Our new chapter president, Jimmy Moss shares his vision, values and plan for the chapter

I am humbled, and honored to serve as your leader for the next two years. I will use this forum to focus on a number of ideas I'd like to share with you, and challenge you with, in coming months. We've actively begun implementing an ambitious and exciting plan for the Chapter.

It is my personal dream to build a relevant, engaged, and synergistic set of interrelated communities of design professionals (in the broadest sense of the term) throughout the Los Angeles region, that you not only will be proud of but you will want to engage others in. I believe strongly that this is the appropriate role of AIGA/LA to facilitate this process.

Our Chapter is embarked on a renewed effort to connect, inspire, stimulate and support all design professionals throughout the arc of their careers regardless of geography or sub-discipline. AIGA's national mission, expressed through our now 65 local chapters, is to "advance designing as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force." As the result of a strategic planning process that has occurred over the past couple of years, we've plotted a course that will quickly move us toward these goals. You can see some of the background of the efforts, and ideas that have led up to this exciting point, here.

I'm committed to building an organization where we provide rich, growing, energizing, enlightening and rewarding experiences for everyone who participates in the efforts, at whatever level they chose to engage. If you are looking to develop, inspire, share, connect, build, explore and learn, I encourage you to participate in this grand experiment. We already have begun to gather together a very exciting, every-growing group of people involved in this effort. Won't you join us?

As we move forward, I want to take a moment to acknowledge our recent past, and express my deep gratitude to members of the previous board, whose terms are now complete. Their contributions are innumerable, and often unseen by most, but nonetheless, have been of immense value to the organization. Jane Lee, Jill Finley, Haven Lin-Kirk, Kim Flum, Raz Ignatian, Nat Bolton. All of these folks have served tirelessly in furthering excellence in design as a broadly-defined discipline, strategic tool for business and cultural force, on behalf of all of us, in the Los Angeles design community.

Agustin Garza's term as advisor, is now completed, and his contributions have been both important and tireless. Louise Sandhaus has agreed to continue to serve, as a Board advisor, and we appreciate that immensely. Our Senior Advisors David Goodman, Toni Hollander-Morse, and Nan Faessler have been instrumental in helping steer the Board for many many years. We hope to have their continued guidance for many years to come.

I particularly want to thank Michael Lejeune and David Mayes, for their service. Both Michael and David have generously agreed to stay on, as Advisors to the Board, and we are grateful to have their experiences to draw upon, as we move forward.

I hope that you will consider joining with us, and sharing in the rewards that come from co-creation. I look forward to seeing, meeting, and working with you, as we move forward.

Yours,
Jimmy