Contact: Stephanie Kirschner SDA Phone: 800.711.8199 8190-A Beechmont Ave., #276 Cincinnati, OH 45255-6117 www.sdanational.org

PRESS RELEASE

Society for Design Administration announces the Seattle Chapter has received the 2015 Chapter Excellence Award

Cincinnati, April 3, 2015: The Society for Design Administration (SDA) announced today that the Seattle Chapter has won the prestigious 2015 Chapter Excellence Award. The Chapter Excellence Award (CEA) was developed to recognize a chapter’s excellence in promoting SDA’s Mission, to “advance management and administrative professionals in the A/E/C industry through education, networking, and resources.” The CEA is a comprehensive recognition program based on exceptional merit demonstrated in six categories: best practices, leadership/professional development, membership, communication, education and chapter governance. The point based system serves as a resource to help submitting SDA Chapters identify their strengths and inspire future growth. This award also provides a platform by which SDA Chapters can share their successes with other SDA Members and Chapters. The CEA becomes a platform for facilitating the innovation of new and creative ideas and concepts, thereby, enhancing and/or improving activities among other Chapters and SDA Members.

SDA Seattle’s focus on education is impressive, offering over 18 hours of continuing education credits covering all the professional emphasis groups, such as On the FAR Side of Government Contracting…Social Media 101 – LinkedIn and Facebook…Employee Engagement…Dump It, Save it, Archive It…Lean Principles for Lean Times.”

Their newsletter, Portico, delivers both relevant industry and chapter news to each of its members. Through their newsletter and website www.sda-seattle.org, the chapter shares news and ideas with other chapters. They use Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter as additional means of communication with their members and the community at large. The chapter regularly uses Skype for their monthly board meetings.

SDA Seattle has grown their membership by 24% in the past year. They altered delivery methods for their education events, offering morning, noon and evening events. They created a five year chapter mission statement, by 2019 to “grow chapter membership by 100% and enhance our dynamic, Northwest professional community of A/E/C administrators and managers by creating opportunity for career growth through education and peer interaction.”

“If what they have accomplished to date is any indication, SDA Seattle will meet and no doubt exceed their goals for 2019,” wrote the jury.

FOR IMMEDIATE RLEASE MORE SDA RELEASES 2015 CHAPTER EXCELLANCE AWARD WINNER PAGE 2

The Jury John E. Bredehorst, PE, LEED AP, an Executive Vice President and Managing Director of WSP, oversees more than 250 technical and support personnel in the New York Office. His management background is illuminated through his years as a project manager coordinating all trade disciplines with the overall project team consultants. His vast experience with electrical and mechanical systems has made him a vital asset in the design and successful completion of numerous projects, both nationally and internationally. John holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Harford.

Joan Capelin, Hon. AIA, Fellow PRSA, FSMPS is a strategist, writer, and coach who consults solely to design professionals and the construction industry – in fact, was one of the very first public relations counselors to serve professional service firms exclusively. Former Chair of the Public Relations Society of America College of Fellows and founder of its GoodFellows, Joan has lectured widely and written articles, chapters, and three books on public relations principles and process. A Wellesley College graduate with a Middlebury College Graduate School in Paris Masters Degree studying on a Fulbright Grant, she received the Society for Marketing Professional Services’ Marketing Achievement Award and the distinction of being named PRSA NY’s 2001 outstanding PR professional.

Frances Halsband, FAIA is a founding partner of Kliment Halsband Architects. She has been the lead designer for numerous award-winning projects for educational, cultural, civic, and government clients. She has served as Dean of the School of Architecture at the in New York, has been visiting distinguished professor of design at many universities, has served as an architectural advisor to , , and Smith College, is a member of the Architectural Review Board of the Federal Reserve Bank, on the Advisory Board of the U.S. Department of State Foreign Buildings Operations, and is a former Commissioner of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Frances was the first woman to be elected president of the New York Chapter of the AIA, has served as president of the Architectural League of New York. Frances received a Bachelor of Arts from and a Master of Architecture from .

Jury comments “SDA Seattle had a great line-up of programs all relevant to our industry. They provided a 36% increase in continuing education units, enough (18.75) so that their certified members did not have to look outside of the chapter to get the 18 annual CEUs required to maintain certification.”

“SDA Seattle’s Jobline generated $1,000 in revenue and provided a vital asset to the A/E/C community.”

“Their newsletter, Portico, is beyond miraculous.”

The winning chapter will be honored during EDConnect15, SDA's inaugural virtual conference held May 4-8, 2015.

About the SDA (The Society for Design Administration) SDA is the largest national organization for A/E/C business professionals and its mission is to advance these business professionals and their firms through education, networking, and resources. More information is available at www.sdanational.org.