Hill Day in Washington: Lauren McCabe Advocates for Housing, Education, and Design Freedom

We’re proud of Lauren McCabe, AIA, NCARB, LEED Green Associate, WELL AP and Spiezle Project Architect, who recently traveled to Washington, D.C. as an AIA Delaware Young Architect Representative (YAR), to join over 700 architect leaders from across the country for the annual Young Architects Forum (YAF) meeting and participate in a portion of the AIA’s 2026 Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.

As part of this experience, Lauren connected with fellow state YARs to better understand the role, learn how to serve Delaware’s emerging professionals, and bring back ideas that can strengthen engagement, communication, and leadership at the local level.

A key component of the Leadership Summit is Hill Day, where architects and chapter leaders meet directly with members of Congress and congressional staff to advocate for legislation impacting the profession and the built environment. During Hill Day this year, the AIA Delaware delegation met with staff for Senator Blunt Rochester, Senator Coons, and Representative McBride to support AIA priorities, including housing legislation, federal loan access for architecture students, the protection of design freedom for significant federal buildings, and the strengthening of Section 179D of the tax code.

Lauren stayed in DC for Hill Day to speak with these local politicians and further express AIA’s opinions on the open bills related to the built environment.

Here are a few key takeaways from Lauren:

• A clear view of the YAR: Meeting other state representatives helped Lauren better understand how to show up for Delaware’s young architects, AIA national, and what’s possible through the national network.
• Fresh perspective on the profession: Hearing how other firms operate—and how different regions are navigating similar challenges—continues to be eye-opening, especially around firm transparency and definitions of “success.” For Lauren, it’s a valuable reminder as an ESOP employee to keep leaning into open communication and shared understanding. This encourages her to look for practical ways to model that transparency in her day-to-day work and in how she supports others.
• A renewed sense of empowerment: One of the most impactful moments came from incoming AIA President Illya Azaroff, who told the group of young architects: “We are the group of disruptors that will make change within AIA.”
• A push to communicate more visually: AIA EVP/CEO Carole Wedge noted that architects often share information through long articles and text-heavy content, but we’re often sending it to visual learners. She’s reflecting on how to better convey information graphically to reach more people.
• Greater confidence in advocacy: Lauren’s stay for Hill Day to meet with local elected officials was a meaningful step personally, as it was an opportunity to build confidence speaking with decision-makers while representing the profession’s priorities.

For Lauren, the trip provided much value. She enjoyed coming home with a broader network, learning more about leadership within AIA, and having a stronger voice for both Delaware’s young architects and serving a part in the future of the profession.

To read more about the AIA Leadership Summit, click here.

To get involved and tackle urgent issues with AIA, visit the AIA Action Center.