Rob's Final AIA Baltimore President's Message: Hope, Joy, Cheer and the Renewal of Spirit

Hope, Joy, Cheer and the Renewal of Spirit

December is upon us and there is much to do in our annual holiday routine as we prepare for the celebrations of family, friends, co-workers and the new year to come. The message of the season is a simple one: At this light-diminished time of year, we seek to create a spiritual spark to ignite our hope for a better tomorrow in our relationships, our families and our communities. This spark can be familiar and comfortable, recreated each year as tradition. It can also be a spontaneous emotional response triggered by an article, song, image, or a call to give. It can be a memory of the past and or a vision for the future. It moves us to act, become engaged and renew our commitment to our family and community.
We anticipate showing a greater appreciation for family and friends and for the needs of the less fortunate with varying degrees of restlessness. We know the reminder that we need to take a longer view and think beyond our day-to-day routine will always bring joy and happiness to others and can reward us in return. Giving our time, talent and gifts buoys our sense of belonging to a greater whole and propels us optimistically into the new year.
AIABaltimore’s Annual Meeting and Holiday Celebration is tomorrow night at the Centre Theater on North Avenue. We will recap our very successful 2015 and transition to 2016 with collegiality, cheer and a shared commitment to a better Baltimore. Our numbers are ever increasing and we are close to reaching our goal of 1,000 professional members. Please renew your 2016 membership and Chapter support post-haste and encourage others in your office to join the stimulating work of AIABaltimore. Just as the Centre Theater has brought light and activity to decades dark North Avenue, we can bring our personal spiritual spark of renewed commitment to our personal and professional relationships.
As I complete my term as President, the pleasure of being engaged and connected to so many of our members on an almost daily basis has truly charged my spirit for our community. We are present and engaged in the current civic and professional issues across the landscape of our presence in Baltimore and Maryland. I urge you to increase your involvement in all that AIABaltimore has to offer. The pleasure of serving and the reward of making a difference cannot be denied.
Best wishes to Anthony Consoli, AIA, President 2016, as he carries our collaborative effort forward to continued success.
Hope, joy and cheer,

Rob Brennan, AIA
President, AIA Baltimore, 2015
Principal, brennan+company architects