2017 Emerging Leaders Discuss Community Activism

This month’s Emerging Leaders session was one of the more personal sessions with Pete DeLisle, Hon. AIA. Determining our personal and professional priorities, goals, and values was the main activity.
The class spent some time writing their thoughts and discussing more broadly, the management of stress, personal lives, family, and the importance of health in our profession. Having navigated through a majority of conversations on leadership throughout the year, the class was given the opportunity to document goals and values for the future, creating a guide and benchmark that they could continue to use as they progress through their careers and lives.

The class concluded with a panel discussion on community activism. Panelists included Jessica Burnham (Executive Director of the Deep Ellum Foundation), Krista Nightengale (Managing Director of Better Block Foundation), and Ryan Behring (Entrepreneur, Designer, and Advocate). The panelists opened up with introductions and discussed their roles at their respective organizations in relation to community activism. Since activism is a large part of these panelists’ work on a day-to-day basis, it was incredible to hear stories, encounters, and projects that each is involved in that are looking to make communities better. The panel also discussed some of the road blocks and difficulties that they share working towards their goals, and how flexible communities and organizations could be. The most important points of the discussion centered on the role of architects in society, and the power architects have, to propose and make changes that help create a better world.

Written by Sean Falloon