Board of Trustees

SuLin Kotowicz, FASLA, President-Elect

SuLin K. Kotowicz, FASLA, PLA, has dedicated her career to advocating for our profession, growing ASLA, and empowering others. Kotowicz served the Michigan ASLA Chapter for over a decade on numerous committees and leadership positions in the chapter. She advocated for licensure and later served on the committee who worked with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Reform to draft rules for landscape architectural licensees. Kotowicz is an active leader at community, state and national levels and serves on the Mobility Citizen Alliance for Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc.  Volunteering for multiple local non-profit organizations, Kotowicz brings a diverse perspective, energy, and collaborative spirit to her service. 

She is proud to be active in the ASLA Mentorship Program, supporting and launching several students into their careers. Nationally, she was ASLA Vice President of Finance on the Executive Committee during the critical time of changing leadership for the Society while navigating the pandemic. 

Kotowicz graduated from Ball State University with a Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture. She is licensed and has 20+ years of experience in private practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is a project manager for VIRIDIS Design Group, creating inspirational and accessible public spaces in the built environment.

Eugenia Martin, FASLA, Immediate Past President

Eugenia M. Martin, FASLA, has been making significant and notable contributions to the practice of landscape architecture for close to 25 years, working in both the public and private sector.  Her leadership, experience, and vision for making the world a better place is coupled with an unbridled passion for landscape architecture and the engagement of fellow design professionals.       

Martin is very active in leadership, having served at the national level as ASLA Vice President of Government Affairs and Ohio Chapter Trustee among other offices.  Martin’s leadership extends beyond ASLA, volunteering on the Worthington Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board and the Advisory Board for Kent State’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design.    

In 2009, Martin was recognized with the Ohio Chapter ASLA Service Award.  She was one of the first recipients of ASLA National’s Outstanding Service Award in 2013 for her advocacy efforts on behalf of the profession.  Martin is a graduate of The Ohio State University and is a licensed landscape architect in Ohio.  Currently, she shares her talents and skills as a Project Manager for The Ohio State University and the Wexner Medical Center.    

Adrian Smith, FASLA, Vice President, Professional Practice

Adrian Smith, FASLA, has called New York City home for over 30 years. After graduating from Penn State, he developed his skills working for several award-winning private firms, including Sawyer|Berson and EDAW in New York, and Reed|Hilderbrand in Boston. He created landscapes for college campuses, museums and residential clients in the US, and for housing developments, resort towns, and college campuses in Egypt, Libya, and Oman. Currently working in the public sector at NYC Parks, his team of over 20 landscape professionals, designs and builds the parks on Staten Island, including Freshkills Park and the resiliency measures along the island’s south shore. 

Adrian’s volunteer service reflects his core belief in the power of landscape architecture to transform communities. Growing up on a dairy farm, he learned early that people have a powerful connection to the land. At university, he learned the importance of a strong professional network. As ASLA NY’s president and two-term trustee, he employed these ideas to help build a vibrant community of landscape architects in NYC. 

Ebru Ozer, ASLA, Vice President, Education

Ebru Özer, ASLA, is an associate professor at Florida International University and a co-founding principal of LandscapeDE. She has over 20 years of experience in design practice and 15 years in academia. She earned an MLA from Louisiana State University, a BArch from Dokuz Eylül University, and a diploma in Physics from Ege University. She is also currently a Ph.D. candidate in civil engineering, completing her dissertation on climate-conscious stormwater infrastructure design.

Özer devotes majority of her time to educating the next generation of landscape architects. Her teaching efforts have been recognized with many awards and honors, including the FIU Faculty Senate Teaching Medal in 2015 and the FIU University Top Scholar Award in 2020.

Ozer is a board member and registered ACE mentor at ACE Miami where she helps with career development and recruitment by sharing her passion for landscape architecture through weekly teachings at local high schools. She has been part of the ASLA Florida’s executive committee for over a decade and is currently chairing its ACE Legacy Project.

Monique Bassey, ASLA, Vice President, Communications

Monique Bassey is a visiting professor and the 2021-2022 Marie M. Bickham Chair at the Louisiana State University Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture.  Prior to her role as a professor, she worked for seven years as a landscape designer. Her experience spans a variety of project types, including neighborhood plans, university campus plans, community engagement, site design, streetscape design, and outreach initiatives. Monique holds both a Bachelor of Architecture and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Arizona. 

