Long Live IAIA Sections: Member Connections That Matter
A message from IAIA CEO Gary Baker
We’ve just wrapped up a full round of IAIA Section meetings, and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our incredible Section chairs. They do a heroic job—entirely on a volunteer basis—providing structure, leadership, and, crucially, sustained momentum throughout the months between in-person gatherings.
A big thank you as well to all members who joined the calls, often at inconvenient hours. (We know the time zones can be a challenge and do our best to rotate meeting times fairly.) Your participation strengthens one of the most vital pillars of IAIA: our Sections. These groups drive the creation and maintenance of key member resources like FasTips, Best Practice documents, and Key Citations—materials that serve not only experienced practitioners, but also newcomers seeking to explore and understand the field of impact assessment.
Many Sections are currently updating these resources, ensuring they remain relevant and practical. Sections are also frequent sources of proposals for webinars and other learning opportunities in partnership with IAIA HQ—another way your input can shape the professional development of our global community.
We encourage continued discussion via the IAIA Hub, where Section forums are open to all members. Whether you’re a seasoned specialist or just curious to learn more about a particular area, the Sections are your entry point to a wealth of shared knowledge—and to the experts behind it.
Each Section is guaranteed at least one session at the IAIA annual conference. This latest round of meetings was timed to support collaboration and proposal development ahead of the July 28 session proposal deadline. Another round of virtual meetings is planned before the abstract submission deadline to keep that momentum going. But these formal meetings are only the beginning—they’re meant to spark more informal collaboration and connection throughout the year.
While nothing replaces the energy and emotional connection of seeing colleagues face-to-face at our conferences (a joy that no amount of AI can replicate!), the ongoing dialogue and exchange of ideas through Section meetings are equally essential to the value of IAIA membership through the network it provides.
So, if you haven’t yet, explore what your fellow members are working on—join a Section meeting later this year or dip into the conversations already happening on the Hub. Section chairs are always happy to hear your ideas, welcome offers of help, or just engage with a bit of passing curiosity.
Don’t be shy—IAIA Sections are where the magic happens.
