Jennifer Cosgrove, AIA is an architect and urban planner living and working in Ketchum, ID. She is licensed in both Idaho and California. She has won awards from AIA Idaho, AIA/LA, and the American Institute of Landscape Architects. She served as AIA SFx Regional Representative for Northwest and Pacific from 2019-2021. In 2022, she became a member of the SFx Executive Committee as ViceChair for Conference, as well as the Idaho State Representative when SFx changed from a regional model to a state model. In 2021, the decision was made to change the organizational structure of the Small Firm Exchange (SFx). With the elimination of the regional structure within the AIA, the leadership framework also changed. In the beginning of 2022, the process of onboarding all the new state representatives began, and when the annual meeting was held last year, it was the first with a board representative of the new structure. The representation of small firms throughout the country is now coordinated through a network of state representatives who will become the key contact for small firms to turn to when they have questions or needs they are looking to fulfill. The goal is to have every state represented and to help connect small firms with the resources and information available to them through the AIA. AIA ID recently sat down with Jennifer to discuss her experience as the SFx Regional Representative and to get her advice for small firms, leadership, and her replacement moving forward. The following is a brief recap of our conversation. What have you learned about the challenges small firms face in Idaho and the U.S. at large? We talked a lot as a group about the challenges small firms face because of the lack of access to important resources that larger firms take for granted. Affordable health insurance, lien protection, and the cost of technology are examples where small firms are at a disadvantage. Also, marketing — small firms often do not have time or resources to promote their work through seeking awards, publication, or entering a competition, things that larger firms with a marketing staff or just more staff do regularly. Additionally, strong leadership is important, and supporting young architects through mentoring and paid internships. What was most valuable about your time serving as the AIA SFx Regional Representative? It was definitely the camaraderie and getting to know so many architects practicing in small firms, which always reminds me of how many different ways there are of practicing architecture. From sole practitioners to firms with 10 employees, there are commonalities but also some unique challenges. Also, the differences between states — Idaho and Montana have very different issues than Washington and Oregon. Often working in a small firm, or a small town can start to feel myopic. SFx makes you feel part of a larger community with mutual goals and interests. What advice do you have for the next AIA SFx State Representative now that the regional model has been dissolved? We transitioned from the Regional Representative system to a State Representative system this past year. It can be a bit chaotic at times with so many new voices, but it has added a lot of fresh ideas to what can be accomplished by SFx. A Conversation with Outgoing SFx Regional Representative Jennifer Cosgrove AIA Small Firm Exchange 30 AIA IDAHO ARCHITECTURE | 2023 | aiaidaho.com
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