 Nationally, from 2018-2021, she served on the ASLA Committee on Education, collectively working to increase student chapter and faculty support, advocating for landscape architecture to become a STEM discipline, and helping advance the quality of education by reviewing the LAAB accreditation standards. Monique is an active member of the Black Landscape Architects Network. She serves on the Emerging Professionals Committee and co-chaired the 2021 First Annual Black Landscape Symposium.  

Additionally, Monique was one of thirty participants selected around the world to participate in the 2018 UNESCO World Heritage Young Professionals Forum in Manama, Bahrain. The Forum aimed to transmit the values of World Heritage, and highlight the potential that World Heritage education can have for facilitating sustainable development. In 2019, she was selected to be a participant of the UNESCO Biennale of Luanda, Pan-African Culture of Peace Forum in Luanda, Angola. During the Biennale, she worked together with a group of young professionals from Africa to develop strategies to support peace, safety, and security for African youth. 

Joy Kuebler, ASLA, Vice President, Government Affairs

Joy Kuebler, ASLA, PLA, is an award-winning professional with more than 20 years’ experience.  A Cornell University landscape architecture graduate, Joy participates in Cornell’s Professional Practice course, is a Student Awards Competition juror and participant in the Applied Economics and Management Department’s entrepreneur video interviews.  Joy’s ASLA leadership began with her service as 1996 ASLA Student Chapter Co-President.

  Joy founded Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect in 2013. JKLA has won more than two dozen design and practice as well as accolades recognizing Joy’s leadership and passion for her practice. JKLA continues to evolve to include highly interactive site analysis and community engagement platforms.

Joy exuberantly shares her love of design. Her Summer Shadowing program has provided more than 25 students from a variety of universities as well as local high schools immersive, practical experiences. Joy began teaching as an adjunct in the SUNY Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning in spring 2020.

Brad McCauley, ASLA, Vice President, Membership

  Brad McCauley is the Managing Principal at site design group, ltd. (site), a landscape architecture firm based in Chicago. Brad, a graduate of the University of Illinois oversees the management and operation of the diverse 26-person firm. He has contributed to over 65 professional awards at the firm, including 26 ILASLA project awards, 1 National ASLA project award, and 3 ILASLA service awards. Brad is actively involved in a number of professional and service organizations, including serving on the Stewardship Council of the Cultural Landscape Foundation and the University of Illinois, Department of Landscape Architecture Resource Committee. He is the former Chair of the Consortium for Design and Construction Careers, and has a long history of service with the American Society of Landscape Architects. 

Brad strongly feels that his professional development and involvement with ASLA, coupled with a bit of hard work and dedication, have directly impacted one another. His two terms of service as trustee taught him that leadership is not about yourself, but rather an ability to empower, excite, and elevate others. This knowledge contributed to his elevation to Managing Principal in 2017. Since then, he has helped grow the firm to include an inter-disciplinary collaborative of talented professionals comprising more than 50% women and minority team members.  
 

Chris Della Vedova, ASLA, Vice President, Finance

 Christopher J. Della Vedova, ASLA, PLA, is president/CEO of Confluence, Inc and is based in their Des Moines, Iowa office. As a co-founder of the firm in 1998, he has led the growth from one office with six employees to nine offices across the mid-west and 79 employees. During his time at the helm of Confluence, his focus has been on the stable growth of the firm by thinking strategically, leveraging opportunities, and maintaining financial security for the firm and its employees. His leadership style focuses on listening, collaboration, and problem-solving, whether it is for guiding the firm or leading a project. He is involved in numerous project types, including corporate campus, higher education, urban infill, and streetscapes. Regardless of the project type or scale, he approaches projects focusing on unique solutions for the client to achieve an implementable design.

He currently serves as Vice-Chair on the Operation Downtown Board for the Des Moines Partnership. He has served on the boards for Mentor Iowa and the Iowa Architectural Foundation, where he co-chaired their Community Design Program. His community involvement led him to be named one of Des Moines’ “Forty under 40” by the Des Moines Business Record in 2008. 

Chris received his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Iowa State University, where he has served on the Advisory Council for the Landscape Architecture Department and is a regular presenter for the professional practice classes. He currently carries licenses in Iowa and Nebraska, is CLARB certified, a LEED AP, and is certified as a Construction Document Technologist by the Construction Specifications Institute.

