Trustees Report: January 2021
by Brian Starkey, NCASLA Trustee
2021 will prove to be a pivotal year for ASLA. Like you, I would like to put as much of 2020 in the rearview mirror as possible. While the calendar has changed, issues that require our attention as Landscape Architects will continue and as an organization, ASLA has aspirations that will need to be worked on. Some of these have been ongoing for years, while some became clearer and perhaps more urgent over the past 12 months. The impact of the pandemic, social justice issues, threats to our environment, and the need to protect our communities have all forcefully reminded me how important our work is, how much we have to contribute, and how critical it is for ASLA to continue it’s mission on our collective behalf.
Relevant to these issues and aspirations are opportunities for Landscape Architects to lead both nationally and here in North Carolina. I am proud to say that North Carolinians are taking a lead role in the organization and the profession. From our outgoing ASLA President to our newly appointed ASLA CEO and leadership at CLARB, North Carolina is well represented.
Thank you to Wendy Miller for her dedication and energy. Her thoughtfulness and collaborative nature served ASLA well over the last year. Being President is a lot of work and time and 2020 was a tough one, so when you see Wendy let her know you appreciate her commitment.
Our new ASLA CEO hails from Hereford, NC. Torey Carter-Conneen brings an insightful perspective and I have been impressed by his focus and commitment on issues like ensuring diversity, growing membership and positioning ASLA as a thought leader on numerous issues.
This past year, Matt Langston and Kofi Boone both became Fellows. Matt spent several years leading NCASLA including the position of Trustee. Kofi is a respected professor at NC State’s School of Design and cofounder of the Black Landscape Architects Network. Both are more than deserving of the honor.
Thank you as well to Stan Williams and Chuck Smith for their leadership at CLARB. Licensure and challenges to licensure will continue to be an issue in 2021 and collaboration between ASLA and CLARB is critical to protecting it.
With the re VISION conference in November, I began my second term as your Trustee and I am grateful for the opportunity to represent North Carolina. I also want to say that I am excited about our 2021 NCASLA Executive Committee. We have a great combination of strong leadership, experience and creative energy.
The following are a few highlights that illustrate what ASLA accomplished for the profession in 2020 and the value of membership.
ASLA continued to advocate for legislation and environmental policy to protect our natural resources. The Federal Government Affairs Committee worked with coalition partners on funding for National Parks and public lands. This included working with the Department of the Interior and the Administration on implementation of the Great American Outdoors Act. ASLA also lent its support to climate change initiatives and opposed federal design mandates and attempts to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act.
ASLA continued to protect licensure across the country. Government Affairs and the Licensure Committee are tracking 245 occupational licensing bills throughout the country and working with chapters on strategies to preserve licensure. In November, ASLA and CLARB hosted a fourth quarter joint Web Licensure Summit. ASLA also joined the Alliance for Responsible Licensing to combat the national anti-licensure movement.
ASLA made membership free for students. ASLA currently has 15,306 members. Full + Fellows make up 63% of the membership followed by 4,121 students or 26.9%. I believe this policy will pay dividends in the future by engaging emerging professionals and building membership.
ASLA pivoted effectively and successfully conducted the reVISION ASLA 2020 virtual conference. The conference in November was attended by more than 3,000 people. In addition to the usual excellent educational opportunities, the conference featured ASLA’s first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion track.
ASLA took a public position on racial injustice and NCASLA followed. The aspiration of being inclusive and equitable will continue to shape our actions, policies and our profession. ASLA is committed to working towards professional diversity and supporting under resourced communities.
Thank you for allowing me to represent North Carolina and NCASLA. Please reach out to me if there are any concerns or issues that you would like for me to carry to the Board of Trustees, ASLA leadership, or our Executive Committee.