Pub. 4 2016 Directory

7 Serving on the AIA Montana Board Best Experience PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE TAD TSUKAMOTO , AIA, PRESIDENT OF AIA MONTANA I really didn’t know what to expect when I joined the board and I surely didn’t know how much it would impact me. Regularly meeting and communicating with my fel- low board members has been part of my life for the past 6 years and now that my term on the board is almost over, I realize I am going to miss it. It has given me the opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues plus add new friendships in Montana and across the country. I found the people I’ve met and worked with to be been some of the most dedicated and passionate people I have ever been around. I want to thank each of them for all they have taught me and I will continue to develop these relationships. These relationships are what I value the most. I’ll say it again and keep saying it, “Serving on the AIA Montana Board has been one of the best experiences for me personally and professionally.” Serving gave me the opportunity to learn so much about what AIA offers at the state, regional and national level. With this knowl- edge, I developed a whole new appreciation for what the AIA and the people behind it do for our profession. Being closely involved at the state level has given me a chance to affect change at every level: State, Region and National. Through my travels, I have had the opportunity to participate and see how the process works. This has been an eye opening experience. When someone asks me, “why should I join, what does AIA do for me” I now am able to answer that question with dialog about my first hand experiences. Part of my board duties includes award- ing scholarships, assembling design juries, putting together a state conference and much more. Each of these duties has re- sulted in unexpected rewards. I was able to interact, collaborate and work with the amaz- ing faculty and students at Montana State University School of Architecture which I owe for guiding me through my education and giving me the tools I needed to succeed. We have an amazing School of Architec- ture producing top quality graduates and I encourage you to contribute and be part of it however you are able. While many of us have participated in submitting projects to design award programs, a whole new appre- ciation of the process is earned once you are the orchestrater of the program. This is true of planning a conference. I recommend that everyone stretch themselves and consider tackling such projects by serving on the board. However, serving on the board is not some- thing one should take lightly and believe me sometimes I would wonder what I had gotten myself into and how am I supposed to balance life, work and service. I could not have done it without the help and support of my family and office. They all helped me get what needed to get done so in a way we all served. Last and certainly not least, I am so grateful for AIA Montana’s Executive Sec- retary Connie Dempster. Her patience, skill, organization and institutional knowledge are the backbone of our organization and she deserves a big thank you for all she does. Thank you for letting me serve and please get involved – it matters! b