President’s Message
The Board has been an active participant in the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) for many years. Our history with NCARB has had many ups and downs. At one point, the Board developed the California Architectural Licensing Examination as an alternative to the national exam due to differences with NCARB. From there, the Board worked diligently to become a collaborative member of NCARB in an effort to shape national issues. We now have strong participation in NCARB committees and I have had the privilege of serving on the NCARB Board of Directors from 2010 to 2012.
Our participation in NCARB is critical to ensure fair and reasonable standards for candidates seeking licensure and architects seeking reciprocity. At the NCARB Regional Summit in March, there was much debate on Resolution A. Resolution A would preclude architects without a degree from qualifying for the NCARB Certificate. The NCARB Certificate is an invaluable tool that promotes the ability to practice in other states. In fact, 24 states require the Certificate for reciprocity. That means that if Resolution A passes, California architects without a degree will not be able to practice in half of the NCARB member jurisdictions, including our neighboring state of Nevada.
The Board was the main advocate in opposition to the resolution. The resolution will be voted on at the NCARB Annual Meeting and Conference in June. Each year, the Board must seek approval from the Department of Consumer Affairs, our cabinet agency, and the Governor’s Office to travel to out-of-state meetings to represent California. At our Sunset Hearing in March, the Board discussed the criticality of participating in NCARB. Resolution A provides a tangible case study as to why the Board must be present to advocate for our needs. Hopefully, our ability to participate will be persuasive and clearly demonstrate the need for our active presentation. If California were to be absent, Resolution A could be easily approved, to the detriment of many of our architects who need to practice in other states so they can expand our economy and add jobs in California.
I look forward to representing the needs of California and hope that our efforts to promote multiple pathways to reciprocity succeed.