ASLA Candidates Participate In Open Forum
President-Elect 2025
With this year's ASLA elections fully underway, the ASLA hosted a virtual forum on Thursday, May 8 featuring President-Elect candidates Jennifer Nitzky, PLA, FASLA, ISA and Gretchen Wilson, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP, WEDG and moderated by current ASLA President Kona Gray, PLA, FASLA.
According to ASLA, the goal of this forum was to "Hear their bold ideas, creative visions, and hopes for the profession-straight from the source."
LASN virtually attended the event with great interest and strongly believes that - as the elections in the society have a deep impact on Landscape Architects around the country, ASLA members or not - the candidates and their intentions are a matter of public concern to the profession. However, since this was than experimental forum for the ASLA, they requested that no one quote from or criticize the event. As such, the following is not report on the candidate's answers, but an outline of the questions asked during the public virtual discussion.
Gray interviewed Wilson and Nitzky on a variety of topics, from what inspired them to become a Landscape Architect and continue practicing as working mothers, to the opportunities they see for PLAs to work with business and communities to lower insurance costs in the face of natural disasters.
The forum also touched on how Nitzky and Wilson plan to unify ASLA members, how they would encourage non-members to join the society, and how they will develop ASLA's professional partnerships. Looking to the future, both candidates were asked how they believe they can have the most impact as ASLA President.
After the meeting, LASN reached out to the participants to congratulate them on a successful event and bring forth a few questions of concern.
Of greatest interest to LASN is the matter of expanding full membership beyond Landscape Architects. This is especially important in light of the need to strengthen licensure by creating demand for Landscape Architects among AEC professions, particularly within the building industry.
In response to and in line with ASLA's constitutional law restricting all statements about the nominees to come through official channels, LASN was pleased to hear from President Kona Gray, who addressed these concerns, saying that "expanding membership and building stronger connections across the AEC community - and beyond - is something ASLA is deeply committed to."
He went on to add, "I'm excited to see [outreach] continue with [Bradley McCauley] next year, and with either Jennifer or Gretchen in the years to come. We have a strong leadership pipeline, and a shared vision for the future of the profession."
Gray concluded by expressing the mutual desire for ASLA and LASN to "keep working together to elevate landscape architecture."
Election Information
Voting for the president-elect will be open to all Full, Fellow, Associate, Student and International ASLA members in good standing through Friday, June 6, 2025.
Hear From The Candidates
While there is no available recording of the open forum, you can learn more about the candidates through the following links:
To see the candidates' previous comments in LASN's March 2025 Issue (Published online: 2/27/25), go to: https://landscapearchitect.com/landscape-articles/asla-names-two-plas-2025-president-elect-candidates#article1
President-Elect Candidate Introductions (3/11/25):
https://www.asla.org/president-elect-2025.aspx
President-Elect Candidate Question 1 (3/24/25) - "Why do I want to serve as President of ASLA?": https://www.asla.org/land/LandArticle.aspx?id=67011
President-Elect Candidate Question 2 (4/7/25) - "What were your biggest surprises or takeaways from the LA Industry report? How can ASLA best support landscape architecture professionals over the next few years?": https://www.asla.org/land/LandArticle.aspx?id=67072
President-Elect Candidate Question 3 (4/21/25) - "What part of the Strategic Plan is most inspirational to you and how would you aspire to bring leadership to those aspirations?": https://www.asla.org/land/LandArticle.aspx?id=67134