Torey Carter-Conneen, Chief Executive Officer

Torey Carter-Conneen joined ASLA as Chief Executive Officer in August 2020. He has served in executive leadership roles for companies ranging in size from $7 million to $750 million in annual revenues and staff of nearly four hundred. Prior to joining ASLA, Torey served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Prior to his leadership at AILA, Torey was the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Center for American Progress (CAP), COO and later Acting President and CEO at the LGBTQ Victory Fund and Institute, Divisional Controller of MV Transportation--a privately held North American transportation management corporation--and an auditor at a CPA firm.

Torey is a proud alumnus of George Mason University, where he earned degrees in economics and accounting. He later attended the University of Maryland Global Campus where he obtained an M.B.A. with a concentration on global business management and emerging markets.

Torey is also a volunteer member of ASAE’s Executive Management Professional Advisory Council and sits on the executive committee of the board for Shepherd’s Table--a community organization in Silver Spring, Maryland, providing food and support to people most in need. He also serves on the board of the American Immigration Council.

Torey and his husband Mike are fathers to two amazing children, Drew and Aiden.

Curt Millay, ASLA, Secretary

Curt Millay, ASLA, is the Corporate Secretary of the American Society of Landscape Architects where he oversees the Society’s governance processes and manages special projects. He holds a Masters in Landscape Architecture from Virginia Tech. Prior to joining ASLA in 2012, he practiced in a small urban-design-focused landscape architecture firm in Washington, DC where his project work included institutional and mixed-use development sites, historic landscapes, parks, and play areas. Curt is licensed in the state of Virginia and holds a LEED AP and a SITES AP. In 2016 he was elected to membership in Lambda Alpha International, the honorary land economics society, in recognition of his contributions to ASLA and the profession of landscape architecture.

Michael D. O'Brien, Hon. ASLA, Treasurer

Michael O’Brien has been the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since 2009 and became the publisher of LAM in December 2014. A native of Niagara Falls, New York, Michael is a graduate of the State University of New York College at Geneseo with a B.S. in Accounting. He also obtained the Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) certification and the Certified Global Management Accountant (CGMA) certification from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Before joining ASLA, Michael worked for CFO To Go and Price Waterhouse (currently PricewaterhouseCoopers) in various management, auditing, and accounting roles.

Susan Jacobson, FASLA, Parliamentarian

Alabama | Chad Bostick, ASLA,

Alabama Chapter

Alaska | Jonny Hayes, ASLA,

Alaska Chapter

As Chief Design Officer at Anchorage Museum, Jonny collaborates with internal teams and community partners to advance exhibitions, installations, and projects as part of an internationally renowned cultural institution in Anchorage, Alaska.

Jonny thrives on multidisciplinary teams, with numerous projects having been recognized with awards at varying scales and from multiple entities, including the State of Alaska Governor’s Council on Special Education and Disabilities for work in the field of Inclusive Play, American Society of Landscape Architects Alaska Chapter, AIGA Alaska (The Big One), AIA Alaska Chapter, Graphis Design Awards, and A4LE Alaska Chapter.

Jonny is invested in engaging professionals with service on the boards of the American Society of Landscape Architects (Trustee, Alaska Chapter) and AIGA Alaska (Design Week Chair), is an active member of multiple design organizations (Society of Experiential Graphic Design, World Design Weeks), and serves on multiple committees and advisory groups (Anchorage Parks & Recreation Technical Advisory Committee, Anchorage Municipal Land Use Code Downtown Plan Update Committee [Title 21, Chapter 11],  Anchorage Trails Initiative, Schools on Trails Program, the Anchorage Green Infrastructure Working Group, and the Community Engineering Corps).

Arizona | Ken Brooks, FASLA,

Arizona Chapter

Kenneth R. Brooks, FASLA, FCELA, PLA, is the Arizona Chapter Trustee (2022-2024).   He is Professor of Landscape Architecture in The Design School at Arizona State University. Ken joined ASLA in 1977 and has been active in chapter and national committees and through elected Chapter leadership positions.  He has professional experience in private and public practice, however, most of his nearly 50-year career has been as a professional educator, helping to preparing future generations of landscape architects and participating in the advancement of our discipline.  Ken has also promoted and served our profession through his participation and leadership positions in the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture, the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board, The Roster of Visiting Evaluators, and the LA Foundation Performance Resources for Educators initiatives.  He continues to be a strong proponent for helping LAs evolve and advance our collective effectiveness through applied scholarship.

