News Releases

Amy L. Schneckenburger, ASLA

Inspired by her father's passion for his work as a landscape architect, Amy Schneckenburger pursued a degree in landscape architecture at Penn State University, graduating in 1984. Upon graduation, Ms. Schneckenburger accepted a position with the National Park Service and in the ensuing 8 years she held a diversity of positions ranging from landscape architect for National Capital Parks - East in Washington, DC, to construction project supervisor in the US Virgin Islands, Mississippi and Florida. During that time, Ms. Schneckenburger was selected by the National Park Service as one of eight professionals to travel to India to recommend long-term actions for the protection of three globally significant heritage sites.

In 1992, Ms. Schneckenburger took a year off from the National Park Service to become one of two ASLA Congressional Fellows in the first year of that program. Working on the House Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment, she worked to draft legislation for a nationwide river inventory. She also reviewed several measures in the ISTEA Bill to help represent the interests of landscape architects.

Returning to the National Park Service from her experience on the Hill, Ms. Schneckenburger managed numerous design and planning projects, including feasibility studies to recommend additions to the National Park System. She received an outstanding service award for her customer service and quality of work.

In 1998, Ms. Schneckenburger was recruited to work in Yosemite National Park in California where she managed the development of the Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan/EIS, and co-managed the Yosemite Valley Plan/EIS, two very controversial projects. She facilitated the completion of the court-ordered Merced River Plan in record time, earning national recognition and an award for a state-of-the-art plan.

Long interested in public service, and desiring an analytical look at the balance between politics and organizational mission, Ms. Schneckenburger was granted a fellowship to pursue a master in public policy at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton. Her course of study has focused on land conservation policy for ecosystem viability. Ms. Schneckenburger is simultaneously working with the United Nations Development Program to establish recommendations for centers of excellence for the implementation of Global Environment Facility projects.

Amy's involvement with ASLA began 18 years ago when she was elected President of Penn State's Landscape Architecture Student Society. Ms. Schneckenburger has remained active at both the national and chapter level ever since. Her involvement has included assistance to public practice conferences in the late 1980's. Ms. Schneckenburger was actively involved with the Society's government affairs program during her tenure as a Congressional Fellow when she also helped to organize the Congressional Fly-In that year. Ms. Schneckenburger later acted as the government affairs liaison for the Colorado Chapter where she also chaired a fight for re-licensure in that state. Ms. Schneckenburger was a committee member for the Colorado Chapter of ASLA Annual Meeting in 1994. Since 1998, Ms. Schneckenburger has served on ASLA's Ethics Committee.