40 YEARS+
New York Chapter

;

Signe Nielsen, FASLA

Where are you from and how long have you been a landscape architect? I was born in France but have lived the vast majority of my like in New York City. I have been a practicing landscape architect since 1980 when I obtained my NY license. How did you begin your career journey in Landscape architecture? I originally had a career as a classical ballet dancer, then thought about constitutional law career, got totally confused and moved to Colorado to join a construction crew where I was introduced to both architecture and extraordinary nature.  As a result, I decided to pursue landscape architecture. What do you think is the most important issue facing landscape architects today? I will respond with two answers: negative effects of climate change and lack of social equity. What have you gained by being a member of ASLA for 42 years? I have gained more as the years have gone by as ASLA has aligned itself more clearly and directly with contemporary realities, two of which I have cited above. What would you share with others as a reason for belonging to ASLA as a member? ASLA offers excellent resources for educators, continuing education for all members and is making a concentrated effort to attract young people from diverse backgrounds into the profession. What would you share with those new to the profession of landscape architecture? Depending on where one lives/works (which I realize are not always in the same place these days!), local ASLA chapters are a wonderful way to meet new people, share ideas, contribute to advocacy and support pursuit of licensure. What is your favorite project in your career and why? Would you like to submit/share a picture of it? It seems every 3-4 years I have a new favorite project, so I would say Little Island is my favorite of the very recent past. What in your view is the most important thing that landscape architects provide? Landscape architects, though specialized in the way we document our designs, are much needed generalists in the planning and design fields in terms of the way we think about context, systems and people.  We can seamlessly translate topics of infrastructure, ecological systems, urban design, socio-economic and political forces, spatial parameters, climatological risk and the like, into meaningful designs for both human and non-human benefit. Is there anything else you would like to share to commemorate your 42 years with ASLA? Like good red wine, one gets better with age.

30 YEARS+
New Jersey Chapter

Jeffrey W. Grob, ASLA and Drummer from Looking Glass and Starz

How did you begin your career journey in Landscape architecture? My route to landscape architecture is a convoluted path. Landscape architecture is not my first career. Before becoming an LA, I was a recording and touring musician for 15 years. I recorded eight albums on 3 major labels, have several gold and platinum records and toured the country extensively for all of the 70s. When I finally left the music business, I worked as a construction worker for several years, eventually becoming a carpenter renovating brownstones in Hoboken, NJ. At one point, I fell out of a second-story window and broke both my wrists. (not good for a drummer or anyone.) I said to myself, “There has to be a better way to make a living that uses all my talents, I just don’t know what it is.” So, I went to the local university’s guidance department and asked them, “I must be good at something, I just don’t know what it could be. Can you help me out?” They said that they could administer a series of tests where they would compare how I answered the questions with people who had answered the same questions and liked their job very much. I thought that sounded logical so I took the series of tests they prescribed. Two days worth of tests. A couple of weeks later, I went back for the results. They said, “Mr. Grob, we looked at your answers and how they aligned with those answers from people who thoroughly enjoy their work. According to your test results, it appears that you could be a fabulous musician.” I said, “I know. What else you got?” (this at least proved to me that the test was accurate!) They said that the next three answers were all tightly grouped at the top together, in no particular order, no hierarchy. The next three were jet engine mechanic, steampipe fitter and landscape architect. I said I knew what the first two professions were but was unaware of what a landscape architect was. Never heard of it. They said for me to go look it up in the Department of Labor job description books over in their shelves. The books said that landscape architects design parks, playgrounds, gardens, campuses etc. It said you needed to have the following skills and know: design. When I was in college right out of high school and before becoming a full-time musician, I was a design/fine arts major. It said you needed to know plants. When I wasn’t on the road or in the studio, I would work in my friend’s greenhouse growing all sorts of plants. I have a real green thumb. It said that you needed to know construction. Duh. And it said that you needed to know and understand people. If you're a musician/entertainer, either you get to understand all sorts of people from all over the place or you’re not in the business very long. I thanked them, looked up where I could get a degree as a landscape architect and in New Jersey, the only program was at Rutgers. I talked with the LA department head at Rutgers, told him my story and background and asked what do I need to do to enroll there. He told me that even with two years of college under my belt, I needed several credits before I could start their six-semester program. I went back to night school while still working construction and picked up the credits I needed so I could start as a 32-year-old first semester sophomore at Rutgers in the Fall of 1982. I graduated Summa Cum Laude in Spring of 1985 and started working where I still am today. This is the only “job” I’ve ever really had and I still look forward to working every day. I really like what I do. I guess the test was right What have you gained by being a member of ASLA for 37 years? It’s allowed me to remain aware of the most current trends in the profession, who’s doing what, where, and why, and it has added my support to the advancement of the profession in general. What would you share with others as a reason for belonging to ASLA as a member? You should always support your profession’s representative organization.  As with any volunteer organization, if someone doesn’t step up and say, “I’ll do that”, it doesn’t get done.  I was NJ Chapter president the year New Jersey went from a title law to a practice law and I testified in Trenton on behalf of the profession.  There is strength in numbers and with 140,000+ members of the ASCE and 94,000+ members of the AIA, we need a strong voice to represent our profession in all matters that concern us nationally and locally.  Joining the local chapter is the best way to show support for your chosen profession and make your presence known at the state level where your impact can be most felt.  Serve on your local community board, planning board, environmental commission or shade tree commission.  Speak to school groups.  Write articles for your local paper.  Let people know who we are, what we do and why our skill set is needed at every level.

