Regional Representative Message

By Stuart Pettitt, FAIA

If you don’t know who your Regional Rep is please check the directory in the 2023 Regional Representative Welcome Packet, found on ISSUU. These hardworking Fellows are, as always, there to answer your questions and share your concerns with me and with the Executive Committee of the College, and I encourage you to make contact. Which brings me to the moment when we get to thank those who have served you over the last three years, (four of them a bit longer).

Welcome to the New Year! I am your brand new 2023-25 Chair of the College of Fellows Council of Regional Representatives and very much look forward to working with all the new and continuing Regional Representatives.

Four years ago, when I was asked if I would be interested in being the COF Regional Representative for the Michigan Region, I did not even know there was such a thing as a Regional Representative. Sucker for volunteerism that I am, I accepted and picked up the task assignments and responsibilities pretty quickly. Hopefully, my efforts made a small impact and it was fun!

Regional Reps keep track of Fellows in their region, coordinate and share their Region’s Fellows activities, encourage mentoring of future Fellows, and help raise contributions to the Fellows Fund. Most important is the communication link both ways between individual Fellows and the Executive Committee.

My point is that there is a great opportunity for all Fellows, especially new Fellows, to get involved by volunteering to be a Regional Representative. It is not overly time-consuming and encourages whatever creative energy is available. It allows getting to know your own Region’s Fellows better along with the other Regional Reps from other Regions. Please let me or your Regional Rep know if interested.

Leaving the Council of Regional Reps this year are Central States Rep Brandon Dake, FAIA, Florida Caribbean Rep Gregory Burke, FAIA, Gulf States Rep Don Brown, FAIA, New Jersey Rep Martin Santini, FAIA, Ohio Valley Rep Tony Costello, FAIA , South Atlantic Rep Brian Wurst, FAIA, Texas Rep Steve Curry, FAIA, and Western Mountain Rep Stuart Coppedge, FAIA. Please accept our heartfelt thanks for your years of service to the College.

Happily, when Reps leave the Council, new Reps generally join us. I would like to introduce you all to our incoming Reps. Central States will add James Walbridge, FAIA and Florida Caribbean will gain Nathan Butler, FAIA. Gulf States will add David Powell, FAIA and Illinois will add John Syvertsen, FAIA. Michigan gains Lis Knibbe, FAIA and New Jersey adds Suzanne DiGeronimo, FAIA. Ohio Valley is fortunate to add Lisa Gomperts, FAIA. Our newest South Atlantic RR is Tom Savory, FAIA, and Texas adds Gregory Ibañez, FAIA. Our new Western Mountain RR is Gregory M. Friesen, FAIA.

If you know them, fantastic! If you don’t – reach out. All of our new Reps are profiled in this issue of the Quarterly, so you will learn a bit more about each of them.

Thanks!

Stuart Pettitt, FAIA