Election Analysis

David Lancaster
TSA Senior Director of Advocacy

National trends of voter anxiety and anger contributed to surprising results that will shape the 82nd Texas Legislature, which convenes January11, 2011.

The Texas Architects Committee (TAC) contributed $70,500 to 62 different to candidates in 49 House, 10 Senate and three statewide races. Of those, 33 of the House recipients won, as did all 10 Senate and the three statewide candidates. (One House race is still undecided and unofficial this morning.)

The TSA Advocacy Staff summary is, “Since we follow the friendly incumbent rule as a general policy, we know we stand to lose a number of good friends when there are these ‘tsunami elections’ like this one or the 1994 mid-term election. While we hate to see many of these experienced legislators lose, we’re glad to see several former members we’ve worked well with in the past returning, plus we’ll have the chance to make a number of good new friends.”

Of the total dollar amount contributed, $62,500, or 89 percent of the funds, went to successful candidates due to TAC’s decision to support “proven advocates and friends for the profession” with larger contributions.

A more well-researched and detailed summary will be provided after staff has had the opportunity to analyze the results in more depth.

AIA Dallas Homes Tour: Nov. 6-7

AIA Dallas hosts its annual homes tour this weekend, Nov. 6-7, featuring sustainably designed, renovated, and new construction. Tickets are $25 and are available online at www.hometourdallas.com, at the Dallas Center for Architecture (1909 Woodall Rodgers Frwy., Ste. 100,), and at the individual homes this weekend during the tour. For more information, visit www.aiadallas.org.

Austin Event - Architecture at the Umlauf: Nov. 4

J. Tom Ashley, FAIA - McAllen Architect and Peace Corps Volunteer

In the Nov/Dec issue of Texas Architect magazine, on stands soon, McAllen architect J. Tom Ashley, FAIA, relays his experience as a Peace Corps volunteer who is currently lending his skills in planning and design in Romania. Below is an excerpt from his Essay and some additional pictures from his adventure.

Sometime after midnight in May 2009, I arrived in the Romanian capital of Bucharest as part of the twenty-sixth group of Peace Corps volunteers to serve in this former Soviet bloc country. All 37 of us had met in Washington, D.C., for orientation before flying together overseas. (At 67 years of age, I was among the oldest in the group. Most are in their 20s, although the Peace Corps actively promotes older volunteers.) We were exhausted due to a 10-hour layover in Amsterdam caused by a flight delay. But after landing in the capitol city, we immediately hopped aboard a bus for an hour’s ride northwest to the city of Targoviste. There we were able to catch a few hours of sleep before beginning an intensive 11-week pre-service training program. 

Ashley's Peace Corps assignment is at the Parcul Natural Lunca Muresului (PNLM) or Mures River National Park. The park features Romania’s longest in-country river, the Mures, which stretches 700 kilometers, beginning in the Carpathian Mountains and flowing west into Hungary. Read his Essay on page 27 of the Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Texas Architect.

Long term master plan includes EU-infrastructure and locally funded improvements 


Mini-Mures River, 60 meter long, scale model with recirculating water
  
(l-r) Biologist Gabi, Director Ovidiu, EE Director Paul Youth enjoying Romanian music 



One of 1200 species at Parcul Natural Lunca Muresului (photo by Biologist, Gabi Herlo) 

PNLM wetland planned to be replicated at Mures River model (photo by Biologist, Gabi Herlo) 

PNLM Colleague, Adina Blaj, helping with water-retaining rubber membrane
  
Visitor Center front steps to be renovated/expanded with warm-tone concrete leaf and animal paw impressions (funding justified as "habitat education")
  

Umbrellas planned to be replaced with native plant-covered terasa acoperta/shade lattice 

EU-funded volunteers from France, Lithuania and Morocco at River Model 

In the News Now

The following is provided from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) daily media scan, which was developed out of a growing interest among AIA leadership to connect with media coverage of topics of interest and current trends in the media landscape that relate to the architecture profession. This media scan is not a comprehensive round-up of daily articles related specifically to architecture, but more of a synopsis of current issues or specific events/topics that are relevant to the design industry. 