Learn more about Looking Glass.  Also see this article about the song "Brandy".

50 YEARS
California Northern Chapter
C. Christopher Degenhardt, FASLA
George W. Girvin, FASLA 

California Southern Chapter
Daryl D. Smith, ASLA 

Florida Chapter
Victor J. Walker, FASLA

New York Chapter
William B. Kuhl, FASLA
Randolph B. Marshall, ASLA

Ohio Chapter
Charles M. Ditto, ASLA
Joanne P. Youngen, ASLA 

Pennsylvania/Delaware Chapter
H. Edward Black, FASLA 

Texas Chapter
Russell R. Bragg, ASLA 

40 YEARS
California Northern Chapter
Paul Edward Scardina, FASLA 

California Southern Chapter
Ronnie Swire Siegel, ASLA
Don P. Wilson, ASLA 

Maryland Chapter
Michael W. Fisher, ASLA 

Michigan Chapter
Gregory L. Tolbert-Bey, ASLA

New York Chapter
Glenn T. Ticehurst, ASLA 

North Carolina Chapter
Bruce A. Hamilton, ASLA
Charles Clay Mooney, ASLA 

Ohio Chapter
Robert P. Grinch, ASLA 

Texas Chapter
William T. Arterburn, FASLA 

Virginia Chapter
John J. Reynolds, FASLA 

30 YEARS
Georgia Chapter
Sean M. Wilson, Sr., ASLA

Minnesota Chapter
Richard A. Leyva, ASLA 

Nevada Chapter
Stanton W. Southwick, ASLA

New Jersey Chapter
Steven L. Gottlieb, ASLA 

New York Chapter
Elizabeth Farrell, ASLA 

North Carolina Chapter
Allison W. Merriman, ASLA

Pennsylvania/Delaware Chapter
Mark E. Beauchamp, ASLA

25 YEARS
Florida Chapter
Larry Teague, ASLA 

Nebraska/Dakotas Chapter
Nicole B. Crutchfield, ASLA
Todd M. Maiellaro, ASLA 

New York Upstate Chapter
Nanci Elliott Bateman, ASLA 

North Carolina Chapter
Kevin T. Barnes, ASLA 

Oregon Chapter
Matthew K. Scheibe, ASLA
Gill Williams, ASLA 

Pennsylvania/Delaware Chapter
Adam A. Supplee, ASLA 

15 YEARS
Great Plains Chapter
Andrea Langel, ASLA 

Illinois Chapter
Deborah Steinberg, ASLA

International Chapter
Richard Cook, ASLA

New York Chapter
Alexander Kuzmik, ASLA 

Potomac Chapter
Glenn LaRue Smith, FASLA 

Washington Chapter
Makoto Hagi, ASLA 

10 YEARS
California Northern Chapter
Mahalakshmi Balachandran, ASLA

Colorado Chapter
Megan Shiotani, ASLA

International Chapter
Yun Du, International ASLA 

Minnesota Chapter
Mitchell Workmon, ASLA

Nebraska/Dakotas Chapter
Bryan J. Leininger, ASLA 

Prairie Gateway Chapter
Kobi Bradley, ASLA

Texas Chapter
William Odle, ASLA
Rebecca S. Pittman, ASLA 

5 YEARS
Boston Chapter
Judy True, Affiliate ASLA 

California Southern Chapter
Andrew J. Mooney, ASLA 

Maryland Chapter
Noah O'Malley, ASLA 

Minnesota Chapter
Brian Sullivan, ASLA 

New York Chapter
Steven T. Lee, ASLA

Oregon Chapter
Aaron West, ASLA 

Prairie Gateway Chapter
Rachel Fox, ASLA
