Thomas R. Mathison, AIA

The AIA represents our greatest collective opportunity to improve our profession and impact those we serve. We must continue to build an agenda that makes each architect stronger and expands the influence of our voice through a multi-year strategic plan. Our goals should be member-driven, guided by the AIM Report, and budgeted for success.

The AIA’s strategic plan is defined through knowledge, advocacy, and community. I am committed to move these forward through particular areas about which I care deeply:

• Enhancement of emerging professionals
• Strong advocacy focusing on healthy, livable communities
• Knowledge development.

First, as the founder of the AIA Michigan Mentoring Network, I am passionate about nurturing students, interns, and associates. They are our future, and we must increase our commitment to them through better mentoring, improved internship resources, and expanded relationship-building. We must offer new tools, compile best practices from across the country, and communicate them to every component. We must continually engage our collateral organizations to keep education, internship, and licensing standard high, yet with access to all.

Second, I will work to strengthen our advocacy through clear, consistent, and sustained positions. Our success in advancing a livable communities agenda depends on a clear platform and dedicated follow-through. We must build advocacy positions that are understood and expressed consistently across our membership—advocacy with national resonance, locally implemented.

Third, I believe the brightest potential for our future lies with our knowledge agenda. By investing in the AIA’s knowledge communities, research, continuing education, information-sharing, and practice tools, we create new value and expand our capabilities and professionalism. Through knowledge, we will grow and diversify our membership with quality, value, and relevance.

As your Vice President, I pledge to listen hard, work in a spirit of collaboration and consensus-building, and focus on our goals to improve opportunities for architects and future architects everywhere.

AIA National

• Regional Director, 2002–2004
• Liaison to AIAS, 2003–2005
• Liaison to NCARB IDP Committee, 2003–2004
• Mentoring Task Group, 2002–2004
• Long Range Planning Task Group, 2003–2004

AIA Michigan

• AIA Michigan Board of Directors, 1993–1997, 2002–2004
• President, AIA Michigan, 1996
• Founder, AIA Michigan Mentoring Network, 1999–2004

AIA Grand Valley

• AIA Grand Valley Board of Directors, 1989–1995
• President, AIA Grand Valley, 1992

AIA Florida

• AIA Florida Board of Directors, 1987

AIA Florida Central

• Vice-President, President-Elect, 1987

Practice Experience

• Principal, Tower Pinkster Titus Associates Inc., 94-member, multidiscipline A/E firm

Education

• University of Michigan, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.

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