Bruce D. Turner, AIA, of the New Jersey chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA-NJ), based in Trenton, N.J., was recently appointed to the 2009 Community Committee of the national board of AIA.

Turner, of Bruce D. Turner, Architect of Vineland, N.J., has been a member of AIA-NJ since 1985 and of AIA-NJ’s South Jersey section since 1986. He served as president of AIA-NJ in 2005 and president of the South Jersey section in 1995 and from 2000 through the present. He has also served on AIA-NJ’s Public Awareness Committee for eight years.

As a member of the AIA Board Community Committee, he will be charged with advising the board on a broad range of issues and initiatives bearing on the integration, facilitation and communication of the relationships of members to AIA, to each other and to society.

The focus of the committee for 2009 will be on what AIA can do to help increase member value, especially in light of the current economic downturn. The goal will be to identify actions that can be piloted in 2009. Turner will serve on a subcommittee that will also focus on membership issues.

“I’m very excited about this appointment, which will give me the opportunity to broaden my horizons beyond what is happening with AIA in New Jersey, as well as to make a contribution to the profession at large,” Turner said.

Turner is the sole proprietor of his firm, which provides architectural services to residential, commercial, retail and municipal clients. He holds a bachelor’s of architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Ind.