Check Out Jeffrey Gill’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Gill.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve had a very full and diverse architectural career. I’ve worked with small and large multi-office firms, giving me a diverse range of experience and client/staff interaction. In the early nineties, I was one of the first architects working in China. This was pre-modernization – no freeways, no high rises. I gained respect for the Chinese people creating their own enterprises and work ethic, which resonated through my own experiences. In my years running a large office, I taught classes to brokerage firms nationwide on how to design ‘good’ retail experiences. I wrote many articles, served on juries, and spoke at conferences nationally and internationally on retail design. During this time, I engaged the AIA, where over time I served as the AIA Orange County president, AIA California president, and a Director on the AIA national board. I received my Fellowship in the AIA, an honor bestowed on only 3% of its members in 2013 for leadership.

During this AIA period, I learned the importance of the AIA in helping shape careers. In 2012 I was approached about serving as the Executive Director for AIA Orange County. At that point, I made a career shift excepting the position as a way for me to give back to an Institute that had done so much to shape my life and career. It was a way for me to mentor and help others. I still remain active as an architect – architecture is part of my dna. But my main focus is AIA driven. I have and continue to serve on many AIA State and National boards and committees, and feel my life experience and AIA leadership as an architect adds value to AIA membership. AIA Orange County has continued to grow under my directorship. We are noted for helping other chapters and have won State and National AIA awards for programs and member leadership.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Architecture isn’t a career you choose, it chooses you. Many in our industry will say they knew at a young age they were destined to be an architect. In my case, I was seven. My first experience was sitting on the floor while a friend of my parents, a partner at SOM San Francisco rolled out a set of drawings and walked me through them.

My career started with struggles. It was a deep recession and not enough work to support our profession. I was laid off many times not due to commitment or work ethic but due to being the youngest in the office. Now, this was pre-computer. I hit the pavement with a set of drawings and always landed a new job within one week. Yes, there’s been other bumps. Including a huge one in 2008 when work dried up. It was my AIA involvement that kept me active and moving forward. Those AIA connections created my next job and ultimately, Executive Director of AIA Orange County.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I chose this to talk more about my experience with the AIA rather than my own personal experience as an architect. What makes me unique in this Executive Director role is it is rare to have an AIA member work as ‘staff’. It means I can relate to member’s issues, concerns and create unique opportunities to add ‘value to AIA membership – because I am a member and need the same learning units as everyone else. As an example of a ‘unique’. California licensure requires 5 ADA learning units every two years. AIAOC created an ADA tour of a park by the Montage in Laguna Beach, the end of which finished on the beach. When members got to that part of the tour and realizing there was still a lot of time left they quickly found out the next step in this tour was heading to the beach to create ADA sandcastles! AIAOC has won national AIA awards for our student design competition, a collaborative event working with local colleges to help students advance to accredited schools of architecture. We won a national AIA award for our programs and won a state award for how we integrate emerging professionals into all that we do – programs, committees, and Board service.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Perfect timing since we are hosting a virtual mentorship program this month. Mentorship is a key component of the AIA to help advance our younger generation of design professionals. It’s important to understand what the mentoree needs in a way that is relevant to their generation. Engage them in the process of mentorship. Quite often the roles, mentor and mentoree are interchangeable with both learning from each other.

In the case of networking, when I ran a large firm I participated in many large conferences that had networking opportunities. My ‘mentor, a firm partner taught me a valid lesson. As everyone else was running around trying to make introductions, John said ‘just stand by the main door because everyone has to pass through it’. He was right and many connections still relevant today came from those initial ‘doorway’ introductions.

Contact Info:

• Email: jgill@aiaoc.org
• Website: aiaorangecounty.org