Board President Letter 2023

Dear AIA Central New Jersey Members,

Thank you, AIA Central New Jersey Membership, for the opportunity to serve as your 2023 President.  I am very grateful for your faith in me, and eager to support you in the year ahead. After the past year of working with all of the wonderful, passionate, talented and dedicated AIA CNJ members, I enter this year with the commitment to enriching our member experience, and thus supporting our profession as a whole.

2023 is off and running and I have started at full steam, planning out the year by scheduling project tours, networking opportunities, and educational events. My focus will be on lifting the minds and spirits of our members, through education, mentorship, and social media outreach. I am optimistic about a refreshed evolution of our profession after the effects of the pandemic, and hope that our AIA NJ community, along with our commitment and efforts, will help to inspire and support each of you professionally and personally.   

During my term as President-Elect, I was grateful for the mentorship of former presidents and our active members, as they welcomed me to the board in kind support. It was wonderful to engage with members and to hear their interests. One of my favorite parts of my 2022 involvement was being given the freedom to spearhead the revamping of our social media image. With new content generated by events, meetings and webinars, a solid foundation was set for improved communications and a new AIACNJ.org website. My hope for the coming year is to continue this effort, to showcase our wide variety of talent and good work, and to engage our membership.  As one of the largest membership Sections in New Jersey, we have the ability to impact the profession, individually, and as a whole. I hope to meet many of you over this year, and to do my part in strengthening the AIA CNJ Section’s positive impact.

Mentorship, at all stages of one’s life, is also a priority. In a spirit of inclusion, our Board continues to celebrate its members with the goal of creating a place of belonging for our diverse spectrum of professionals.

Some of my other priorities and focus this year are to dedicate time to providing our section membership with interesting educational events, tapping into technical interests inspired by my forensic experience. I think it is important specifically for our profession to have a continuum of learning, at all stages of one’s career.

Other goals for a refreshed Section, include working in unity to fulfill the following goals for 2023:

Provide networking opportunities;

Support our members by providing educational opportunities and resources;

Inspire growth and development in each other;

Advance membership and participation through inclusion;

Engage the next generation of emerging architects.

I encourage all of you to get involved in our committees, contribute to our website, and share ideas, to shape the future of AIA Central NJ. Please continue to view our new website for our upcoming events and resources.

I hope to see you at our next event!

Happy 2023!

Elina Shchervinsky, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP
President

[email protected]