American Institute of Architects new president wants to make a

As the new president of the Portland Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Amy Miller Dowell hopes her experience will help make a difference.

"I have a lot of experience working with architectural skills at the urban design level," Miller Dowell said.

Miller Dowell has worked as a project manager for the Portland Development Commission for four years. She has worked on several downtown redevelopment projects including the Midtown Park Blocks, Downtown Waterfront Development Opportunities Project and Cooper Street Bungalow Courts, which was the winner of the 2000 Governor's Livability Award.

Miller Dowell attended the University of California, Berkeley, for her undergraduate education and received a joint master's degree for architecture and science in historic preservation from Columbia University.

"I decided I wanted to restore things," Miller Dowell explained.

Miller Dowell also teaches annually as an adjunct member of the architecture department faculty at the University of Oregon and has taught architectural design at UC Berkeley.

Included with her educational background in architecture, Miller Dowell has years of experience working in the architecture field. She worked for architecture firms in New York and San Francisco before coming to Portland.

"I worked on a lot of housing and urban design projects," Miller Dowell explained.

Miller Dowell moved to Portland in 1996.

"I have been very impressed living here," Miller Dowell said. "It is a very design-savvy city. It really feels like people can make a difference here."

As president of Portland AIA, Miller Dowell hopes she can make the organization a leader and resource in the community.

"My aim is to make sure it is an effective organization," Miller Dowell said.

Miller Dowell would like to accomplish three main goals as president of Portland AIA. Her first goal is to attract a more diverse membership to the organization. The second goal is to improve the communication and effectiveness of the board of directors, committees and members of the organization. Her third goal is to provide leadership and resources to the community.

Accomplishing these goals would be very satisfying, she said.

"I am very honored and excited to be president of Portland AIA this year," Miller Dowell said. "There is a satisfaction in volunteering and knowing that you can make a difference."

Richard Mitchell, vice president with Group Mackenzie Inc., will serve with Miller Dowell as president-elect of Portland AIA this year and become the president next year.

"Amy brings in a different perspective," Mitchell explained, "she will have a good influence on the direction we take this year.

"I think she will handle the position well," Mitchell said, "she knows these things first hand."

Mitchell said Portland AIA will try to be more of an outreach organization this year and also a stronger more meaningful organization for its members.

One of the biggest changes, Mitchell explained, is that Portland AIA will try to make an impact in the community in a number of different ways, and also help to promote the value of the profession.

"We're doing what we can to make the role of the architect more visible, so that the community can see the value that we have," Mitchell said. "There are still some challenges ahead."

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