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Jessica M. Henson joins LAF 2026-27 Board of Directors

The new board term brings the annual change in LAF President, along with several Directors assuming new leadership roles, 9 Directors cycling off, and welcoming 10 new Directors.
–ORIGINAL POST FROM www.lafoundation.org/news—

The 2026-27 LAF Board of Directors began its term on September 16, 2026 at LAF’s Annual Board Meeting and events in Los Angeles. Elaine Kearny of TBG became President, succeeding Alexa Bush of The Kresge Foundation. Scott LaMont of EDSA became President-Elect after serving as Vice President of Finance for two years.

Several Vice President and Directors stepped into different roles, while other officers continued in their positions on the executive leadership team:

  • VP of Finance: Kevin Conger, CMG
  • VP of Development: Rikerrious Geter, SCAPE
  • VP of Communication: Gonzalo Cruz, AECOM
  • VP of Research: Lauren Leighty, SmithGroup
  • VP of Education: C.L. Bohannon, University of Virginia
  • VP of Leadership: Allison Harvey, OJB
  • VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Aida Curtis, Curtis + Rogers Design Studio

Meg Calkins of NC State University, Liz Camuti of SMM + Tulane University, Alma Du Solier of Hood Design Studio, Michael Grove of Sasaki, Clarence Lacy of Rios, Alexis Landes of SCAPE, Jade Paul of JACOBS, Richard Roark of OLIN, and Gary Sorge of Stantec retired off the board at the end of their terms.

Ten new Directors joined the LAF Board, bringing extensive experience and knowledge from landscape architecture practice, academia, industry, and allied disciplines. Aishwarya Dharmarajan, a 2024 LAF Olmsted Scholar, was selected for the open Director position for Olmsted Scholars, one of two dedicated two-year slots. Welcome to the new board members:

  • Aishwarya Dharmajan, Starr Whitehouse
  • Chris Hardy, Sasaki
  • Jessica M. Henson, OLIN
  • Jason King, Walker Macy
  • Salvador Lindquist, University of Nebraska
  • Chris Merritt, MerrittChase
  • Celina Odbert, KDI
  • Scott Roschi, Landscape Structures
  • Tim Siedlecki, JACOBS
  • Eric Zickler, Lotus Water

LAF is honored to work alongside this distinguished group and their diverse talents, perspectives and experiences they bring to the community. We’re looking forward to an exciting year ahead as we continue to increase the transformational impact of landscape architects and allies to create a future where people and planet thrive together by design.

“OLIN has a long history of service and collaboration with the Landscape Architecture Foundation. I am honored to continue our leadership in this space. LAF’s support and mentorship of students alongside its unparalleled research, documenting the impact of landscape architecture, is both critical to the profession and helping people + planet thrive―together through design.”
—Jessica M. Henson, RLA, ASLA, AICP
Partner at OLIN
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OLIN at ASLA 2026

The OLIN line-up of speakers at this year's ASLA conference brings some of the best of OLIN to your PPNs, CEUs, and field session options!

Wednesday AM you’ll be pressed to choose between ‘Grounding the Grid’ and ‘Equity by Design’ – Pro-tip: strategize to divide-and-conquer with your co-attendee colleagues to hear the expert perspectives of Richard Roark, FASLA, AICP and Sarah Swanseen, RLA, ASLA, AICP around the most pressing issues of contemporary practice.

Thursday’s ‘Evolving Iconic Landscapes’ with Tiffany Beamer, FASLA expresses how to honor the landmarks while charting their evolution. Jessica Henson, Partner-in-Charge of our LA studio, can be found Thursday and Friday sharing her must-know insights on the academia/practice interface, lessons from urban rivers, and through an engaging field session at Sepulveda Basin.

Onsite registration opens at 10am Tuesday, September 15, so come by the entrance hall and to Host Booth Co-Chair Coordinators, our very own Joanna Karaman and Sarah Swanseen. This year’s booth celebrates SoCal diversity—of the territory’s ecosystems as well as the great landscape architecture to be found across the region. Joanna and Sarah have staffed the Host Booth to be your welcome hub + curated, local knowledge center—so you can learn more about ASLA, get the scoop on SoCal, and have a fantastic week at the convention center and throughout LA!

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Coming Fall 2026 – 20 Imagined Landscapes: Material Models for Innovation and Discovery

20 Imagined Landscapes explores how physical models shape creative thinking in landscape architecture, architecture, and art. Through essays centered on individual models, contributors reflect on how working with materials such as wood, clay, and metal, alongside emerging fabrication tools, generates ideas, tests spatial relationships, and communicates design intent.

OLIN and Partner Trevor Lee are excited to share the upcoming publication of 20 Imagined Landscapes. Edited by Trevor Lee, this book explores the role of physical models as tools for experimentation, discovery, and storytelling across landscape architecture, architecture, and art.

The book brings together leading voices from established and emerging practices, including OLIN, OMA, Bjarke Ingels of BIG, Studio Gang, MVRDV, Janet Echelman, MVVA, Maya Lin, Miguel Horn, Chris Reed of STOSS, Christian Moore, TEN x TEN, and Hood Design Studio, to name a few, revealing how physical making serves as a catalyst for experimentation, discovery, and new ways of imagining and creating landscapes.

OLIN is grateful to all of the contributors and to Birkhäuser for bringing this project to life.

Available for purchase soon!

Book cover of "20 Imagined Landscapes" features a green toned photograph of two hands curling a piece of paper into a spiral-like model.