2026 AGM wrap-up: Committee changes and president’s report
Katharina Hendel and Tim Lee. Photos: Andrew Sikorski
Following the recent RAA AGM, we have several executive and committee changes to share.
Tim Lee stepped down as RAA President, saying, “I look forward to our continued work connecting members across our vast and wonderfully complex country.”
Vice President, Katharina Hendel steps into the role of President, saying, “Regional Australia is where much of our future growth will happen… We are now focused on growing our membership nationally and amplifying our voice on behalf of regional practitioners and communities.”
Incoming Executive
Katharina Hendel, President
Edward Rosier, Vice President
Andrew Armstrong, Secretary
Photo: Natalie McComas
Phuong Le, Treasurer
Photo: Edwina Richards
Current committee member, Edward Rosier, becomes Vice President. Renee McGuinn, who brought significant clarity and rigorous process to the role of Treasurer, will hand over to Phuong Le. Andrew Armstrong takes on the role of Secretary. Both Phuong and Andrew have been on the committee since 2025.
Andrew takes over from Sarah Aldridge, who has achieved much for the Association, including helping to create the Handbook, a document that sets out the organisation’s processes and procedures and how it runs day to day.
Tim, Renee and Sarah will all remain on the committee to support a smooth transition.
OUTGOING Executive
Tim Lee.
Photo: Brett Boardman
Renee McGuinn
Sarah Aldridge
committee changes
Louisa Gee and Mark Sanders are stepping down from the committee, and we thank them both for their contribution to RAA.
Louisa Gee
Mark Sanders
We are also pleased to welcome new nominations to the RAA committee: Sam McQueeney of McMahon, McQueeney, Office in Tasmania, Luke Moloney of Luke Moloney Architecture in NSW, Can Ercan of Design34 in the ACT, and Lindy Atkin of Bark Architects on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
Sam McQueeney. Photo: Matt Sansom
Luke Moloney. Photo: Moss Manor
Can Ercan
Lindy Atkin. Photo: Keith Hamlyn
RAA 2026 Annual President’s Report
Tim Lee. Photo: Brett Boardman
REPORT DELIVERED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE REGIONAL ARCHITECTURE ASSOCIATION
Tim Lee, RAA President
October 2026
Five years ago, the founding committee of the Regional Architecture Association established a member focused association to represent and advocate for regional design practitioners.
The committee created a platform for providing support, advocacy and community to regional architects and our allied professionals. Since that first conference at Coffs Harbour in 2021, our Association has:
Developed clear and defined operational direction, employed a wonderful operations and event manager, Rhiannon Slatter, and our new administration assistant, Lauren Kennedy;
Established a program of face-to-face events across Australia, bringing together members and industry professionals;
Connected with practitioners across the nation;
Created a platform for continuing professional development;
Developed strong partnerships with industry associations through memorandums of understanding with the ACA, Parlour and Architeam;
Connected with regional universities, supporting undergraduate programs and developing graduate support programs;
Continued to undertake advocacy work responding to government and industry changes through consultation and written submissions; and
Continued to strengthen connection to local government and associated community bodies.
This year saw a new partnership with the Naomi Milgrom Foundation and its program, directing discourse on important future industry trends and directions.
We have developed and produced a journal (Field), truly representing the diversity and richness our regional practitioners bring to the communities in which we live and work. Field has broken the mould for architecture magazines.
We have partnered with the ARB to have the journal available in all NSW public libraries, and we have also secured placement of Field in Qantas airport lounges Australia-wide. Our second issue is well underway, and promises to build on the success of the first.
Most significantly, this year, our committee has taken stock, reflecting on the goals and challenges posed by our founding members through the initial strategic plan and our five years of growth and development.
The longevity and success of this Association requires constant engagement with our goals and directives to ensure we are agile, adaptable and, most importantly, a truly representative voice for regional practitioners.
Photo: Katharina Hendel
Photo: Cameron Anderson
Photo: Matt Cooper
Today, we are pleased to present our new strategic plan to guide the association through the next five years. The plan builds on the original goals and directions of the founding committee, with some important changes of focus to emphasise our regionality:
Rather than adopting a state-based structure, the growing Association takes a region-first approach, recognising that regional communities are connected across borders and differentiated by place. Our ongoing research program provides the statistical data to focus on regions lacking representation, and to strengthen those experiencing growth and change.
We are supporting member-initiated local group events and programs as a complement to our existing program of events.
We will be focusing on member-initiated projects and collaborations that meet the goals and aspirations of the Association as we look to grow our membership, deepen our connections to government and community, and encompass the vast and beautiful variety our regional areas offer us as a profession intimately connected to place, development and the championing of the value the profession brings.
The Association is also introducing honorary memberships to recognise those architects who have had a profound and long-lasting impact on our profession and regional practice. Details of the process are in the member area of our website, and the program is open for nominations.
Reinier de Graaf, a partner at OMA, argues in his new book, Architecture Against Architecture: A Manifesto (Verso, 2026), that the profession is in crisis. In his view, the cult of the starchitect and the glorification of the individual have eroded architecture’s credibility and our capacity for meaningful impact. He makes the case for the collective over the individual: recognising architecture as collaborative work and giving credit to the many voices behind every project, rather than a celebrated few.
I believe our Association is now well positioned to champion this approach. Our ability to impact the built environment through our collective presence is gaining momentum and recognition.
Moving forward, our Association has the capacity to link practice, place and culture to support and promote localised collectives capable of delivering significant projects within the communities that are our homes.
With these thoughts in mind, I applaud and celebrate the vision of the founding committee: Sarah Aldridge, Scott Carpenter, Brent Dunn, Tricia Helyer, Katharina Hendel, Chris Jenkins, Stephen Johansson, Marcus Piper, Virginia Wong See and founding President, Cameron Anderson — who created RAA and worked tirelessly to establish its foundations.
I will be stepping down as President with the election of the new committee this afternoon. I do intend to remain on the committee and continue working to support the association.
I would especially like to thank the committee and Rhiannon Slatter, and specifically the executive: Sarah, Katharina and Renee. Their dedication, support and drive are incredible. Being part of this association and working toward its growth and longevity has been a wonderful privilege. I am excited to see where RAA heads, and I am looking forward to the new energy this change in leadership will bring.