Arkansas | William Hall, ASLA,

Arkansas Chapter

Boston | Maria Bellalta, FASLA,

Boston Chapter

California Northern | Elizabeth Boults, ASLA,

California Northern Chapter

California San Diego | Patricia Trauth, ASLA,

California San Diego Chapter

Ms. Trauth is the Associate Principal for RICK Engineering and manages landscape architectural services and staff in their ten offices throughout the western region. As a licensed landscape architect in California, a certified planner and a LEED accredited professional, she has planned and designed numerous public and private projects.

Ms. Trauth was elected Trustee for the San Diego Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, she was President in 2014 and has been actively involved in the organization for a number of years including two terms as Vice President. In 2015, she was appointed by the governor of California to the Landscape Architects Technical Committee that regulates the profession throughout the state. She was reappointed earlier this year.

 Ms. Trauth graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design and a Bachelor of Science in Education. She has a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Arizona.

California Sierra | Andrew Wickham, ASLA,

California Sierra Chapter

 Mr. Wickham is a Project Leader at LPA, a national integrated design firm.  Andrew’s primary focus at LPA is to design at the intersection of built, cultural, and natural systems.  He is a champion of integrated design and works closely with the project team to lead the design of enriching outdoor environments which extend the indoors and bring nuanced social and cultural opportunities to users.  He has experience working at all scales of projects, from planning to implementation.  His interest lies in how the blending of built elements with the natural environment can enhance a user’s experience and reinforce values of equity, ecology, and curiosity.  Andrew is a proven thinker and strategist, leading workshops at several C.A.S.H. and California Green Schools conferences about the importance of performative landscapes to the student experience.  His passion for evidence-based design, education, and sustainability come through in every project he works on, big or small.

 Andrew is very active within the American Society of Landscape Architects and is currently serving as Trustee of the California Sierra Chapter as well as a President of the California Council of ASLA.  He helped to create the Emerging Professional Groups in both the California Southern and California Sierra chapters, and is a co-creator of the mobile outreach platform “Park-In-A-Box” within the California Sierra Chapter.  Through the years, he has also served on several local and national committees, and has held several positions on the California Sierra Chapter Executive Committee including President and Vice President.  As a proud alum, he serves on the Landscape Architecture Department Advisory Council at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.  While attending Cal Poly as a student, his body of work was recognized with the inaugural Design Excellence Award, in recognition of outstanding achievement in design throughout his educational career.  

California Southern | Baxter Miller, FASLA,

California Southern Chapter

Baxter Miller founded BMLA, Inc., in 1987 and is responsible for the overall operation and design direction of the firm.  He has led a wide variety of projects and has practical knowledge in design which helps him to work with developers, cities, and agencies in creating a unique vision that translates into real world projects.  Baxter is investing in the future of the profession through his various positions with ASLA leadership at the national, state, and local level, including the ASLA Membership Committee, ASLA Nominating Committee, President of the California Council, and President of the Southern California Chapter.  He speaks regularly at conventions and universities, juries for design awards, and is currently serving on the advisory council for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Landscape Architecture Department Advisory Council, Cal Poly Pomona Landscape Architecture Professional Advisory Board, Corona Partners for Parks Foundation, and the Riverside County Flood Control District.

Colorado | Gretchen Wilson, ASLA,

Colorado Chapter

Connecticut | Barbara Yaeger, ASLA,

Connecticut Chapter

Florida | Alex Fenech, ASLA,

Florida Chapter

Georgia | Todd Hill, ASLA,

Georgia Chapter

Todd is a Principal/Owner of DTJ Design, where he is Director of Design for the Atlanta office. He combines a combination of high design, personal touch, and sustainable principles in his award-winning portfolio of destination resorts, master planned communities, and urban parks. Todd has built a career over three decades working world-wide designing distinguished built projects. His work is rooted in the specific characteristics of place to create timeless projects that are responsive to program, culture and sustainable principles. He has worked in 25 countries on five continents. He has spoken fourteen times at ASLA conferences, served on juries for the LAMMY Awards, and was appointed to the Annual Meeting Education Advisory Committee (2011-2013) and Annual Conference Education Advisory Board (2017-2020). In 2020 he was elected as Trustee for the GAASLA chapter. Todd is also the Board Chair for Emory Village Alliance (seven no-consecutive years).

