AIA Leadership Summit 2026 is the premier advocacy and leadership training event for AIA chapter leaders. The annual event is always one of AIA’s best attended leadership events—offering attendees a unique platform to engage in critical policy discussions with lawmakers while enhancing their leadership skills.
One component of the Leadership Summit experience is Hill Day, providing architect members with a platform to directly advocate for legislation impacting the profession before Members of Congress and Congressional staff. AIA Colorado leaders met with congressional staff from several offices, sharing on the issues affecting the industry today.
AIA Colorado’s representation included:
- Andy Rockmore, AIA, AIA Colorado President
- Sonya Shah, AIA, Denver Director
- Jarrett Hardy, Assoc. AIA, AIA Colorado Associate Director
- Kaylyn Kirby, AIA, Young Architects Forum Representative
- Mo Zaina, Assoc. AIA, National Associates Committee Representative
- Mike Waldinger, Hon. AIA, AIA Colorado CEO
The following are a few highlights and takeaways from the AIA Colorado delegation:
“So honored to represent AIA Colorado at AIA National Hill Day as part of the AIA Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.
The Leadership Summit is a powerful reminder that architecture extends far beyond our studios. It’s about leadership, stewardship, and using our collective voice to influence the future of our communities. During Hill Day, we stepped into conversations with legislators about housing attainability, resilient infrastructure, economic vitality, and the policies that shape the built environment.
Advocacy is design at another scale. It’s about aligning policy with purpose — ensuring the spaces we create are supported by thoughtful legislation, equitable investment, and long-term vision.
Grateful to stand alongside such a passionate group of architects who believe our profession carries both creative and civic responsibility. I had the opportunity to reconnect with longtime colleagues, build new relationships, and strengthen partnerships that will continue well beyond this week.
Leadership is not just about projects — it’s about people, policy, and impact.
Looking forward to continuing these conversations back home in Colorado and reconnecting with so many inspiring Architects soon.”
– Sonya Shah, AIA, Denver Director
Leadership Summit:
“2026 Hill Day saw hundreds of Architects descend on Capitol Hill to speak to their members of Congress about issues affecting the profession. From Design Freedom, Preservation, High-Performance Building Tax Credits, Housing, and Professional Designation, we advocated with lawmakers on issues affecting the communities we serve and the profession as a whole.
Hill Day is a reminder that we have greater power than we realize — we can be citizen architects, we can get out in our communities and beyond to speak up for issues impacting us, our communities, and the profession.
My biggest takeaway from Leadership Summit is a reminder that we are a profession that is constantly learning, and that support and mentorship across all stages of your career are vital for retention — and for our professionals to thrive, not just survive. I was honored to represent AIA Colorado to present the Ascend Mentorship Program as part of the “From Guidance to Growth: Tools for Inclusive & Impactful Mentorship Programs” panel. Shout out to Lauren Falcon, AIA, for her leadership on that program!
Young Architects Forum (YAF):
The Young Architects Forum (YAF) Annual Meeting took place at AIA’s Global Headquarters in DC last week, ahead of AIA Leadership Summit. This event gathers YAF representatives from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Washington DC, the International component, and Advisory Committee to meet, plan, and kick off the year around the 2026 Priority Areas – Navigating Career Evolution, Shaping the Future, and Cultivating Wellbeing. Young Architects make up 20,000 AIA members and this group serves as representation of that member group on the national level, advocating for their needs and advancing the profession.
This year, I am thrilled to move into my new role on the Advisory Committee as the Strategy Director, and welcome Lauren Falcon as our new AIA Colorado YAF Representative. This group is a constant source of inspiration and comradery for me — the talent and enthusiasm is humbling and refreshing. I left the meeting as I have the past — my cup full and ready to take on the challenges of our evolving profession, knowing I have many like-minded peers in my corner.”
– Kaylyn Kirby, AIA, Young Architects Forum Representative
“There are moments in your career that quietly shift how you see yourself and your role in the profession. Attending both the AIA Leadership Summit and the National Associates Committee Annual Meeting was one of those moments for me, especially representing AIA Colorado and our local members. I left both experiences feeling grounded, challenged, and incredibly grateful to be part of this community.
Leadership Summit:
This was my first time attending the AIA Leadership Summit, and it was eye-opening in the best way. The policy briefings from AIA were thoughtful, focused, and incredibly informative. They connected the dots between the work we do every day and the legislative decisions that shape our profession and the communities we serve.
What struck me most was realizing that advocacy is not some distant concept. It is informed preparation, collective alignment, and the willingness to step forward when it matters. Representing AIA Colorado reframed the experience for me. I wasn’t just there for myself. I was there on behalf of our members, our firms, and the future professionals coming up behind us. That realization deepened my sense of responsibility in a way I did not anticipate.
I am especially grateful to Mike Waldinger and the AIA Colorado board for trusting me with that opportunity and encouraging me to step into that space.
National Associates Committee (NAC) Annual Meeting:
The NAC Annual Meeting was especially meaningful to me this year as I serve as Co-Deputy of the Advocacy Workgroup. Stepping into that role has deepened my understanding of how important it is to intentionally represent the full spectrum of associate experiences across the country.
Our work focuses not only on strengthening and clarifying pathways to licensure, but also on advocating for those who choose not to pursue licensure. That balance matters. The profession is broader than a single trajectory, and part of our responsibility is ensuring that associates feel valued, supported, and heard regardless of the path they take. We are working to make advocacy resources more accessible, improve communication between national and local components, and elevate issues that directly impact emerging professionals in real, practical ways.
Being in that room with such a diverse group of leaders was grounding. Every region, firm type, and career stage was represented. Amy Blagriff often says that AIA is transformative, and through this role and this meeting, I truly felt that transformation. At some point it stopped feeling like committee work and started feeling like shared purpose. It felt like family.
I am deeply thankful to the AIA staff and team members who made this experience possible and continue to support the work behind the scenes.”
– Mo Zaina, Assoc. AIA, National Associates Committee
My time in DC for the AIA Leadership Summit is something I will carry with me for a long time. One of my favorite architects, Tatiana Bilbao, often speaks about how architects must engage like politicians, shaping public space, confronting social inequities, and working with communities to create shelter and possibility. She has demonstrated that in Mexico again and again, and I felt the weight of that idea in a real way at this summit while lobbying on the Hill on behalf of our state and our profession.
It was meaningful to be part of a group of architects from Colorado who care deeply about the built environment and about what we leave to future generations, especially as we navigate constantly shifting legislation, bills, and directives coming from our nation’s capital. As a Latino, this responsibility feels even more personal. I carry a specific sense of purpose in how I advocate for communities and individuals who are often underrepresented, both within the profession and beyond it.
Being in congressional offices, sitting on the Senate chamber floor while current political issues were being discussed, and seeing more clearly what AIA is doing at both the local and national levels was genuinely enlightening. I left DC with a clearer understanding that advocacy is part of architectural practice, not separate from it. I return to Colorado more committed to using my voice, especially for communities that are often left out of policy conversations that shape the built environment. One of my biggest takeaways is that design must be accessible and shaped by multiple stakeholders, because the spaces we create are never formed by one perspective alone.
The experience strengthened my belief that our influence can extend far beyond the day to day work of our project teams and offices. There is still so much to do, and AIA Colorado has given me a powerful opportunity to be part of that work.
– Jarrett Hardy, Assoc. AIA, AIA Colorado Associate Director
