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Upcoming
Events
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Charlottesville, VA
February 17, 2016
"Drinking Architecture"
Young Architects Forum/ VA ASLA Networking Happy Hour
The Tobacco Company, Richmond, VA
February 24, 2016
5:30 - 7:30 pm
(Look for your Evite with more information soon.)
National Landscape Architecture Month
April 2016
Lexington, VA
April 5-7, 2016
VA ASLA/AIA Networking Happy Hour
Richmond, VA
April 2016 (Date TBD)
Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
September 16-17, 2016
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VA ASLA 2016 Fall Conference
September 16-17, 2016
Fort Monroe, Hampton, VA
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Chapter Sponsors
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We Would Like to
Thank Our Sponsors!!!
If you would like to become an annual sponsor or you know a company that would,
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President's Message
Greetings VA ASLA Member,
The Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects
'
mission is to enhance the practice and benefits of landscape architecture in Virginia through advocacy, education, and service. I am honored to be your president this year. We have a strong VAASLA 2016 Executive Committee and we look forward to serving our members and increasing awareness of our profession.
To kick off our new 2016 leadership, Walt Cole, president elect, Lynn Crump, past president and I attended the CPC/Chapter President Council Meeting at the ASLA Annual Conference in Chicago. The CPC meetings provide a review of chapter resources and valuable ideas from other ASLA chapter presidents about how to increase membership and improve events.
We also invited all members to attend our VAASLA strategic meeting on December 5th, led by Bill Eubanks, FASLA, of Urban Edge Studio. 
We reviewed our recent member surveys to help shape your 2016 VAASLA top goals:
- Communicate, engage and support our members;
- Engage legislators and identify advocates;
- Increase our sponsorship network; and
- Outreach: participate in community projects.
Please reach out with your ideas too! Join us during our Executive Committee meetings this year, held monthly on Saturday mornings or Thursday afternoons: Feb 7, Mar 3, Apr 2, May 5, June 4, July 7, Aug 6, Sept 18 (the Sunday of our Fall Conference), Nov 3 and Dec 3. You are welcome to call in or attend in person! Contact us for more information and visit our new website http://www.vaasla.org We will continue to add items to our website including a detailed VAASLA calendar.
We are always looking for volunteers to assist with our website and social media. Help us if you can!
Have you ever spent a day on,"The Hill?" We are looking for more of our Virginia members to attend ASLA Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. May 19, 2016. This is an exciting opportunity to meet with chapter members from all over the country and visit with the offices of your senators and representatives. Other chapter members travel long distances to attend and here we are only hours away from D.C., three of us attended last year - let's try to at least double our attendance this year. Assist us as we define and promote Landscape Architecture as well as help support the legislative bills that fund your projects!
Let's build our membership numbers and win the ASLA Membership Cup! As of January 5, 2016 we have 265 VAASLA members. Chapters are challenged to grow their membership from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. We have two opportunities to win: (1) Highest percentage of growth or (2) Highest amount of new members. During our next EXCOM meeting we will establish our member goal. Come join us!
We had a successful VAASLA Fall Conference and Award Program at VA Tech in September, 2015. This year we will focus our efforts into one large Annual Conference instead of two smaller events.
Our 2016 Fall Conference and Awards Reception location is Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia September 16-17th. With over 400 Years of history Fort Monroe provides a beautiful venue. Information about our schedule and awards program will be emailed to our members soon. We created a new sponsorship package this year too! Please spread the word to potential sponsors.
Other new programs this year include a "Member Spotlight" and regional events with allied disciplines! Do you know a VAASLA member in the news? Please let us know so we can spread the word of our profession and accomplishments! Our first member Spotlight is included in our newsletter today and our first joint AIA event is listed below. Send us your new ideas too!
I am proud to be a part of our chapter and with your help we can accomplish our goals and grow our chapter. I look forward to working with you all.
Missy Benson, ASLA
804-337-6763
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 VA ASLA Seeking Advocates
The VA ASLA Legislative Affairs committee is seeking information regarding their relationships with members of the House of Delegates or Senate in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We have been blessed to have had close allies in the General Assembly over the last few decades but find ourselves not having as strong a connection as we need at this time. Our relationship with members of the General Assembly over the years has proven very valuable in our quest for licensure. Now it will be equally important in the defense of licensure and regulatory reform.
If you have a close relationship with a delegate or senator we would like to know about it. Please email a member of the LAC when you have a moment.
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| Would You Like to Be Part of a Committee?
We are looking for volunteers to serve on the following committees. If you are interested, please contact the committee chair for more information.
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 Member Spotlight
Barry Frankenfield, a 30-year veteran of Virginia Beach city government, was named the new director of the Virginia Beach Department of Planning & Community Development on December 21, 2015. Frankenfield had been interim director since July, when he stepped in for retiring director Jack Whitney.
"I can't think of anyone who knows more about Virginia Beach and all its future needs than Barry," Spore said. "He has been deeply involved with so many important city projects, and his background covers such a wide range of disciplines. Barry is the perfect person to lead Virginia Beach's planning for the future."
Frankenfield joined the city in 1985 as a resort planner. Frankenfield is a licensed landscape architect, a fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects, a certified planner, a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a LEED Accredited Professional. He holds a master's degree from the Conway School of Landscape Design and a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia.
We want to congratulate Barry on his new appointment.
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 Information From National ASLA We Thought You Might Be Interested In Reading.
We received notes taken during recent ASLA Board of Trustees meetings by your VA ASLA Trustee, Lu Gay Lanier, FASLA, LEED AP. Here is her
Trustee's Report.
We reviewed the most recent issues of ASLA Leaders E-Express and found information on Government Affairs, Public Relations and Communications, Member and Chapter Services, Education and LAAB, and Professional Practice we thought you might want to read.
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| Sneak Peek at the 2016 SORP and RMS Conference
Boise, Idaho - May 16 - 20, 2016
The River Management Society and Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals have teamed up to provide an extensive mix of training in one location at a very reasonable cost. Conference registration will open the last week in January and at that time we will have a preliminary program posted at recpro.org.
Click here for more information.
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 VA ASLA Constitution and Bylaws
We would like to thank those of you who took the time recently to vote on the changes to the VA ASLA Constitution. The changes were approved.
The VA ASLA Bylaws are also being updated. The Executive Committee plans to approve the updated bylaws during their next meeting. Afterwards the Bylaws and Constitution will be posted on the VA ASLA website.
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Your 2015-2016 VA ASLA Executive Committee
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President
Missy Benson, ASLA
Playworld
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President-Elect
Walter Cole, PLA, ASLA
Clark Nexsen
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Past President
Lynn Crump, ASLA
Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation
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Trustee
LuGay Lanier, FASLA
Timmons Group
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Secretary
Mike Fox, ASLA
WPL
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Treasurer
Chris Hale, ASLA
County of Chesterfield
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Member-at-Large
C.L. Bohannon, Ph.D., ASLA
Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech University
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Member-at-Large
Jarrod Katzer, ASLA
WPL
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Legislative Representatives
Billy Almond, FASLA,WPL
Ti Johnson, ASLA, Warner Larson
Rob McGinnis, PLA, FASLA, Oculus
HALS Liaison
Liz Sargent, ASLA
Liz Sargent HLA
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Membership
Luigi Mignardi, PLA, ASLA
Commonwealth Architects
Chapter Administrator
Kevin Bayes
804-523-2901
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| Header Image Credit: Sand Flows Oyster Forms by Dasha Lebedeva, University of Virginia. |
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