ASLA UTAH JUNE/JULY 2021 NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

Landscape Forms - ROAD SHOW Thursday, August 5th Lunch snacks: 11am-2pm Happy Hour/Games 5pm-7pm More Info: CLICK HERE

ASLA Utah Annual Awards Dinner Save the Date: Thursday, October 14th

Hanover Architectural Products Lunch & Learn 1 PDH/HSW Credited Presentation Save the Date: Tuesday, October 26th, Noon

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Leadership Express

Seth Bockholt, Chapter President

Well folks, its summertime and living’s easy. Except for the landscape architects that are too busy.

Last month I spent several hours on the phone to many of you trying to fill our ballot for the open EXCOM Positions. I kept hearing the same reply… “Interested, but not this year. It’s just too busy.” Of the four positions up for election, we only have three nominees on the ballot. I think they deserve special recognition for their willingness to step up to the plate! Thank you to Bryce Ward, nominee for the Chapter Trustee, Cameron Blakely nominee for Vice President of Professional Development and Thomas Eddington nominee for the Vice President of Advocacy! I truly appreciate your positive attitudes and willingness to join the Executive Committee.

We still need to verify a candidate for the position President Elect. The Position of President Elect is apparently viewed as too much of a commitment. I’m here to tell you if I could do it, any of you could certainly do it better and the first year of the presidency is the easiest and you have the other presidents, the rest of the Executive Committee and the Executive Director to back you up!

So, in this scenario, we fall back on the Bylaws Section 713 proclaims that we shall notify ‘National’ of the Vacancy. We will continue to try to find someone willing to fill the role and hold a special election if we can. If we cannot find a candidate for President elect then the current President Elect, Adam Castor will fill the vacancy - and as much as we regard Adam, we would appreciate someone else to take advantage of this opportunity.

I am urging you to nominate yourself to be our Chapters next President Elect. As I noted in the last newsletter there are perks for this position which include being sent to the National Conference two years in a row. That means your trip to, and cost of entry to the Conference in Seattle in 2022 and Minneapolis in 2023 would be covered as well as your registration to ASLA Utah’s Annual Conference all three years. There are also many opportunities to connect with colleagues and huge learning and development potential. If you would like to volunteer or ask some questions to learn more to help you make a decision then please reach out to me. Seth Bockholt. 801.602.9951 Seth@bockholtla.com

Seth Bockholt, PLA ASLA

Why does ALSA Exist?

Tina Gillman, Trustee

If someone asked you why you do the work you do as a landscape architect, what would you say? The question of why ASLA exists was posed to the Board of Trustees as we participated in a strategic planning session at this past April’s board meeting.

CEO Torey Carter-Conneen pointed out that ASLA is a unique organization because we have a dual role -- to serve members and to educate the public. This idea that ASLA has two faces as both a member organization and an organization that acts as a public resource seems obvious. Yet, it is one I had never before considered until this strategic planning session. Clarity of ‘why’ is crucial in guiding the rest of the conversation. ASLA serves members by providing continuing education, including chapter events as well as national on-line learning events such as SkillEd and the annual conference, practice tools such as the Business Toolkit to help our many small business owners, advocacy for legislation that affects the profession, and a national mentorship program to connect students and professionals.

ASLA serves the public by providing general information about landscape architecture, tools for K-12 teachers to teach their students about landscape architecture, a firm finder to connect people in need of a landscape architect with a professional, virtual reality tours of landscape architecture projects, and career discovery for those interested in joining the profession.

These items are just a few ways ASLA currently fulfills its mission; the ‘why’ of the organization. I look forward to more refinement and clarity of our ‘why’ when the new strategic plan is presented to the Board at the fall meeting in Nashville.

Screen Shot 2021-07-15 at 4.53.58 PM.png — **As you mull over your ‘why’, consider watching this TED Talk by Simon Sinek it just may inspire you.**

Link: TED Talk by Simon Sinek

Leonard was born in Grabs, Switzerland, March 27, 1930, to Leonhard and Anna Eggenberger Grassli. He was the second of three children and the only son. The family moved to Basel, Switzerland where Leonard was reared and received his early education. He earned his professional degree in landscape architecture in Geneva.

He converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1955, and in 1957 he immigrated to the United States and was employed in Salt Lake City, Utah by landscape architect, Leon Frehner. He later joined Provo Landscape Company (PLC) in Provo, Utah. Two years later he married Michaelene Packer and they moved from Provo to Ogden in 1962. There Leonard opened a branch of PLC that was eventually sold. He and John Maas founded Maas and Grassli Landscape Architects and moved the office to Salt Lake City, where it later became MGB+A The Grassli Group. Their firm designed many notable major public spaces in Utah and the Intermountain West, including the 83-acre Thanksgiving Point masterplan, the Utah Valley University masterplan, the Weber State University campus plan, and the Utah State Capitol grounds remodel. They earned more than 40 national and state design awards over the years. He received the coveted distinction of Fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects in 1996. He loved swimming, and he and Michaelene shared a love of classical music, travel, and painting.

Leonard often said that his proudest achievement was his happy family that consists of his wife, Michaelene, their three daughters, ten grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.

The funeral service recording can be viewed on Myers Mortuary website indefinitely. www.myers-mortuary.com.

Those waste bins around town may be collecting something far more valuable than trash. If they’re equipped with Relay sensor technology, they’re also collecting data – measuring fill level, weight, pedestrian traffic, and pollution. This can help create dramatic improvements in operations, environmental impact and overall quality of life. Recently, panelists came together to talk about the effects of smart litter receptacles on efficiency, pollution control, underserved communities and more.

One of the most noticeable improvements has been collection efficiency. A sensor in each Relay-equipped bin monitors how full it is, and then sends an alert once it reaches a certain level. Collection teams no longer waste time, fuel, and employee resources by driving unnecessarily around town, to remote locations or down narrow paths common in parks to every receptacle. They can now tell exactly which bins they need to empty and the most efficient routes to get there.

This has made a significant difference in Pittsburgh, “With the prior process, we’d probably have 20-25 people dedicated to collecting garbage cans across all three shifts. We’re planning to reduce that number to about eight.” This frees up team members to focus on other tasks, such as repairing potholes and cleaning up vacant lots.

When a new university stadium opened, the grounds and landscapes team worked with the architects to determine how many waste bins they would need, and where to put them. The data collected from smart bins on campus made for much more accurate projections. Data also helped to identify heavily trafficked areas for beautification that would otherwise have gone unrecognized.

Streamlined collection routes reduce CO2 emissions with significantly fewer miles on the collection vehicles. Trends in air quality, noise pollution, heat islands and pedestrian activity provide a revealing glimpse into aspects of city life that often go unreported. As this big picture takes shape, leaders can identify specific needs in disadvantaged areas and take effective strides toward environmental equity.

Watch the full discussion: Smart Waste Virtual Panel

Special Thanks to ASLA Utah 2021 Sponsors & Corporate Partners

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