On my desk I have a photograph of the church my parents attended as children. I took it a few years ago when my wife and I had the privilege of visiting, with them, the village in Latvia where they grew up. Their families fled Soviet annexation at the outset of World War II, settling in the Midwest after spending the war as refugees.

The picture is of the church's cornerstone, dated 1495. The tallest structure in town, this building has been the focal point of that community for more than 500 years. The postwar buildings around it are crumbling, victims of shoddy construction and uninspired design. The church remains a symbol of the people's faith and hope through generations, through war and peace, through prosperity as well as dark uncertainty.

Does what we build matter? Does it matter how we build? Does it matter for whom we build? My answer is yes; it matters more than we know.

Juris is a member of A.I.A. and NCARB and is licensed in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Juris' interests include aviation, woodworking, travel and canine rescue work.

"So what are you up to these days?" was the common theme at my recent KU class reunion. "Whatever my kids are doing" was my flippant response. And yet it really wasn't flippant. As with all parents, watching our children discover and excel is very rewarding. Of course some of their interests are directly related to my own, but lately I have been into cricket, basketball, baseball, cross-country, academics, modeling, hunting, music, scouting, and the list goes on. What a wonderful job!

On my drive home from the reunion, I pondered my response and began to see a direct correlation between how I enjoy my children and why I enjoy my profession. One of the great discoveries about this profession is the client relationship. The fact that you get to research and learn, sometimes live, the world of your clients. Often you have to immerse yourself into the project to begin to solve the design problem. I am an architect. But some days I get to be a banker, assembly line worker, caregiver, entrepreneur, dentist, contractor, teacher, and the list goes on. What a wonderful job!

I find great satisfaction in helping others succeed. Architecture is the means by which I can. I am reminded of the line from Charles Dickens' famous story The Christmas Carol, in which Jacob Marley so accurately stated, "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business."

Vince is a member of A.I.A. and NCARB and is licensed in Kansas and Iowa. Vince's interests include boating, vehicle restoration and drawing.

Traveling the dusty back roads of the Great Plains by motorcycle, I seek the skeletonized reminders of past communities. Foundations mark their former lives like so many concrete grave markers. These cities have long since passed and it makes me wonder why. Did the highways of the 40's and 50's pass them by? Did the rush of new industry and invention during the industrial revolution make them obsolete? Or was it the indifference of our own citizens that caused their demise? Modernity asked people to look for expertise elsewhere.

Cities today are no more immune to progress and indifference than those of the past. I think we must ask ourselves if the question civic modernization posed, worked. Was it right to seek expertise and perfection outside our own communities? Today, in order to survive, our cities must frequent existing (local) providers of goods and services, support our local entrepreneurs and entice high-quality professions and professionals.

When our stories are written, will readers chastise us for the things we didn't do to remain vibrant and alive, or will they praise us for looking inward for health and sustainability instead of outward for answers we already had? In this day of recycling and sustainability, ask yourself, "What am I doing to make my community sustainable? What can I demand of myself and my local government to ensure my community stays viable for myself and my children's children?"

Lester is a member of A.I.A. and NCARB and is licensed in Missouri, Kansas, South Carolina and Colorado. Lester's interests include participating in automobile racing and fly fishing.

I learned that defense wins championships from the Chuck Noll-coached Steelers of my childhood. Supported by a pounding running game, you can control a high-powered opponent by keeping them off the field and your defense well rested. You just have to be disciplined enough to stay with it, even when the fans want you to throw the ball.

My father was the hardest working man I have ever encountered. He taught me the value of deliberate effort, and the necessity of completion and accomplishment. I can still hear him saying "it doesn't take me all day to do half a day's work."

As for my mother, I learned the importance of composure. After striking out in a little league game, I sent the bat from my hands, with brisk pace, toward the dugout. After the game, I got into the back seat of the car, dejected about the loss. Mom very quietly, and with certainty of unspoken fate, stated that she would never see me act that way again. No lecture or drawn-out speech—but profoundly powerful in its simplicity. I believed her, and it shaped my passion for many pursuits in life. My mother, father and Chuck Noll had much in common.

David is a member of A.I.A. and NCARB and is licensed in Arizona and Kansas. David's interests include crankshafts, baseball and old westerns.

Two men created the guidelines that formed the course of my personal and professional life. First and foremost was my Dad—he was honest, dependable, family oriented, modest, loyal, friendly and competitive. These personal traits were examples of his daily life and I would like to think they were contagious to those around him. At age 47 he enlisted in the Navy Seabees and served two years in the South Pacific in World War II. Why? Because his two sons were also serving and he felt his enlistment was more important to the country than his oilfield job. My hero. One earns respect by deeds, not words.

There was a period between my World War II service with the Navy Air Corp and the architecture program at Kansas State University when I worked for Wichita Architect Wendell Parks. He stressed the importance of producing professional drawings. Number one, of course, was for the information to be correct and that information had to be presented in a professional manner. He insisted on line quality, neat lettering and details that were complete, thus eliminating guesswork during bidding and construction. He also stressed the importance of being deeply involved in the community that you serve as a professional and that, in turn, supports you as a professional. There are no one-way streets in life.

Numerous people have impacted my professional life since 1950 and my married life since 1946, but these two men set the example that respect and credibility has to be earned–thus confirming that "word of mouth" is the best advertising a professional can enjoy.

May 9th, 1933 - February 2nd, 2010
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend and trusted co-worker, Kermit Dirksen.

Kermit was a long time friend of PKHLS Architecture P.A.; working at various times as our construction technician, shop drawing reviewer and site coordinator. Kermit's vast hands-on construction experience was put to good use in the office where he would consistently work with younger designers on construction details. Kermit's many relationships built within the south central Kansas construction community during his 50 years of various work provided him the respect and relaxed communication with field personnel making him a valuable and productive member of our firm.

The partner's and employees of PKHLS Architecture, P.A. feel the profound loss of a friendly and knowledgeable co-worker. It is with sincere respect that we send our deepest sympathies to his family.