Hello everyone, it is my great pleasure to be the 2021 AIA CRAN® Chair!
This is, again, a year of challenge, but unlike last year, one of hope as well. I follow Lindsay Cullum-Colwell, AIA, who so admirably led us through the rapidly changing and difficult landscape of 2020. My thanks go out to Lindsay, to the CRAN® Advisory Group members, and to Susan Parrish, our AIA director, and all the AIA support staff who stepped up to see CRAN negotiate its way through the year. Together, we send our heartfelt thoughts to all those who have suffered from illness and or death due to COVID-19. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. A huge "thank you" is owed to all the medical people and frontline workers across the country, who have fought and worked endlessly to bring comfort to all who have suffered.
I chose to become involved with CRAN after attending the 2015 Minneapolis-St Paul CRAN Symposium. The spirit, enthusiasm and fellowship I have experienced with the architects involved is truly astonishing. Their shared passion for creating high-end and beautiful residential architecture inspires me. I am so pleased that not only have I become associated with so many talented and dedicated professionals over the past six years; but I can also count them among my friends.
The principal challenge of 2020 remains for 2021: we will not be having our "in-person" symposium this year either. In response, we are planning on-line education sessions as we provided the last few months of 2020. These sessions will continue to be provided thru AIAU and our goal is to continue to provide the highest quality, live educational experience on par with our symposium offerings in past years. View our course calendar to save the date. Without the backing and faith shown by our many sponsors, we could not do this. We thank them for their continued financial support for these sessions.
The challenges of 2020 have likely forever changed how we all conduct business. It has certainly challenged how we at CRAN seek to fulfill our mission. While its effects linger into our new year, we at CRAN are both working to assemble a series of wonderful educational sessions for 2021 as well as planning for our eventual coming together in September 8-11, 2022 in Chicago. Stay tuned.
Finally, many, many thanks to Ms. S. Claire Conroy and Residential Design Magazine for their continuous support of AIA CRAN and the opportunity to reach out to all of you. It means a lot to us!
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Thomas Meiklejohn AIA
Principal Architect
Tom W. Meiklejohn III, AIA, Architect
Fond Du Lac WI
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