Hawaii | Judith Stilgenbauer, ASLA,

Hawaii Chapter

Judith Stilgenbauer, ASLA, is a Professor at the University of Hawaii School of Architecture, where she serves as the founding Director of the Master of Landscape Architecture program. Prior to joining the faculty at UH, she taught at UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design for nine years. Stilgenbauer is a past-president of the Hawaii Chapter of ASLA. As a registered landscape architect (Germany), she is frequently invited to serve on professional awards juries and has published and lectured widely. In her applied research Judith Stilgenbauer examines the role of process, performance and placemaking in ecological urbanism and public open space design across diverse spatial and temporal scales. In recent years, Stilgenbauer’s work has focused on urban land-water relationships and adaptive design for coastal resilience.

Idaho/Montana | John Roters, ASLA,

Idaho/Montana Chapter

John Roters, ASLA, PLA, is a principal in the firm South Beck & Baird Landscape Architecture, P.C. located in Boise, Idaho. John earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Idaho.  He has over 22 years’ experience within the field of Landscape Architecture.

South Beck & Baird Landscape Architecture works on a wide variety of projects including health care facilities centered on master planning and design, land planning, recreation design and transportation planning.  John is passionate in the field of eminent domain and has been an expert witness in hundreds of condemnation cases, striving to help the private landowner.

As advocate for landscape architecture, John has been involved in multiple positions within local boards and focus groups with a hope to further the profession in the eye of the public and help better promote a sustainable future. 

Illinois | Alan Watkins, ASLA,

Illinois Chapter

Alan Watkins is an account representative with Clarence Davids & Company and an adjunct instructor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Business Administration from Northern Illinois University. His responsibilities at Clarence Davids & Company entail developing and maintaining business relationships with current and prospective clients as well as managing landscape construction and landscape maintenance projects. He is actively involved in a variety of professional organizations. He served as President of the Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2016, is currently serving as the Chairperson of the University of Illinois Department of Landscape Architecture Resource Committee and is also an active member in the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association.

Indiana | Katie Clark, FASLA,

Indiana Chapter

Iowa | Michael Gaunt, ASLA,

Iowa Chapter

Kentucky | Amin Omidy, ASLA,

Kentucky Chapter

Louisiana | Justin Lemoine, ASLA,

Louisiana Chapter

 Justin Lemoine is a 2006 graduate of the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture at LSU.  After a brief residence in Austin, TX, Justin returned to Baton Rouge where he began working with Dana Brown & Associates, Inc until 2013.  In March 2013 Justin founded ELS Landscape Architecture Studio.  In June of 2020, Justin stepped into the role of Executive Director for the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area. At ANHA, Justin works with community partners, environmental organizations, and governmental agencies to support and enhance cultural heritage, natural resource, and recreational resource access and appreciation.  Justin serves as board president of a statewide urban forestry non-profit, Baton Rouge Green.  In December of 2016, Justin, along with a team of friends, co-founded the Mid City Makers Market, a monthly event that showcases local artist, makers, food, and drink vendors. 

Maryland | Om Khurjekar, ASLA,

Maryland Chapter

Om Khurjekar is a Principal of Hord Coplan Macht, with over nineteen years of experience in designing public parks and plazas, interpretive play environments, park structures, college and university campus landscapes, hospitality and entertainment projects, and urban projects.His work has won numerous awards and has been recognized by Maryland and Potomac chapters of the ASLA, Preservation Pennsylvania, the Maryland Recreation and Parks Authority and LUXE interior design magazine. In 2010 he was awarded the Alumni of the Year-Presidential Award of Excellence by the Morgan State University, where he completed his master’s in landscape architecture. He is a licensed architect in India and a licensed landscape architect in the state of Maryland.He has lectured at Morgan State University and serves as a design critic at both Morgan State University and University of Maryland College Park.

Michigan | Benjamin Baker, ASLA,

Michigan Chapter

Ben is a landscape architect residing in Southwest Michigan.  He has been involved with ASLA in various capacities, since he was a student at Michigan State University.  Some recent involvement includes Michigan Chapter President for two terms, National Leadership Development Committee member and chair, and currently as Trustee.  Ben says, “ASLA has been an integral part of my career, I’ve made great friends and connections through the society.  And I’ve realized how important the work that ASLA does to support our members and advocate for the profession”.  Outside of work, Ben enjoys tending to his garden, keeping chickens, volunteering with 4H, and tinkering with vintage motorcycles and scooters.  

