Letter from Executive Vice President Lenore M. Lucey, FAIA
Executive Vice President Lenore M. Lucey, FAIA, shares her thoughts about the many initiatives underway at NCARB designed to improve NCARB's service to you and to the profession.

Mobile You
The current dire headlines don't deter smart business people who know how to keep their options open regardless of the state of the economy. Architects can expand their opportunities by getting an NCARB Certificate, which will give them the mobility to go after work wherever it is.

Architects of Regulation
NCARB has a staff of over 90 people who work to provide the best possible service to our customers and our Member Boards. Among these dedicated employees are nine architects who have each traveled a different path to licensure and bring a wealth of experience to NCARB.

Taking Customer Service Seriously: NCARB's Business Process Re-engineering
The desire to become an organization that delivers excellent, personalized customer service is the unifying theme that runs through NCARB's mission, vision, values, and strategic plan. To begin this make over, NCARB launched its Business Processing Re-engineering (BPR) initiative in the fall of 2007, and hired a Six Sigma expert, ICP International, to help us reinvent the Council's systems and processes.

The e-EVR: All Systems Go
Bill Seider, AIA, was one of the architects NCARB enlisted to pretest the new electronic Experience Verification Reporting system prior to its rollout last December. He is a past member of the Oregon Board of Architect Examiners and serves on the board of AIA/Oregon.

New Resource for IDP Supervisors
The IDP Supervisor Guidelines have been developed to assist supervisors' with their crucial role of guiding interns though the internship process.

NCARB Leads the Way
At the IPD Hearing last fall, a diverse group of industry experts affirmed that an architect's ability to retain "responsible control" when using new technology was critical to the public's safety.

Flying Through ARE 4.0
Learn one candidates experience of completing ARE 4.0. "I was excited to take the most current test available and the reorganized sections made it easier to focus my preparation," said Caleb Buland, one of the first people to pass all seven divisions of ARE 4.0.

The Upside of Promoting Licensure
Supporting interns on their path to licensure adds to a firm's long-term growth and marketability.

Green Heating and Cooling Design Practices
With the release of NCARB's newest monograph, Heating and Cooling Design for Buildings, there are now more than 25 titles in the NCARB monograph series. Each explores topics relevant to your practice, and provides a cost-effective way for you to meet AIA's health, safety, and welfare and sustainable design continuing education requirements.

NCARB Grant: Rewarding the Integration of Practice & Education
The NCARB Grant program awards a total of $10,000 each year to help schools create innovative programs that bring together architecture education and practice.

Collaterals Examine Accreditation Standards at ARC
NCARB focuses on increasing the integration of education, internship, and practice at the fall NAAB conference.

NCARB Offers First CE Seminar in Chicago
“The Hidden Risks of Green Buildings”—NCARB’s first Continuing Education Seminar offering three HSW/SD continuing education credits—premiers June 17.

2009 Annual Meeting and Conference Preview: All Eyes on Chicago
The 2009 NCARB Annual Meeting and Conference will be held in Chicago, IL, on June 17-20, 2009.

News Briefs
News Briefs: Staff Milestones NCARB Earns LEED-Silver

Member Board Round Up
News from NCARB's Member Boards.

Spec Writing 101
NCARB Record holders can earn one HSW/SD free by reading this informative article about specification writing and then taking the online quiz.

Who Needs a Spec Writer?
While some architects may cringe at the thought of writing a spec, others look at it as an opportunity to make an important contribution to a project. This mini-monograph looks at how specifications are developed and the important role they play in protecting the public’s health, safety, and welfare. It also describes the different methods of spec writing and identifies the variety of resources available to help architects and engineers understand and write clear specifications.