Honorary Fellows
The International Committee sponsored the Honorary Fellows Forum. The 2005 honorary fellows are (from left to right) Massimo Carmassi (Italy), Mikko Heikkinen (Finland), Paul Hyett (United Kingdom), Markku Komonen (Finland), and Sang-Leem Lee (Korea). Paul Hyett and Sang-Leem Lee attended the convention.

	Keynote speaker Santiago Calatrava was elevated to honorary fellowship on being awarded the AIA 2005 Gold Medal, shown at right with William J. Higgins, AIA, International Committee Advisory Group; Yolanda Reyes, Chairman, ARCASIA, and Romulo Reyes.

AIA Presidential Medal Recipients
Every year at convention, the presidents of the principal international and regional organizations, and those national associations closely allied with the AIA, are presented with the AIA Presidential Medal in and honorary membership in the AIA in order to

1. To recognize the important role of the president of a professional society in fulfilling both the national, regional, and/or international objectives of his or her society; 2. To acknowledge a history of mutually beneficial cooperation and communication between the AIA and the foreign professional society he or she leads; 3. To stimulate further substantial dialogue for enhanced understanding of the practice of architecture in a changing global environment between the AIA and the professional society; and 4. To further nurture mutual professional respect between the AIA and the recipient society.
In 2005, the honor was awarded to (left to right): Yolanda D. Reyes, Chairman, The Architects Regional Council of Asia (ARCASIA); José Manuel Reachi Mora, President, The Federation of Colleges of Architects of the Republic of Mexico; Gabriel Durand-Hollis, FAIA, President, The Panamerican Federation of Architects Associations; Yves Gosselin, President, The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC); Robert T. Nation, FRAIA, President, The Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA). Unable to attend was Marie-Hélène Lucas, President, The Architects Council of Europe (ACE).

AIA International Committee Reception

The AIA International Committee Reception was attended by more than two hundred guests. In addition to the Presidential Medal recipients and the Honorary Fellows, there were large delegations from Costa Rica, Ukraine, officers from the International Union of Architects, the Architects Regional Council of Asia, the Panamerican Federation of Architects Associations, and many other countries. This annual event is sponsored by Images Publishing of Australia.

AIA Annual Business Meeting

At the AIA Annual Business Meeting on Saturday morning, members of the International Committee Advisory Group, former AIA Presidents, a member of an overseas chapter and a local U.S. component executive spoke eloquently in favor or creating a position of International Director on the Board of Directors. The international director will represent the Institute's overseas members, a significant and growing number of the AIA's members who now live and work outside the United States, or approx. 1.35 percent of the AIA's total membership in those categories. Roughly 350-400 of these are assigned to one of the AIA's three overseas chapters, AIA Continental Europe, AIA Hong Kong, AIA London/UK, and AIA Japan, with the remaining members located in areas beyond the territory of any AIA component. These members do not include the significant numbers of honorary fellows and international Associates who are also based outside the United States. The resolution passed by an overwhelming majority.

Left to right: Karen Plunkett-Muenster, AIA, chair, International Committee; Michael Lischer, AIA, RIBA, newly appointed International Director; Ronald Arthur Altoon, FAIA, two-term UIA Council member for Region 3, the Americas.

Global Strategies Task Group
The Global Strategies Task Group (GSTG) made its recommendations to the AIA Board of Directors on the procedure for selecting the International Director. After consultation, the overseas chapter had unanimously agreed on a procedure for selection that was accepted by the Board. The first chair was offered to AIA London/UK, the first overseas chapter created, and London/UK’s Board selected Michael Lischer, AIA, RIBA to fill the role of International Director. Michael’s selection was ratified by the AIA Board of Directors at its September meeting, and Michael will join the Board at the new member orientation in December 2005.

AIA-JIA Business Meeting The AIA and JIA held their traditional bi-annual business meeting at convention, attended by AIA and JIA officers, International Committee Advisory Group members and NCARB officers. Discussions focused on education efforts in Japan for disaster preparedness, building on lessons learned from past earthquake and tsunami recovery efforts. President Yoshiaki Ogura, Hon. AIA, and AIA President Doug Steidl renewed the Accord on Professionalism in Architecture Between The American Institute Of Architects and The Japan Institute of Architects, first signed in Nagoya on November 16, 1989, and renewed in 1994 and 1999.

Additionally, an update was provided from the JIA Architectural Industry Committee. In light of the imminent creation of AIA Japan, the participants addressed AIA-JIA cooperation on continuing professional development and reciprocity of AIA and JIA credits.

International Presidents’ Forum

Bringing a tradition into the fourth year, the international presidents attending convention held a business meeting attended by presidents, officers and members of international associations. The meeting provides the opportunity for presidents to update each other on special events, emerging issues and particular concerns of their members. The meeting is attended also by the presidents of U.S. collateral organizations. Many reports focused on architects response to disaster, including the December 2004 tsunami, as well as environmental and sustainability issues. The presidents drafted and unanimously supported The Las Vegas Declaration.