Minnesota | Joni Giese, ASLA,

Minnesota Chapter

Mississippi | Matt Copp, ASLA,

Mississippi Chapter

Nebraska/Dakotas | Chad Kucker, ASLA,

Nebraska/Dakotas Chapter

Chad has been working to promote the profession of landscape architecture in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for nearly 25 years. He joined Confluence in 2005 to help establish an office in Sioux Falls and is currently an associate principal and shareholder with the firm. Chad’s professional experience is diverse with current work primarily focused on projects for municipal clients including recreation, transportation, streetscapes and urban riverfront development. Prior to being elected to the Board of Trustees in 2020, Chad had previously served as president and treasurer for the Nebraska/Dakotas Chapter. Chad is also an Irrigation Association Certified Irrigation Designer and currently serves as a volunteer with CLARB.

Chad is a graduate of South Dakota State University and holds professional licenses in South Dakota and Iowa.  

Nevada | Barb Santner, ASLA,

Nevada Chapter

Barb Santner, ASLA, AICP, is a Senior Associate with Stantec Consulting.  She enjoys applying her broad experience to facilitate innovative design solutions as part of multi-disciplinary teams to build livable communities.  With over 30 years of professional experience practicing in the semi-arid west she is passionate about green infrastructure including low impact development, rainwater harvesting, and native landscape restoration.  Barb has served on the Nevada Chapter ASLA Executive Committee as Treasurer and Northern Section Chairperson and became the Chapter Trustee in 2021.  She has also served multiple terms on the Nevada Chapter ASLA Northern Section with roles as Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary. Hailing from Colorado, Barb earned a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Colorado State University and is a Certified Planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners.  She is a registered landscape architect in multiple states.

New Hampshire | Randy Knowles, ASLA,

New Hampshire Chapter

Randy E. Knowles, ASLA is a licensed landscape architect in the states of New Hampshire and Maine.  With nearly 40 years in the design field, Randy is Vice President of Planning and Design at the Dubay Group in Windham, NH. Current projects range from commercial site planning and residential design to master planning with local municipalities and state planning commissions. Known for his unique presentation graphics, prior to joining The Dubay Group, Randy was in private practice for 17 years.

Before serving his recent term as president of the New Hampshire Chapter, Randy was part of the team that fought to establish state licensure in 2006 for landscape architects. He is also an active member in PlanNH, a non-profit group whose mission is to "foster excellence in planning, design and development of New Hampshire's built environment."

In his spare time, Randy is an award-winning artist and painting teacher.

New Jersey | Jan Saltiel Rafel, ASLA,

New Jersey Chapter

Jan Saltiel Rafel, LEED AP, LLA, ASLA, is principal of Edgewater Design LLC with over 35 years of experience in the design and planning of landscapes and urban spaces.  Starting her career in New York City working on parks, corporate and residential estate planning, she has continued to work on all sectors of landscape architectural design with the firm she founded in 1989 – Edgewater Design.  For the past 20 years, Jan has had an emphasis on public landscapes in New Jersey and New York working with state universities, public school playgrounds, parks and plazas.   Her focus on sustainable landscapes currently includes work on several green infrastructure projects including a central stormwater project for Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ and bioswales in downtown Yonkers, NY.

In addition to her private practice, she has guided Edgewater Design to participate in pro-bono community projects such as public-school gardens, municipal rain gardens and the design of a township’s 9-11 memorial.

New Mexico | Jitka Dekojova, ASLA,

New Mexico Chapter

Jitka Dekojova, ASLA, SITES AP, is trained both as a landscape architect and an environmental planner. She is well equipped to balance both aesthetics and ecology in landscape design. While emphasizing adaptive reuse and green infrastructure, Jitka also takes into account the ephemeral phenomenological aspects of the urban environment: the need for whimsical elements, the joy of unexpected discovery in everyday urbanism, the advantage of flexibility in planned spaces, and the importance of mix of people to bring vibrancy into urban spaces. Jitka is a former president of NMASLA (The New Mexico Chapter of The American Society of Landscape Architects), and works at Dekker/Perich/Sabatini – a multi-disciplinary design firm with offices in AZ, NM and TX. She writes for Zahrada Park Krajina, a Czech landscape architecture magazine and enjoys hiking, wine tasting and aimless travelling. 

