Original Message:
Sent: 08-28-2025 11:53 AM
From: Amal Mahrouki
Subject: Value of an Architect to Legislators and Policymakers
Hi Dominique!
I'm jumping into this discussion to introduce myself. My name is Amal Mahrouki, and I am the Senior Director of the State and Local Government Affairs team here at AIA. I started in January and have been working with state and local components on building their advocacy and government affairs capacity, with a focus on best practices and developing practical how-to guides on important issues. Before joining AIA, I spent more than 10 years as a state lobbyist, so I have a lot of tips and tricks to share.
As Arathi noted, the Government Affairs Forum has a wealth of guidance and resources for state and local components. I invite anyone who is involved in government affairs and advocacy to join us as part of that community. Our team will be working closely with state and local components, the COTE Advocacy Committee, and other Knowledge Communities as we develop our strategies and resources to support states and cities in their upcoming legislative sessions. I am always happy to meet with any AIA component to chat about all things government affairs and advocacy in more detail.
Best,
Amal
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Amal Mahrouki
Senior Director, State and Local Affairs
The American Institute of Architects
1735 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20006
T (202) 626-7329
amalmahrouki@aia.org
Original Message:
Sent: 08-20-2025 08:34 PM
From: Dominique D. Davison AIA
Subject: Value of an Architect to Legislators and Policymakers
Thanks for this note, Arathi!
This is a great idea. I know the AIA Missouri, (and I would assume other state chapters) have regular meetings with State legislators and their staff multiple times a year, depending on what legislation is being considered. It would be interesting to hear from them on best practices and if they already have guidance in this regard? Additionally, support to the state chapters on how to potentially be proactive in proposing legislation might be helpful.
Dominique Davison AIA LEED BD+C
Managing Principal, DRAW Architecture + Urban Design LLC
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Original Message:
Sent: 8/15/2025 12:09:00 AM
From: Arathi P. Gowda FAIA
Subject: Value of an Architect to Legislators and Policymakers
Many of you are aware that the COTE National Leadership Group has a COTE Advocacy Committee. This group is comprised of volunteers from across the country actively involved in supporting legislative engagement. We meet to exchange ideas, connect the dots between committees, and amplify legislative calls to action. During a working session earlier this year our teammate, Julie Hiromoto, proposed an idea the group determined was worthy of development. A quick start primer titled "Value of an Architect to Legislators and Policymakers" emerged. The collective experience of the COTE Advocacy Committee indicated that the first steps to legislative engagement are the toughest. It is intimidating to meet with a legislator or policymaker! So, we started with a few ideas we thought can act as a quick start brief introduction, to supplement longer pieces from AIA about becoming a Citizen Architect. Some of the principal questions we answer in the document include:
- Why are Architects particularly suited to helping legislators?
- How do you stay on point and leave a strong and clear impression?
- What does your script look like?
- Who do you build a coalition with to underscore the validity of your points?
We consistently hear at our COTE quarterly calls and annual Open Forum that volunteers are passionately interested in raising the legislative floor to improve communities and the built environment. We hope "The Value of an Architect" will inspire more AIA membership to actively engage in legislative issues. This is a working document, and we welcome feedback for subsequent revisions. Time and time again we see that those that have a plan and long-term engagement yield results across the country. We open the door for those interested in new on ramps for positive change. Thank you for becoming a Citizen Architect!
Contributors to the "Value of an Architect" are:
- Kjell Anderson FAIA
- Clark Brockman AIA
- Arathi Gowda FAIA
- Julie Hiromoto FAIA
- Joyce Raybuck AIA (COTE Advocacy lead, thank you for keeping us organized and moving forward!)
For further, in depth resources, consider engaging with:
Member Home - Government Affairs Forum
Image credit: "Broadway Corridor Open House #4" by Prosper Portland
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Arathi Gowda FAIA
ZGF Architects LLP
Washington DC
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