Executive Vice President’s Letter

It’s hard to believe that 2021 has come and gone, yet I reflect on what we’ve accomplished over the past year and I am incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together. Providing our members with quality education programs is a priority, and something I am particularly passionate about since program development was my area of expertise and focus prior to becoming Executive Vice President. You already understand the value of education simply by what you’ve chosen to pursue as a career. It takes time and commitment to earn your degree, to gain experience under a licensed architect and to sit for, and pass the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®). While continuing education is a requirement to renew your license in New York State and to fulfill your AIA membership, the benefit of learning goes beyond being a requirement. According to a blog post from Connect2Lead, some proven benefits to learning are: • Learners are earners. People who continually learn (whether or not they have advanced degrees) will earn more money than those who rely on a narrow set of skills and experiences. • There is a link between education level and life expectancy. Those who are better educated are healthier. • Parents who value learning for themselves have children who stay in school longer, have lower rates of crime, and aspire to higher paying jobs. • People who seek adult learning opportunities are more socially connected, more involved in their communities and more likely to be politically active. • A research report from The Center for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning indicates that “personal soft skills such as self-regulation, behavioral management, and social and communication skills are developed in educational settings.” • The rate of depression is lower for adults who are actively involved in learning. • People in learning environments have a wider and more diverse social circle. • Those who learn readily and continually are better able to pass along what they have learned and act as teachers to their children and to their peers. • When people learn, they gain confidence to try new things and stretching themselves. • Continual learning contributes to higher levels of resilience and self-efficacy in completing a task or tackling a challenge. This issue includes some of the valuable content presented at our Tri-State Conference held back in December. We hope you take some time to read the articles and learn something new. Sincerely,

Georgi Ann Bailey, CAE, Hon. AIANYS Executive Vice President | AIA New York State