“I joined IIDA right out of college and was soon asked to join the local board, eventually becoming president of the Mid America chapter, Southwest chapter, a Fellow and the first elected international president. I invested in IIDA and was greatly rewarded with two enduring consequences. First, the opportunity to learn to lead – how to develop an idea, plan and organize a team of people to achieve a shared outcome. These experiences prepared me to confidently lead projects, present ideas and work effectively with clients and team members well beyond my years of professional practice experience. The second opportunity provided the platform to develop a personal, global network of designers, consultants, and resources that helped me deliver unique value to our clients. Many of those folks are still friends and cherished colleagues today. IIDA required a lot of my time and effort, but it had an important impact on the early days of my career, preparing me for future leadership positions in practice and scholarship that I could never have imagined as a new graduate. The return was much greater than my investment.”

Beth Harmon-Vaughan, FIIDA