RIAS has announced it has agreed to the request from secretary Neil Baxter Hon FRIAS Hon FRIBA, to leave the organisation after ten years’ service.
President Stewart Henderson said the senior management team “will continue to deal with all matters relating to the business of the Incorporation”.
The news came just days after an association called A New Chapter, consisting of Scottish architects, wrote an open letter to Mr Henderson voicing concerns at what they see as as a “lack of effectiveness, poor governance and insufficient financial accountability” in the organisation.
Responding to the news of Neil Baxter’s departure, A New Chapter issued the following statement: “Today’s Special Announcement from the RIAS confirming Neil Baxter’s resignation as secretary and treasurer raises more questions than answers. The timing of this announcement is interesting in light of previous questions raised in an open letter to our president of 12th September (based on information in the RIAS Summer Quarterly) regarding governance, finance, strategy and relevance.
“In the most recent RIAS Quarterly the president noted that a RIAS Governance Review Panel had conducted a strategy, which would herald a ‘clean bill of health’ for the organisation. Over the past few months A New Chapter has seen a surge in positive thoughts and ideas about what a progressive, 21st century organisation for architects in Scotland might look like, how it might behave and what it might do.
“We now look to our president and representatives on council to answer our ongoing questions and now, to clarify why the secretary and treasurer has tendered a sudden resignation.”
