Category: Advocacy

2026 AIA Leadership Summit & Capitol Hill Day

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AIA Long Beach/South Bay was proud to be represented at the 2026 AIA Leadership Summit in Washington, DC by President Casey Chapin, AIA; 2027 President-elect Allie Schieble Harding, AIA; and Executive Director Des Gemigniani.

The annual summit convenes AIA volunteer leaders and executive directors from across the country to strengthen chapter leadership, align around national priorities, and advocate for the architectural profession during Hill Day on Capitol Hill.

Hill Day Advocacy Priorities

During meetings with members of Congress and their staff, our delegation advanced several key federal priorities critical to architects, our clients, and the communities we serve:

  • Design Freedom for Federal Architecture – Supporting policies that protect design excellence, sustainability, and community-responsive public buildings.
  • Opposition to Arbitrary Fee Limitations on Federal Contracts – Ensuring fair and transparent procurement processes that allow architects to deliver high-quality work.
  • Housing Policy Advancement – Strengthening programs such as the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), and Workforce Housing Tax Credit to address the national housing shortage.
  • Community Resiliency & Hazard Mitigation – Supporting FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance, the Resilient AMERICA Act, and The Shelter Act to invest in disaster preparedness and long-term resilience.
  • Tax Incentives for Architects & the Built Environment – Advocating for preservation and enhancement of tools such as the R&D Tax Credit, R&D Expensing, 199A Pass-Through Deduction, 179D Energy-Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction, and the Historic Tax Credit.

These conversations emphasized the essential role architects play in delivering safe, sustainable, equitable, and economically vibrant communities.

Congressional Offices Visited

Our delegation – which included Niloofar Badihi, AIA, 2027 President-elect of AIA Orange County, met with the offices of:

  • Dave Min, CA-47
  • Mark Takano, CA-39
  • Maxine Waters, CA-43

We are grateful for the time and thoughtful engagement of each office and for their ongoing partnership on issues affecting housing, climate resilience, federal procurement, and economic opportunity throughout Southern California.

Participation in the Leadership Summit reinforces AIA Long Beach/South Bay’s commitment to advocacy at every level — local, state, and federal — ensuring that the voice of architects remains strong in shaping policies that impact our profession and our communities.

Casey Roccanova, AIA – Committee Member

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Casey Roccanova. AIA
Casey Roccanova. AIA

Casey Roccanova, AIA, NCARB is a licensed architect and Native Californian raised in Los Angeles and Orange County, with a deep appreciation for the rich cultural and architectural diversity of her home state. She earned both her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Architecture from Tulane School of Architecture in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she experienced the city before and after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. This pivotal moment in her life sparked a strong interest in urban design, particularly in relation to waterfronts and resilient city planning.

While at Tulane, Casey further broadened her perspective by studying European cities on the water, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Venice, Barcelona, and Bilbao. These experiences fueled her curiosity about sustainable design and the ways in which architecture can enhance the relationship between cities and their natural environments.

After returning to Los Angeles, Casey began her career working in high-end residential design before transitioning into the fields of Higher Education, Entertainment, and Healthcare. Over the course of more than a decade, she honed her expertise in hospital and medical office building design, focusing on creating environments that support both the health of individuals and the vitality of the communities they serve.
Today, Casey is a key member of Studio One Eleven, where she is dedicated to improving cities through thoughtful design. She is particularly passionate about adaptive reuse, working to revitalize existing structures and create spaces where communities can thrive and grow while preserving their unique culture and character.

Outside of her professional life, Casey enjoys spending time with her husband and two beautiful daughters, who inspire her every day to make a positive impact on the world around them. Whether on adventures with her family or tackling complex urban challenges, Casey remains deeply committed to building a better, more sustainable future for generations to come.

Lance Collins, AIA – Co-Chair

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Lance Collins, AIA
Lance Collins, AIA

Mr. Collins is a licensed architect and a LEED Accredited Professional and is currently a Principal at Partner Energy and Director of the Sustainability/Green Certifications team providing design consulting, and project management for projects pursuing green certification such as LEED, GreenPoint Rated and others; Zero Net Energy, energy modeling, commissioning, and HERS verifications.  He has over twenty years of experience in architecture, urban design, and sustainable design consulting, his experience includes design, construction administration, building energy / water benchmarking and analysis, resource conservation measures, and green certification project management. Mr. Collins is also a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor, a Green Globes Professional, a Green Globes Assessor, and an ARC Performance professional. He has provided design and consulting solution for various types of buildings including institutional, office, mixed-use, retail, schools, and multifamily residential properties. Mr. Collins has led the completion of more than 50 Green certified projects including LEED Platinum and Net-Zero projects for new buildings and existing construction for Partner Energy clients.

In addition to his professional experience, Mr. Collins is the President of the Southern California Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (SoCalNOMA), on the Homefree Champions Advisory Board for the Healthy Buildings Network, a member of the AIA-LA committee on Affordable Housing and was the founding Co-Chair of the US Green Building Council Long Beach Branch. He also lecturers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and is a design juror at the USC School of Architecture, Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), and at Cal Baptist University. He has also been an adjunct professor at Long Beach City College and has been a guest speaker at many local colleges, for professional organizations, and at national conferences teaching green building principles and sustainable design strategies. His work and writings have been featured in multiple publications including, Metropolis Magazine, Sustainable Industries, and Commercial Observer. Mr. Collins was born and raised in Seattle Washington and is a graduate of the Cornell University school of Architecture, Art, and Planning and the University of California Los Angeles School of Architecture and Urban Design. He currently resides in Long Beach, California.

Casey Chapin, AIA – Co-Chair

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Casey Chapin, AIA
Casey Chapin, AIA

Casey Chapin, AIA, LEED AP BD+C has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2021 and will serve as President for the 2026 term. He is co-chair of the Advocacy Committee, past chair of the EDI Committee, and past Secretary. Casey grew up in Costa Mesa, California, where an early interest in art and skateboarding ultimately grew into a love of architecture. After graduating from the U.C. Berkeley College of Environmental Design and working on small-scale design projects with friends, he began a career at LPA Design Studios that has continued since 2007. He currently works out of their Irvine Studio as a Project Designer, with a focus on Civic and Cultural projects. Casey is passionate about design and believes in the power of architecture to uplift communities and create meaningful social change. He lives in Long Beach with his wife, Sara and their two small dogs, Tuey and Ruth.