Wall Street Journal
WTC Taps Fuel Cells
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703708404575586630000766308.html

Lansing State Journal

Competition helps feed hungry one can at a time
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20101031/NEWS01/10310535/1001/NEWS/Competition-helps-feed-hungry-one-can-at-a-time

Market Watch

Carbon Disclosure Project Paves Way For Cities to Report Carbon Emissions
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/carbon-disclosure-project-paves-way-for-cities-to-report-carbon-emissions-2010-11-01?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Boston Globe
Aerotropolis - The rise of a vibrant new kind of city
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/10/31/aerotropolis/?page=full

Don't Mess with Texas...Lobbyists?

Yvonne Castillo

TSA General Counsel

As a lobbyist for the architectural profession, my job is to advocate for architects. Every day I come to work with the sole mission of ensuring that architects are effectively represented at all level of state government – Executive, Legislative and Judicial. Every day I review rules, laws, proposed laws, proposed rules to analyze the impact on the profession and to act on them.

But come November 15th (in a couple of weeks), my mission the entire day will be centered around training to acquire a license to carry a concealed handgun. You may ask: “What does THAT have to do with the architectural profession?” Well, the State Capitol now has metal detectors. To get in and out, your purse is searched and you have to wait in line to get through the metal detector. If you’ve been to the Capitol during the legislative Session, you’re familiar with the crowds of school children and interest groups “storming” the Capitol. So you can imagine how long the lines are going to be just to get into the building. Couple that with the fact that lobbyists frequently need quick access to hearing rooms and to the Lobby in front of the House and Senate chambers. There are times when one literally has a few minutes notice on a bill being called up or an amendment that is problematic and needs action right away.

In a swift response, the Texas Lobby have organized themselves to take a CHL (Concealed Handgun License) class so that all lobbyists can flash their CHL to bypass the lines. So…only in this great state of Texas would the entire Lobby be registered to carry a weapon. So come Monday, November 15th, watch out! I’ll be learnin’ to pack heat…all in the name of architects. Who would of thought? Wish me luck (and everyone else in that class) that no one loses a finger!

TSA Announces New EVP

James T. Perry

The Texas Society of Architects|AIA has named James T. Perry as Executive Vice President. Perry joins the organization on Jan. 17, 2011, and will be responsible for leading and managing the TSA staff and fulfilling its mandate to support the Society’s mission to be the voice for Texas architecture, supporting the creation of safe, beautiful, sustainable environments.

Perry is currently the CEO for the Florida Music Educators’ Association, the Florida School Music Association, and serves as the board consultant to the Florida Art Education Association. Under his leadership these associations have coalesced into an alliance known as “The Center for Fine Arts Education,” which works for the advancement of Fine Arts education in Florida. He also serves on the board of directors for the Florida Cultural Alliance and has served as chair of the Task Force on Government Relations for MENC: The National Association for Music Education.

A native of Austin, Perry is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and attended the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music for graduate study. His classroom teaching experience included sixteen years of music education (band) in grades 6-12. He has performed with the American Wind Symphony Orchestra, the Texas Brass Quintet, and the Austin Symphony Orchestra as bass trombonist. For the last eleven years, he has resided in Tallahassee, Florida. He retains a life membership in the Texas Exes, is an alumnus of the University of Texas Longhorn Band, and enjoys being with family in Central Texas whenever possible.

“The entire TSA family is excited about James Perry’s return to the Lone Star State and looks forward to his assuming the role of EVP in January. I am personally pleased to see another trombone playing, McCallum High School Knight, U.T. Longhorn Band member brighten our staff,” says TSA Interim EVP Tommy Cowan, FAIA.

Cowan has been serving as the Society’s Interim EVP since July 2, 2010. He recently retired from Graeber Simmons & Cowan, where he was a founding principal and managing partner of the 50-person architecture firm, which specializes in education, healthcare, financial, and advanced technology. Previously, David Lancaster, Hon. AIA, served as EVP for 22 years and is now dedicating a full-time focus of his talents and efforts on TSA advocacy issues and legislative affairs in the role of TSA Senior Director of Advocacy.

Bill Reeves chaired the TSA Search Committee, with members Mary Crites; Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA; Jim Doche, FAIA; and Bryce Weigand, FAIA. Ex-officio members were TSA President Heather McKinney, FAIA, and President-Elect Dan Hart. 


The Coxe Group, a Seattle-based management consulting firm, was hired to manage the search.