New York | Jennifer Nitzky, ASLA,

New York Chapter

Jennifer Nitzky, ASLA, RLA, ISA, is a landscape architect and certified arborist with extensive experience in urban design, parks & playgrounds and green infrastructure, and is skilled in a community-oriented planning and design process leading workshops, design charrettes and hands-on activities. She is Vice President of Landscape Architecture at B. Thayer Associates, a multi-disciplined firm based in New York where she leads the Long Island City office. Jennifer is an instructor in the Landscape Design Certificate Program at NYBG and serves on Manhattan’s Community Board 7. She has been involved in ASLA since graduate school, serving on several committees for both the Illinois and New York chapters, is a two-term past president of ASLA-NY and is part of the ASLA Public Awareness Coalition.

With a passion for expanding awareness of the profession, Jennifer is a strong advocate for landscape and environmental issues through social media outlets. Her love for plants and life-long play is a driving force for inspiration and spiritual balance in life – taking a break from the hustle of city living to experience natural and designed landscapes whenever possible. Jennifer grew up in Michigan, earned a B.S. Architectural Design at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and Master of Landscape Architecture at Ball State University in Indiana.

New York Upstate | Michele Palmer, ASLA,

New York Upstate Chapter

North Carolina | Brian Starkey, ASLA,

North Carolina Chapter

Brian H. Starkey, PLA, ASLA, has practiced landscape architecture since graduation from West Virginia University in 1982.  He spent the first few years of his career in Buffalo, NY, where he contributed to the restoration of the State Reservation at Niagara. Since 1986, he has practiced in North Carolina except for 3 years in Amsterdam in the early 90s where he studied at the Academy of Building Arts. He led his own firm for 25 years and produced numerous award-winning public projects. Brian also has a history of community and professional service.  He has volunteered on several boards and commissions for the City of Raleigh, served as a member and chairman of the NC Board of Landscape Architects for 10 years and has held several leadership positions for NCASLA. Brian has been Chapter Trustee the last five years.   

Brian is a Project Director at WithersRavenel leading a diversity of projects in the public realm.  

Ohio | Chris Laster, ASLA,

Ohio Chapter

Chris Laster, ASLA, is a high-energy landscape architect who thrives in a collaborative environment to achieve cutting-edge and sustainable design solutions for his clients. He has experience on a variety of complex project types that include mixed-use, corporate, higher education, civic, and healthcare within the US and internationally.

Chris is beginning his first term as a Trustee for Ohio. He has previously served the Ohio Chapter as President, VP of Communications, Secretary, and Public Relations Representative.  

Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from The Ohio State University. He currently shares his passion for practicing landscape architecture with his colleagues at EDGE in Columbus, Ohio. 

Oklahoma | Geoff Evans, ASLA,

Oklahoma Chapter

Geoffery Evans graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2002.  Since that time, he has worked for multiple firms in the Tulsa area, including Pittman Poe and Associates, Howell and Vancuren, and currently Planning Design Group (PDG). 

Geoff joined Planning Design Group in 2007 and has since become a firm Principal. He has a wide variety of experience in landscape architecture and project management, including recreational design, sports complexes, park master planning, commercial landscape, campus master planning, streetscapes, and golf course design. 

He has been an active member of the ASLA, previously serving many years as Associate at Large, Member at Large, President, and is now part of the Board of Trustees as the Oklahoma Chapter representative.  He has also been a part of OKASLA’s sponsorship committee, awards committee, and the scholarship committee. 

Along with serving the ASLA community, Geoff is a member of OSU’s Landscape Architecture Professional Advisory Committee, participates regularly with class projects, and has juried numerous student projects.  Recently, he has provided assistance in the accreditation process in 2022.  Also, in 2022 he was by recognized for his service to the department by being awarded the OSU Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Distinguished Service Award.

Oregon | Jean Senechal Biggs, ASLA,

Oregon Chapter

Jean Senechal Biggs, ASLA, is the Transportation Planning Manager for the City of Beaverton, Oregon. She has made transportation the focus of her career and frequently finds herself bridging the gap between planning and engineering. She is passionate about building livable communities and the transformative power of walking, biking and transit.

Jean is a champion of ASLA’s partnership with the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (NPS RTCA). Through the partnership, she supported the Oregon Chapter’s participation in community-based design projects for the Yamhelas Westsider Trail in Yamhill County, the Barnes Butte Recreation Area in Prineville, and the Lewis and Clark Trail in Vancouver, Washington. In 2017, she received an ASLA Outstanding Service Award in recognition of her work as the Communications Coordinator for the Transportation Professional Practice Network. Jean has served on the Oregon Chapter’s Executive Committee since 2014 with roles as Education Chair and Chapter President, before becoming Trustee in 2017. A Boston native, Jean earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon.

