built environment that works for all people. ALL people.
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“Her breadth of experience in the building industry combined with her leadership in making the built environment more sustainable, equitable, and safer for Americans makes her a natural fit for advancing AIA’s strategic priorities,” AIA president Peter Exley said. “I look forward to seeing her further empower architects to improve society and transform the built environment as well as inspire the next generation.”
Clown.
How about instead of worrying about "checking boxes" in employee manuals, you start by doing your own work to empower the profession?
Huh? Fun Architect.
In case it's not clear, my comments, are related to the AIA President, Peter Exley. It should be pretty clear, that a cis-gendered, white male, notable for his previous comments around DEI, as a perfunctory "checking of boxes" in employee manual, needs to be doing more of the heavy lifting around racism, and the inequities inside a profession dominated by white men. To "pass on" this mantle of responsibility to a Black woman, is by any reasonable estimation, filled with racist, misogynistic, and patriarchal.
Huh? I don’t get it.
Beta - It seems counterproductive to focus the conversation on Exley, no? I'd rather just celebrate Woods' elevation to this leadership position and the step forward it represents for the AIA.
I'm also not convinced that Exley is problematic beyond his single remark which you continually reference, but perhaps there is more to it. Whether prejudiced or just awkward, I'd rather not have someone with limited built work and experience as president of AIA.
So, here's a story that's instructive about my problems with the AIA, and this statement by Exley.
The church I belong to ELCA, a few years ago ordained it's first gay pastor. No small achievement. The president of ELCA came, herself a pastor. I was expecting, perhaps cynically, for this ceremony to be just celebratory. Cake and coffee after, huzzah!
No, that's not what occurred. The president talked to the history of bigotry, and homophobia, apologized for the past, and asked for forgiveness. It was a real attempt at reconciliation. She owned the moment, owned the failures, and apologized on behalf of the past.
That's what I'm looking for. This organization does everything possible to celebrate, and does little to humble itself for its past.
Since I am in a member church, I support the direction of the ELCA taking these steps towards reconciliation. I don't really quite follow what the AIA is doing in this regard, can you explain it better, perhaps? I am not in any opposition of Lakisha Woods being AIA CEO. I don't have an opinion one way or another. I don't know enough about her on a professional level to have an opinion in any direction.
ok, the wordage "member church" is probably not the right wordage but point is being another church of the ELCA.
For the racist cucks;
Woods is currently the President and CEO of the National Institute of Building Sciences as well as the Secretary and Treasurer of the U.S. Green Building Council. She previously served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of the National Institute of Home Builders and has spent the entirety of her professional career in the D.C. metro area.
If the above doesn't speak to her credentials, and you think the former editor of an architecture rag, was more qualified, then you can get fucked.
It’s hard not to question merit when the left doesn’t believe in meritocracy. I mean, they say it. Unfortunately, this affects minorities and females who get to high places by merit. It’s the leftists with the white savior complexes that are most racist imo. In your honest opinion do you think that this skepticism has been reduced or enhanced over the past few years? If I were a female I would hate this bs. I can’t imagine working my ass off only to be faced with doubts that someone gave me a boost based on some immutable characteristics vs my skills and talents and hard work.
And Obviously She’s so highly credentialed… it’s a real damn shame that the equity bs has cast these unnecessary shadows. I just hope that the wokesters understand this unintentional consequence of their policies.
Yeah, it's the "wokesters" creating this, yeah. Make no mistake dipstick, we may be arguing against similar ideas, but you're the one arguing from a racist viewpoint. I'm arguing that these are half measures and don't go far enough to rectify the matter.
To rectify what matter?
It’s hard not to question misogyny and racism when the right doesn’t believe in system racism and misogyny. I mean, they say it. Unfortunately, this affects minorities and females who don't get to high places despite merit. It’s the conservative intelligentsia with their imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy that are most racist imo. In your honest opinion do you think that this skepticism has been reduced or enhanced over the past few years? If I were a female I would hate this bs. I can’t imagine working my ass off only to be faced with the realization that someone refused to give me a job she/they were more qualified for based on a white male construct vs my skills and talents and hard work.
The idea that every inequality in demographic outcome is the result of a racist or sexist system is just utterly false. Imo the disparities in architecture specifically have more
Biggest problem with trying to mess with this stuff is that cronies in charge latch onto these easy to do things that get them points and then they ignore real issues.
Edit: The idea that every inequality in demographic outcome is the result of a racist or sexist system is just utterly false. Imo the disparities in architecture specifically have more to do with job prospects and income. The gap is smaller in harder higher paying fields like medicine and law. Architecture is a bad metric imo. There are too many variables to point to racism. Past racism has much to do with general inequalities in wealth and education, but I don’t believe that the solution is to engineer the hiring process. The solution is to improve the root causes. I’m probably the only libertarian that isn’t against the idea of reperations. I’d do it in the form of a tax exemption though based on the income of an area code- not a race.
Biggest problem with trying to mess with this stuff is that cronies in charge latch onto these easy to do things that get them points and then they ignore real issues.
She's not an architect, thus is not about architecture.
What's the problem here?
Is there a problem in Lakisha Woods being qualified for the CEO position of the AIA (which I don't think the person needs to be a licensed architect for that position)
or
the process behind her appointment (candidate selection process)? I'm trying to understand what all the noise is about here?
Woohoo! This is excellent news. You guys: the AIA *can* be a voice (albeit a small one, in the realm of DC) for a built environment that works for all people. ALL people.
Also, gotta love a man who praises and supports his wife’s accomplishments!! A man who’s not afraid of someone else succeeding is a sexy man.
An AIA that was serious about equity would pay its executives no more than the average salary of a USA architect. They would also limit a member's dues to be one half percent of that member's actual income.
An equitable AIA would also lead a holy war on NCARB to reform their fees and processes.
My NCARB fees are every other year and are 1/4 of what I have to pay AIA every year, and NCARB actually provides a service, whereas AIA does what exactly? Track my CEU credits? Impotently lobby politicians?
NCARB is much less of a problem than the AIA.
i pay ncarb annually - how do you switch to the biennial plan? if you don't want to be an aia member, you don't have to be...
Nice way to kill the vibe b3ta, this article is supposed to be celebrating the accomplishments of Lakisha Woods, yet you make it about old white cis-gendered males like yourself...
Missthepoint Fail GIFfrom Missthepoint GIFs
Q.E.D.
Q.N.E.D.
So far, what's lately been coming from randomised is more like Q.E.A. (or QEA without the dots).
Why is it absurd that I call out someone that has to drag old white cis gendered males like himself into each and every topic, can't we just celebrate for once?
Again. For the slow witted. You're missing it, even though you're making my point.
So, I'll direct you to my reply to archanon, above.
I was replying to Ricky but thanks b3ta...
BTW: it's "cisgendered" (no space in between). Anyway, so what if b3tadine is white, a male, and is cisgendered. Being cisgendered isn't something uniquely "white" just as being male isn't uniquely "white". I understand where b3tadine is coming from and is familiar with the reference to the presiding bishop of the ELCA as well as our synodical bishop (at least in Oregon Synod of the ELCA) agenda and the matters. I understand the point. Yes, it's time to celebrate but celebrate with humility, compassion and reconcilliation. We shouldn't be "patting ourselves on the back", though.
I'm actually quite intrigued that they've found a non-architect organization leader for the role. I think one of AIA's problems has been a narrow inward focus - someone who understands how the rest of the industry views architects could do a lot to improve the positioning of architects in the business world. I hope she succeeds at this.
Honestly, I don't think the particular role needs to be lead by someone who is an architect. I agree with what you said there midlander.
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