Fiona Watkins Election Statement

Proposer and Seconder: the BIID Council of Directors

Statement: 
I have been a Director for 2 years now and would love to continue to be part of the team shaping the future of the institute but especially to carry on with the project I am currently involved with, the Professional Practice Committee. 
I have always been an enthusiastic member of the BIID and a proactive advocate of the Institute. As a regional based member, I have actively encouraged designers within my region to seek membership and been instrumental in partnering with regional trades shows. I am passionate about increasing our membership and promoting the benefits of being part of this wonderful supportive institute. Being a member has made a huge difference to me personally, giving me confidence, but more importantly our clients are reassured by the fact that myself and team members are part of such a well regarded professional body, ensuring their project is in good hands.
I have been honoured to represent the BIID sitting on the judging panel for the Northern Design Awards, and being a Site Assessor for the BIID awards, a job which I do not take lightly and am very diligent and thorough with my assessments. 
I am very supportive of the BIID’s commitment to education and developing designers who join at associate or provisional level and their path to becoming fully fledged members. I currently chair the Professional Practice Committee, where we are hoping to streamline the pathway to registration as per the recently updated Professional Review. We are focusing on the 8 core competencies to form the structure of the pathway but also want to ensure that we approach this coherently as part of the overall ethos of the institute. We see membership as a life long journey and want to ensure we keep our members engaged, creating an inclusive, supportive environment for all. 
Sustainability is something else I am very passionate about, having implemented many changes in my own practice to help reduce our carbon footprint, seeking more locally based suppliers with a closer to home attitude and challenging our suppliers particularly on their use of unsustainable packaging. 
I am incredibly proud to be part of such an amazing organisation that offers its members such valuable support and resources and promise to work hard if I do continue to be part of the team of Directors.