It feels like just yesterday that Stacey and I took on the challenge of leading our chapter into its next 25 years as Co-Presidents.

It’s been a great ride.

When we took on the leadership of the chapter, we had two main goals: strengthen the board, and increase visibility through partnerships with other organizations with similar missions as our own. Since then, we’ve met amazing people, on the board as well as off, and have worked with talented professionals who bring passion and excitement to the design community in Baltimore: Gilah Press + Design, SHAG, Production Club of Baltimore, Baltimore Print Studios, AIA, AMA, AAF, PGMA, Girl Develop It, Technically Baltimore, and many others who have all been our advocates, standing alongside us as we’ve pushed ourselves into the art scene.

Design Week 2014 was a hit. We renewed our partnership with the Baltimore Museum of Art, kicking off it’s 101st year with innovative ideas. ADG Creative once again opened its doors to us, hosting the Baltimore Ravens marketing team. We had a fantastic panel on design in the nonprofit sector. One of our favorite annual events, the Type Race, set design enthusiasts on a scavenger hunt from Federal Hill to Canton to locate characters hidden within Baltimore’s architecture. And, this past year during the Studio Tours (my personal favorite), we got an inside look at some awe-inspiring firms, from Groove Commerce, to Storyfarm, to Eyebyte Solutions (also our design week branding partner), and Hyperspace. As we move into the next century of AIGA, we’ll continue to branch out, becoming even more inclusive with our programming while also offering inspiration for anyone in the many areas of design.

While we wrap up our two year co-presidency (and three year terms), we have countless people to thank for their support. But this is not goodbye. Stacey and I are both very excited to continue supporting the community locally and nationally in our new roles on the Chapter Advisory Council for the national AIGA board, as well as in our new full-time jobs as Creative Director for Tenable Network Security and Industry Specialist for the School of Design at Stevenson University, respectively. We are thankful for all we’ve learned while leading the board and for the opportunity to be on the forefront of the design conversation that helped propel us into the next level in our careers.

Our board has short terms because we believe that the chapter belongs to its members. By cycling through our leadership we keep our ideas fresh, staying in touch with current issues affecting our industry. Our primary mission continues to be concerned with the conversation of design and I certainly hope our modest contribution has rippled through this wonderful community.

We leave the board in Vanessa Ulrich‘s capable hands. As our Visibility Director, Vanessa has been an incredible leader. During our board retreat in March of 2014, the board voted unanimously in her favor. She has the ability to mentor and motivate her fellow board members and listen to the needs of the design community. It was her impeccable professionalism that made her a clear choice and we can’t wait to see what the new board brings under its new leadership.

The state of our board is healthy and strong. Our chapter continues to be fueled by 100% volunteers, generously giving their time to bring you inspiration and ideas that hopefully will inform your work for years to come. When we started, we had to dig for the amazing people that have volunteered for the board. Now, we have a growing wait list of designers and enthusiasts who would like to take their turn and give back.

Thank you to all the volunteers that supported us throughout the years. Thank you to the organizations that partnered with us. Thank you to the attendees, blog readers, Twitter followers, and design advocates.

We are honored and proud for the time we served on the AIGA Baltimore board.

Jennifer Marin & Stacey Fatica
Follow us: @hungry4design & @staceyfatica