Alfonso S. Leyva, ASLA

Tennessee Chapter
Robert K. Graves, ASLA 

Washington Chapter
Benjamin M. Niesen, Affiliate ASLA 

New Members 
Arkansas
Leland Michael Couch, ASLA

Arizona
Marco Abasta, Associate ASLA
Mark Burton, Affiliate ASLA 

California Southern
Warren Arata, ASLA
Eric Barnett, ASLA
Stacey Isaac, ASLA

Connecticut
Emily Bousaada, ASLA 

Florida
Emily Phan, Associate ASLA
Carolina Schultz, Associate ASLA 

Kentucky
Steven Freeman, ASLA 

Maryland
Gregory Grey, ASLA 

Michigan
Jessica D. Alexa, Affiliate ASLA 

Minnesota
Bryan Goff, Affiliate ASLA 

Nebraska/Dakotas
Ian Cline, Associate ASLA 

New Jersey
Debra Kustka, ASLA
Alexis Lo, Associate ASLA
Barbra Walker, ASLA 

New York
Kevin Bogle, ASLA
Alison Duncan, ASLA

New York Upstate
Carmine Tronolone, Associate ASLA 

North Carolina
Melvin Burnette, ASLA
Charles Fitzgerald, ASLA 

Rhode Island
James Robert Studley, Sr., Affiliate ASLA 

Texas
Lindsay Burnette, Associate ASLA
Jeff Justice, Jr., Affiliate ASLA
Brandon Mckinney, ASLA
Rachel Raise, ASLA 

Wisconsin
Mone't Johnson, Affiliate ASLA

Student ASLA
Susan Ask, Student ASLA
Corinne Bahr, Student ASLA
Magdaleno Basilio, Student ASLA
Caroline Beirne, Student ASLA
Catherine Boettger, Student ASLA
Zeac Brown, Student ASLA
Katherine Fillenwarth, Student ASLA
Joyce Fong, Student ASLA
Nicole Furtado, Student ASLA
Vidhan Goel, Student ASLA
Dorae Hankin, Student ASLA
K Brenda Kumpula, Student ASLA
Erin Lalley, Student ASLA
Emma Lepisto, Student ASLA
Visalakshi Murugesan, Student ASLA
Grant Parker, Student ASLA
Maxwell Rouzer, Student ASLA
Lillia Schmidt, Student ASLA
McKayla Smith, Student ASLA
Jake Totten, Student ASLA
Tatiana Veloso, Student ASLA
Kara Wengert, Student ASLA
Catherine Yan, Student ASLA
Jiahua Zhao, Student ASLA 

Student Affiliate

Dersel Bonai, Student Affiliate ASLA
Frances Bronstein, Student Affiliate ASLA
Alexandra Fisher, Student Affiliate ASLA
Amanda Galvas, Student Affiliate ASLA
Kevin Hsu, Student Affiliate ASLA
Skylar Jones, Student Affiliate ASLA
Kristi Lankford, Student Affiliate ASLA
Ryan Leach, Student Affiliate ASLA
Samantha Patterson, Student Affiliate ASLA

Student International
Sude Sultan Atmaca, Student International ASLA
Heyi Li, PhD, Student International ASLA
S.Rathina Kumar Sankaralingam, Student International ASLA
Yusuf Bulut Sengor, Student International ASLA
Poomrapee Thaisriharach, Student International ASLA
Jasper Van Puyenbroeck, Student International ASLA
Zhiyi Wu, Student International ASLA
Weicheneg Ye, Student International ASLA
Joni Zguro, Student International ASLA