ASLA UTAH NOVEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

**LAEP Speaker Series:** Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, 3:30pm **Daniella Hirschfeld,** Uncharted Waters: Creating Climate Capacity AGGIE CAST LINK: CLICK HERE

**ASLA Utah Sponsor Thank You Dinner Friday, January 27th, 6:30pm-9:00pm** ASLA UT Offices 280 S 400 W Suite 150 RSVP HERE

Leadership Express

Jake Powell, ASLA Utah President

Happy Holidays Utah ASLA!

I hope you had a bit of time over the Thanksgiving Holiday to enjoy some time off with your loved ones. Speaking of thanks, I want to publicly thank the Utah ASLA Executive Committee members whose terms have recently ended, and are stepping away from the Executive Committee. I want to thank Seth Bockholt who is completing his term as the Past President, Boyd Reschke who has served as the Secretary, and JoEllen Grandy, who has been serving as the Vice President for Membership and Member Services. These individuals have given so much time out of their busy schedules to serve you and the profession of Landscape Architecture here in the state of Utah. When you interact with them moving forward, please extend your thanks for their service. They have done an amazing job and we will miss their insight and wisdom on the Executive Committee. I want to also thank Adam Castor, who is now transitioning from the President to the Past President position. He has been an amazing mentor and worked tirelessly this past year to improve the status of the ASLA here in Utah. I am so grateful for his leadership and patience teaching me the ropes.

I am so honored to make the transition from the President Elect to the President. It is an exciting time to be a member of the ASLA. As a new president I was invited to attend a series of Chapter Presidents meetings preceding the 2022 National ASLA Conference in San Francisco in November. It was inspiring to meet with chapter presidents from across the nation and I realized just how much exciting work is being done in chapters across the nation. I was also reminded how great it is to be part of THE professional organization working to situate our profession front and center in the work to create better, more sustainable, and equitable spaces in our nation.

It is easy to get stuck in the day-to-day work of our profession and forget what an amazing linage our profession comes from, the relevance of our work, and the potential positive impact each hour of your time can make on people and places. The National Conference reinvigorated my love for this profession and opened my eyes to the efforts the National ASLA is making to support and inspire the profession of Landscape Architecture.

In addition to several days of ASLA leadership specific trainings I had the opportunity to attend the ASLA conference. Although attending the educational sessions and the expo hall was inspiring and informational, my favorite part of the event was the opportunity to connect with former classmates and colleagues I had not seen in years. I was struck by the sense of community the profession of Landscape Architecture can create. ASLA provides an important space for that community building – I don’t know if it happens anywhere else!

One of my favorite experiences was watching some of the 20+ USU LAEP students interact with alumni from across the nation attending the conference. Seeing them joining that larger community, and getting immersed in the legacy of the profession of Landscape Architecture at such an epic event was inspiring. If that wasn’t enough, the formidable USU LAEP team of David, Mary Ann Andersen and Keith Christensen brought party supplies and an amazing cake to celebrate Fredrick Law Olmsted’s 200th birthday. Our little table became quite the magnet and definitely put Utah front and center in that enormous Expo Hall.

I hope you find your involvement with ASLA inspiring and meaningful. I believe it should be. We are engaged in an amazing profession that is doing important work that people care.

Take Care! Jake

LAEP Student Win Spirit Award at the National Conference!

Lilian Taft, President ASLA Student Chapter

This November, a group of over 20 Utah State University LAEP students ranging from juniors to third-year graduate students had the opportunity to attend the National ASLA Conference in San Francisco. There were a multitude of opportunities to make connections and get a glimpse into the industry we will soon be a part of.

The varied and high-quality presentations were extremely valuable in seeing what is happening in the Landscape Architecture profession outside of Utah. In one type of session, we were able to get an inside look into specific firms. These were helpful for students preparing to graduate in the spring, allowing them to get a detailed presentation describing what the office cultures are like, what type of work is happening, and to see how projects get approached, worked on, and accomplished.

Utah State University students also had the opportunity to visit CMG Landscape Architecture in San Francisco, meeting with one of the principals of the firm and getting a tour of the studio and current work. The principal was very generous to show about 20 students around his office and answer all of our questions. This was such a great opportunity! We asked all types of questions, from how to transition into the workplace and what technology is being used in the professional world, to specific questions on types of materials and how to specify furnishings.

Icing on the cake! (literally)

USU’s first place victory in the LABash Block Party was celebrated with a giant sheet cake honoring Frederick Law Olmsted’s bicentennial birthday, which donned a handsome portrait of the famed landscape architect. But we like to believe it was due to our fabulous school spirit, celebrating the amazing LAEP community that we have at USU!

Overall, this trip to San Francisco for the National ASLA Conference was an absolute blast for the students. It offered invaluable opportunities to meet professionals and students from all over the country, forming lasting relationships we may get to revisit as we transition into our professional careers.