ST. PETE BEACH, Fla., April 9, 2021 — (PRNewswire) —  Vicki Long, CAE, the executive vice president and CEO of the Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects, announced her retirement Friday at the association's quarterly board meeting. For 17 years, she guided the association through unprecedented growth and challenges, gaining both national and international recognition.

"I've been in the association and legislative arena for 32 years," said Long, the first woman executive vice president and CEO of AIA Florida. "Neither are considered particularly low key. I look forward to pulling back on the throttle a bit."

Under her leadership, forged from years of working for the Florida Legislature, Long aggressively set about to create a state-of-the-art ground game for grassroots advocacy. Victories include protecting Florida's qualifications-based selection process for design services, leading efforts to resist a sales tax on architectural services, working with a consortium of business associations to replace Florida's joint and several liability laws with proportional liability regulations, and spearheading efforts to resurrect and update architect and engineering fee guidelines for the first time in nearly 30 years.

"Vicki Long's leadership in government affairs and legislative issues has been a major influence in protecting and enhancing the practice of architecture in Florida," said Tampa architect Mickey Jacob, FAIA, a past president of both AIA and AIA Florida. "Her work, accomplishments and ideals have set a standard of excellence that we all strive to achieve."

Nationally, Long earned a reputation of excellence, with plaques from the Washington, D.C.-based national headquarters of the American Institute of Architects lining the walls at AIA Florida's Tallahassee office. Long served as president of the AIA National Council of Component Executives, or CACE, and as a member of the AIA board and CACE representative to the AIA Executive Committee, where she worked tirelessly to improve components' relationship with the Institute. She's also been made an honorary member of the AIA.

"Vicki's outstanding leadership made AIA Florida a leader in the design and construction industry, and she has helped to defend and enhance the practice of architecture in Florida," AIA Florida President Ignacio Reyes, AIA, NCARB, said. "Our 3,900 members reap the benefits of her work every day in their practices around the state." 

As part of AIA's National Executive Committee and Governance subcommittee, Long helped reshape the governance structure of the national association. She shepherded a similar restructuring in the state organization, reducing the board by more than half and creating a strategic council to guide the near and far future of the organization on issues such as sea-level rise and as far-reaching as international opportunities for Florida's architects.

Long established the People's Choice award program, which allows Florida's non-architectural community to recognize excellence in Florida architecture as an outgrowth of AIA Florida's celebration of its 100^th anniversary in 2012. She also broadened Florida architects' exposure through expanding the annual design juries to international locations such as London, Tokyo and Paris.

"My work with AIA Florida has been a true labor of love," Long said. "I've been rewarded with phenomenal organizational and legislative outcomes."

Long, a graduate of the University of Florida and a past chair of the Florida Society of Association Executives, plans to remain in Tallahassee, where she will offer consulting and interim CEO services to associations. AIA Florida will conduct a national search for a replacement to coincide with Long's anticipated fall 2021 retirement.

Contact: Beth Colvin
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SOURCE Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects