AIA Grand Rapids is proud to have sponsored the second session of AIA Detroit’s 2025 Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program (CKLDP), titled “Engaging Your Community.” Led by AIA Grand Rapids member Cassandra Dudlo and Tian Li, the session was made possible through the AIA Grand Rapids Member Leadership Grant Program, which supports professional development opportunities for our local members.

The CKLDP session started with a hands-on volunteer activity at Oakland Avenue Urban Farm, focusing on community service and environmental stewardship. This activity set a collaborative tone for the day. Following this, the cohort heard from guest speakers Laura Walker, RA, NOMA, and Audra D Carson.

The workshop highlighted the importance of community-led design, encouraging a focus on those affected by a project rather than just funders. It stressed intentional community engagement, especially for marginalized voices, and cautioned against superficial engagement methods like transactional surveys. Key takeaways included the importance of transparency, communicating constraints, incorporating feedback, and acknowledging the authorship of artists and community members through proper credit and compensation. The presenters emphasized that effective community engagement is ongoing and reflective, calling on practitioners to advocate within their firms, build coalitions, and pursue transformative engagement rooted in patience, persistence, and purpose.

A big congratulations to Cassandra Dudlo and Tian Li for leading this impactful session. AIA Grand Rapids is thrilled to have supported the AIA Detroit CKLDP and looks forward to future opportunities to foster leadership development in the architectural community.