AIA Alaska had five representatives at this year’s AIA Leadership Summit, held February 11-14, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

The representatives were our Young Architect Forum member ChungTse Lin from Bettisworth North in Fairbanks; architectural preservationist Sam Combs, AIA, Combs and Combs, from Anchorage;  retired historic architect James Malanaphy, who currently resides in St. Paul, MN; AIA Alaska Treasurer Michelle Klouda, Principal Architect with GHD in Anchorage; and AIA Alaska President-elect Bill Kontess, FAIA, Associate VP with Michael Baker International, also in Anchorage.

The Leadership Summit is AIA’s premier advocacy and leadership training event and was attended by nearly 700 members. A highlight of the Summit was the five Alaska Chapter representatives meeting with Senators Sullivan and Murkowski, along with members of their staff, and Representative Begich’s staff to discuss four pieces of legislation dealing with the housing shortage, professional designation and student loan caps, design freedom for federal architecture, and continued advocacy for high performance building innovation credit. The Senators and staff were very generous with their time, and the Alaska Chapter representatives were able to have a thoughtful and productive dialogue with everyone.

Following the day on the Hill, the group participated in numerous interactive seminars designed to spark dialogue with fellow architects from nationwide chapters, and share visions and experiences regarding advocacy; and addressing issues that are of most concern to our profession. For the Alaska representatives, there was much discussion on development and retention of future architects in Alaska.