By Rebecca Schwartz, AIA, 2026 AIA Pittsburgh President
During the week of February 11–14, 2026, I joined fellow AIA Pittsburgh representatives in Washington, D.C., for the annual American Institute of Architects (AIA) Leadership Summit. The central purpose of this event—often referred to as “Hill Day”—is to bring architects from every state and U.S. territory to Capitol Hill to discuss critical policy matters with members of the House and Senate. Together, as a unified profession of more than 100,000 members, we advocate for issues that significantly impact the practice of architecture nationwide.
This year’s advocacy efforts were centered on four key topics: strengthening democratic processes; expanding affordable housing; advancing high-performance building tax credits; and addressing professional designation concerns related to student loan caps. Although the summit represents only a snapshot in time, our responsibility to advocate for our profession is ongoing. I strongly encourage each of you to engage locally and participate within your communities to ensure that architects maintain a meaningful and influential presence.
On the third day of the summit, we began a full schedule of learning and networking with an inspiring keynote from April Rinne—futurist and author of Flux—who introduced the “Flux Mindset,” a framework that encourages leaders to embrace change, redefine success, and leverage uncertainty as a catalyst for growth and innovation. The remainder of the day featured sessions on management, leadership, advocacy, chapter innovation, and member engagement.
In the afternoon, Carole Wedge, AIA National’s EVP/CEO, delivered a compelling presentation outlining the four pillars of AIA’s strategic plan, summarized by the acronym P.A.C.E.:
- Practice – Strengthening our firms
- Advocacy – Elevating our voice and the value of architecture
- Climate – Advancing regenerative strategies
- Equity – Moving the profession forward inclusively
Subsequent sessions underscored how these goals connect us as a profession and how we are collectively stronger when working together. Key insights included recognizing our strengths, leveraging our trusted voice within our communities, and creating opportunities to lead and empower others. I also gained valuable tools and examples for developing inclusive, impactful mentorship programs that we can share with firms to further support and grow our design community.
One of the most meaningful reminders of our interconnectedness occurred on the final day of the conference. During an intensive learning session open to chapter leadership, I was seated—by chance—with representatives from San Antonio, Texas. Despite the 1,500 miles between our chapters, the challenges they described closely mirrored our own. In just a brief breakout conversation, we were able to exchange ideas and begin laying the groundwork for potential solutions. This experience reinforced that, regardless of geography, our community of more than 100,000 architects is more connected and aligned than ever.
We must continue to support one another, learn from each other, and work collectively toward strengthening our profession. I am energized by what lies ahead and look forward to applying the insights and lessons from this summit within our local chapter—and eventually sharing them across our fellow chapters nationwide.
