2026 Class of Fellows: Lauren Marshall, PLA, FASLA, Potomac Chapter
Arbor Day Foundation; Takoma Park, Maryland
Lauren Marshall, PLA, ASLA, is a visionary national leader whose career has redefined the intersection of landscape architecture and global forestry. Currently the Director of Landscape Restoration at the Arbor Day Foundation, she leads a network of over 50 partners in massive reforestation efforts across the United States. Her work is exceptional for its "systems-based" approach, utilizing landscape architecture to solve critical challenges in carbon capture, urban wood reuse, and community resilience. A major highlight of Dr. Marshall's career is her 15-year tenure with the U.S. Forest Service. As the first landscape architect to serve as a national ecological restoration leader in the agency, she managed the restoration of hundreds of millions of federal and community acres. She drafted the America the Beautiful Action Plan, a federal roadmap aimed at conserving 30% of the nation's lands and waters by 2030, and oversaw billion-dollar grant competitions that helped local governments build green, resilient infrastructure. Beyond policy, she has pioneered innovative economic models for design, such as a trailblazing urban wood reuse program in Baltimore that turned felled city trees into job opportunities and economic growth. Dr. Marshall is also a dedicated mentor and advocate; she transformed the federal Presidential Management Fellows program into a pipeline for landscape architects in public service and currently serves as the only landscape architect on the board of the International Society of Arboriculture. Equal parts scientist, designer, and policy expert, Lauren Marshall has elevated the profession's visibility on the world stage. Her leadership ensures that landscape architects are at the forefront of the global conversation on climate adaptation and forest stewardship.
As seen in LASN magazine, August 2026.
