AIRAH
2020 REVISITED
The AIRAH AGM was held as virtual event this year. It’s said that things never go exactly according to plan. And in the age of COVID-19, that’s certainly the case, with sudden lockdowns – even those that only last a few days – still causing disruption through the start of year. The 2021 AIRAH Annual General Meeting (covering 2020) was set to be a live-streamed and face-to-face event. Yet as things played out, only the live‑streamed component proceeded. At the AGM, Ian Harwood, F.AIRAH, officially stepped down as AIRAH President, handing over to Paul Jackson, F. AIRAH. Chris Stamatis, Affil.AIRAH, took his place on the board of directors. After thanking Harwood for his efforts over a number of years, AIRAH CEO Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH, led the online audience through some of the highlights of 2020. One of these, of course, was the organisation’s ability to improvise and adapt to radically changed circumstances last year. The AIRAH head office operated remotely from mid-March through year’s end.
SOME TALKING POINTS Another highlight included signing memorandums of understanding with like-minded organisations such as the IIAR, and delivery of the first NADCA certification training. A record of more than 4,000 people participated in AIRAH professional
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development programs, and more than 2,750 attended online conferences and webinars. Sixty students participated in the PDBS program. The Institute released two DA manuals as part of a continuous cycle of review and renewal: DA07 Criteria for Moisture Control Design Analysis in Buildings; and DA12 Energy Efficiency in Cold Rooms.
Proposed changes to AIRAH’s Constitution were approved. These included the insertion of a “Preamble”, and a new clause for “Membership and accreditation”, as well as references to professional accreditation and continuous professional development.
BOTTOM LINE In light of the pandemic and its impacts, AIRAH performed well financially, with a net operating surplus of $237,125. Of course, in a strange year, a significant portion of this was via various government subsidies. In 2020 AIRAH experienced strong membership growth of 7.7 per cent, taking overall membership to more than 4,000 members overall. ❚
Would you like to know more? A digital copy of the annual report is available at the AIRAH website. For more information about AIRAH’s AGM and annual report, go to the “About” tab of www.airah.org.au