Pennsylvania/Delaware | Carl Kelemen, FASLA,

Pennsylvania/Delaware Chapter

Potomac | Rob Tilson, FASLA,

Potomac Chapter

Prairie Gateway | Brian Roth, ASLA,

Prairie Gateway Chapter

Rhode Island | Nathan Socha, ASLA,

Rhode Island Chapter

Nate Socha, PLA, ASLA, is a Project Manager at BETA Group Inc, a mid-sized multidisciplinary firm in Lincoln, RI. He works on municipal projects throughout New England. Prior to BETA he worked for a large landscape firm in Boston for 8 years, where he worked in the Middle East and China. He has been active with the Rhode Island chapter for over a decade, serving as a member-at-large, public awareness chair, newsletter and website editor and communications chair before taking on the role of Trustee.

Nate graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2006. Nate became a LEED Accredited Professional in 2011 and went through SITES AP training. He is an active visiting critic with the LA Department at URI. Nate also serves on the Conservation Commission, and Open Space Master Plan Board of Seekonk, MA, where he lives with his wife and two children.

South Carolina | Holley Bloss Owings, ASLA,

South Carolina Chapter

St. Louis | Christopher Moon, ASLA,

St. Louis Chapter

Tennessee | Allen Jones, ASLA,

Tennessee Chapter

Texas | Vaughn Eric Perez, ASLA,

Texas Chapter

Utah | Bryce Ward, ASLA,

Utah Chapter

Vermont | Gail Henderson-King, ASLA,

Vermont Chapter

Gail Henderson-King, PLA, ASLA, is a registered landscape architect in Vermont. She currently works for White + Burke, where she uses her landscape architectural and planning skills for assisting clients with developing creative projects. Gail is committed to development solutions while maintaining professional integrity and respect for the environment and surroundings. With extensive background in the public and private sectors, she is able to effectively navigate through all phases of permitting from public presentations to resolving sensitive issues.  

She currently serves on the State Office of Professional Regulations Landscape Architectural Panel, is the VTASLA HALS Liaison and committee member, and chair of the Shelburne Tree Advisory Committee. Ms. Henderson-King holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic and a Masters degree in Landscape Architecture from Cornell University. In her spare time, she enjoys running, gardening, hiking, yoga, and hanging out with her family.

Virginia | Dustin Smith, ASLA,

Virginia Chapter

Dustin V. Smith, PLA, ASLA, is an Associate at Wolf Josey Landscape Architects in Charlottesville, Virginia.  He has experience creating landscapes for university campuses, U.S embassies, urban streetscapes, and residential properties, but has a particular passion for cultural landscapes, trees, and soils. 

Dustin has been an active member with the Virginia Chapter over the last five years as a Member-At-Large and Secretary.  He also formerly served as an Advisory Committee Member for Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization.  Dustin earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree and completed post-graduate work at Virginia Tech.  He studied Urban Design at Tongji University in Shanghai, China, and is currently completing a graduate certificate in Heritage Conservation from the University of Arizona.

West Virginia | Todd Schoolcraft, ASLA,

West Virginia Chapter

Wisconsin | Jonathan Bronk, ASLA,

Wisconsin Chapter

Washington | Marieke Lacasse, ASLA,

Washington Chapter

  Marieke is on her first term on the Board of Trustees for the Washington Chapter. She has served as chapter president and has been working within WASLA for multiple chapter committees and as member at large. Marieke graduated from the Université de Montréal and is licensed in Washington and California. She has over 19 years of experience and is a principal in a multi-disciplinary firm, GGLO, headquartered in Seattle. She is accustomed to large integrated design teams with heavily involved community participants. The resulting spaces garner awards for their playfulness, highly sustainable features, long-term site stewardship and promotion of health and active living. Marieke’s studies abroad have given her an appreciation of history and culture, as well as bold contemporary designs and avant-garde concepts. She is active in her neighborhood and the community-at-large, with involvement in past and present efforts related to parks, P-Patches, and gardens. Marieke is a strong supporter of environmental and sustainability causes, affordable housing, and social equity. 

Maria Maurer, Associate ASLA, National Associate Representative

Madeline Kirschner, Student ASLA, National Student Representative

Kofi Boone, FASLA, LAF Representative

Barbara L. Deutsch, FASLA, LAF Representative