May 2013

President's Message

Dear FLASLA Members:

As we head into the summer, I’m pleased to report that the FLASLA and your fellow landscape architects have been very busy representing our profession throughout the State of Florida. As you already know, April was National Landscape Architecture Month. Many of our Chapter leaders celebrated the month with a host of activities to bring attention to our work. In Tallahassee, David Malcom and the local section made an interactive presentation at Hawks Rise Elementary School to coincide with Earth Day. What better way to celebrate NLAM than discussing the ‘greenest’ profession with students on the ‘greenest’ day of the year! Other section events and local proclamations were also held throughout the state. Thank you to everyone who participated.

I also wanted to take a moment to recognize the outstanding achievements of the University of Florida’s School of Architecture. Under the leadership of Professor Glenn Acomb, a team of UF students from multiple disciplines, won first place in the US EPA’s first ever Rain Works Challenge. The UF team went up against 217 other teams to claim first place for their work on a central pedestrian corridor at the college campus. What makes it even more special is that students from landscape architecture played the lead role! Congratulations to Professor Acomb and the entire UF School of Landscape Architecture. You’ve made us proud! Read more about the story here.

In addition to the students at UF, we also have some exciting news from the faculty. The national vice presidential election was held on Saturday, April 27, 2013, during the midyear meeting of the Board of Trustees, and three new vice presidents were chosen. UF’s Kay Williams, FASLA has been elected as 2014-2015 Vice President of Education. Congratulations Kay!!!

Some of you may have seen my updates on membership or perhaps even my membership renewal letters. LA is on the rise again in Florida and we need to make sure we build a healthy, sustainable organization. If you or anyone you know has a lapsed membership, please take a moment and renew today. FLASLA does critical work on behalf of our profession each and every day. From protecting your license to providing leading edge CE’s for your professional development, YOUR association is more active than ever. But there is strength in numbers and we must make a it a priority to grow our membership base. NOW is the time to say yes to your career and FLASLA.

Finally, I want to take a moment to mention the chapter is looking for a volunteer representative for the Florida Wildflower Council. In 1999, the Florida Legislature established the Florida Wildflower license plate to fund Florida native wildflower research, education, and planting programs. Since before the first tag was purchased in May 2000, the Florida Chapter has supported these programs and helped promote the sale of state wildflower tags. David Drylie, ASLA; David Fasser, FASLA; and Michael Gilkey, ASLA have each taken a turn representing the Chapter on the Board of Directors of the Florida Wildflower Foundation; the statutorily designated recipient of all proceeds from the sale of the tag. Since 2000, $3 million has been invested pursuing its mission to enrich lives with Florida native wildflowers. With Michael moving on to serve the profession in other ways, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my friend for his years of volunteer service. Anyone who knows Michael can tell you, he is a smart and generous landscape architect, always eager to share his time and talent. Thank you Michael!

As Chapter president, it is my responsibility to find the next knowledgeable and enthusiastic member to represent FLASLA on the Florida Wildflower Foundation Board of Directors. The Foundation board meets monthly by phone and quarterly in person. Like other boards, directors are expected to participate and lead, helping to achieve the mission. Members interested in knowing more about this opportunity are encouraged to contact Jeff Caster, FASLA. Jeff is a founding member of the Foundation, representing the Florida Department of Transportation.

Thank you to all our members, and I look forward to seeing you this summer!

Michael D. Miller, PLA, ASLA
2013 FLASLA Chapter President

P.S. Don’t forget to join us in St. Petersburg on July 17-20 for our Annual Conference and Expo. I expect this conference to be bigger and better than ever. Thank you to Ken Sussman and the conference committee for all of the hard work they have put into planning this special event.