Brittany Meyer serves as Senior Director of Public Policy at the American Institute of Architects, where she leads federal advocacy efforts on priority issues including affordable housing, climate-responsive building standards, and codes modernization.
Prior to joining AIA, Brittany launched the American Lung Association's first-ever national policy program focused on indoor air quality, where she served as National Director of Policy for Healthy Indoor Air. While there, she established a strategic framework that aligned public health, housing, and environmental justice goals while commenting on green building and electrification rules affecting both residential and commercial buildings. Prior to that, she worked at organizations such as The Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Society for Neuroscience, where she developed expertise in working with Congress and federal agencies on health, science and disease related issues.
Courses
The Federal Budget and Its Impact on the Profession
Join us to hear from the AIA national advocacy team as they explain the structure and timeline of the federal budget process, including how appropriations affect architecture and vertical infrastructure programs. This course will highlight why the federal budget matters to architects and designers, and discuss how architects can engage in the budget cycle and support advocacy efforts. Discover how to connect federal spending priorities to opportunities and challenges facing the built environment and the profession. By translating complex fiscal policy into clear, actionable insights, this course aims to empower practitioners to anticipate funding trends, align services with public investment priorities, and engage in effective advocacy.
Federal Student Loans and Architects: What You Need to Know
Thursday, January 8, 2026 | 2-3pm ET
Federal student loan policy plays a significant role in shaping access to architectural education, early-career financial stability, and long-term workforce sustainability within the profession. As federal policies evolve, architects, firm leaders, and educators must understand how changes to borrowing limits, degree classifications, and repayment programs affect students, employees, and hiring pipelines. This course provides a comprehensive overview of current federal student loan structures and recent policy changes, with specific focus on their relevance to architectural education and practice. Participants will examine how these changes influence affordability of professional degrees, repayment strategies for existing borrowers, and firm-level considerations related to recruitment, retention, and career advancement. While individual loan counseling is outside the scope of this session, attendees will leave with a clear framework for evaluating impacts and identifying reliable resources for further guidance.