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Member Spotlight Library
May 2025 Member Spotlight
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ASLA membership supports our profession’s faculty in staying current with industry trends and best practices, ultimately benefiting their students and the broader landscape architecture community. I think what I find most impressive, and why I continue to renew my membership is what ASLA does behind the scenes, especially regarding advocacy for the profession.
Ashley Steffens ASLA
June 2025 Member Spotlight
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I see constant proof that the best and brightest minds in our discipline are working together. ASLA makes a real difference. The annual conference has steadily improved through the years, and my department has sponsored students to attend each year during my time as faculty chair. I’ve attended the conference steadily since the 1980s, and as a practitioner and educator, I have found greater relevance as we continually evolve our mandate in the twin crises of our time—climate vulnerability and environmental justice.
Gary Hilderbrand FASLA
July 2025 Member Spotlight
As a volunteer with ASLA, I’ve grown personally and professionally. Through this work, I’ve connected with people across the country, broadened my skills, and learned how to interact with and to respect people with differing perspectives. It’s important for any landscape architecture professional, licensed or not, to become a member. ASLA represents everyone no matter the path they’ve chosen within the profession. Whether it’s private practice, design build, non-profit, or in the government, ASLA welcomes and supports all.
Matthew Copp ASLA
August 2025 Member Spotlight
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ASLA membership matters to me because it connects me to a broader community of professionals of all ages and forms of practice who are passionate about more equitable, sustainable, and resilient environments. It’s also a reminder that the challenges we face, whether it be climate change, environmental justice, accessibility, or even compensation for our labor, are shared and that we can tackle them more effectively when we learn from each other and advocate together. ASLA membership means being part of a passionate, mission-driven community.
Estello Raganit ASLA
September 2025 Member Spotlight
As a recent graduate, I can honestly say that ASLA membership has been incredibly beneficial throughout my four years at the University of Maryland. It helped me build relationships with practicing professionals, explore different career paths, and grow my network. Attending both local and national events—especially the ASLA Conference—has deepened my understanding of the profession and opened my eyes to the many directions a career in landscape architecture can take. I definitely plan to continue my membership after graduation.
Tiara Rachman Associate ASLA
October 2025 Member Spotlight
ASLA has been a tremendous source of inspiration and support throughout my career. The camaraderie and sharing of experiences with colleagues across the country have helped me solve challenges and inspired new ideas. I also deeply value ASLA’s advocacy—our profession is so much more than planting, and ASLA communicates that powerfully to communities and government alike. As a small business owner, their vetted contracts and resources have been invaluable, giving me confidence as I’ve grown from a subconsultant to a prime. After 40 years in practice, I can truly say ASLA supports firms of every size, and I encourage young landscape architects to join early to access this network of advocacy, education, and like-minded professionals.
Aida Curtis FASLA
November 2025 Member Spotlight
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When I became licensed and started working in the public sector, I often felt isolated from other landscape architects. The Parks and Recreation PPN became invaluable, showing me I wasn’t alone and that many others were serving the public in similar ways. In my role within a special district, it’s truly all-hands on- deck—I’m not just a landscape architect, but also a real estate representative, painter, construction inspector, recreation leader, and even an Easter Bunny handler. It’s a jack-of-all trades role, often outside traditional landscape architecture, but it’s vital work. My goal is to ensure every public practitioner knows their experience is valuable, and that through PPNs, we strengthen our profession and ensure our unique perspectives are heard.
Steph Thisius ASLA
December 2025 Member Spotlight
ASLA has been a constant through every stage of my career—early learning, mid-career project management and design, and now my ‘third act.’ I renew because this community energizes me and makes me proud of our profession. ASLA lets me meet peers, learn from others, and build relationships that sustain a career. It’s more than an organization; it’s a network with mentorship, inspiration, and chances to grow and give back.
I model what I want to see: show up, serve, stay connected. Through my work with the national Emerging Professionals Group I see mentoring matters at 22 or 70. Contribute where you can and savor the relationships. The projects blur; the people remain. ASLA is why I keep coming back.
Matthew Adams ASLA