Hopefully everyone has had a great start to 2023! The spring calendar already seems to be filling up with several upcoming events…We look forward to seeing many of you at these gatherings!

The deadline is quickly approaching for entries and payment for the 2023 PGASLA Awards--due on Friday, February 17 by 5:00pm.  Nominations for the Alton Thomas, Kessler Legacy, and Metrogreen Visionary Awards are also due at this time. Please see www.pgasla.org/index.php/awards for additional information. The PGASLA Awards Gala will be held at the Center for Architecture and Design in Kansas City on the evening of March 23, more information to follow.

On February 28^th several Prairie Gateway Chapter representatives will be attending Missouri Advocacy Day in Jefferson City. We team up with our St. Louis Chapter counterparts to promote Landscape Architecture licensure, and educate our state elected officials on our industry. Kansas Advocacy Day will be taking place later this year, more info to come on that this summer.

Students at Kansas State have been busy planning for LABash 2023 to take place on-campus at the end of March. The theme for 2023 is Trailblazers, which will inspire forward-thinking content and spur future directions for the Landscape Architecture profession. More information can be found at www.labash.org.

Mark your calendars for KC Design Week 2023, taking place April 14-22. More info will be available in March related to schedule and ticket sales at www.kcdesignweek.org

I also wanted to mention that ASLA has created new member-only discussion guides to help members advance climate action in 2023. These guides are a part of the ASLA Climate Action Plan and are designed to help start the conversations with your firm about the role that Landscape Architects can play in helping our communities become healthier and stronger through climate action. These resources are available at www.asla.org/climate

Until next time,

Sean Ray, PLA, ASLA

PGASLA President

PGASLA Call for Entries

PGASLA has been honoring the outstanding contributions to the practice of landscape architecture since the year 2000. Awards are given in the following categories: Design (built), Design (unbuilt), Planning and Analysis, Research and Communications.

Award competitions are further separated to recognize achievements at both the professional and student levels.

Entries and Payment Due: February 17

PGASLA Chapter Awards

Members are invited to nominate eligible, qualified people and projects for the following awards. Nominations will be reviewed by the Prairie Gateway Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will review nominations and select, at their discretion, worthy recipients. The Executive Committee reserves the right to accept or deny any awards in any or all of the categories.

Nominations Due: February 17

Join us in Kansas City on Thursday, March 23rd as we celebrate another successful year for landscape architecture in our region. Awards will be presented to our chapter award winners, project awards, and student awards.

Jade Liska, Deputy Director for the Kansas City Airport, will be presenting on the recently opened Airport. PGASLA will also be honoring the chapter’s newest Fellow, Phil Meyer. We look forward to celebrating with our membership and sponsors in person.

March 23 | 6:00pm Social Hour, 6:30pm Program Starts

Center for Architecture & Design | 1801 McGee Street Suite 100, KCMO

Tickets:

Members (and guests) – $25.00

Non-Members (and guests) – $35.00

Students – $10.00

*Ticket sales to close end of day Friday, March 17th.

Brian D Roth, Chapter Trustee

January 2023

I’m honored to assume the Trustee role for Prairie Gateway Chapter. First, thank you to David Contag for his commitment and leadership as our previous Trustee. I’ve had many opportunities to spend time with David during previous national Trustee and President conferences and have seen firsthand his passion towards ASLA. 

I’m excited to begin my service as Trustee and support our local chapter and represent our local membership to national ASLA. Over the next three years I’ll be attending both spring and fall Board of Trustee meetings and sitting in on regular ASLA webinars to fulfill my role a communications link between national ASLA and PGASLA membership. 

Take care everyone and have a great year!

Highlights:

• The Executive Committee held its winter meeting virtually on Jan 26-27, and focused on membership initiatives and partnership engagement.  

• President President O’Mahoney, FASLA, is the keynote speaker at the New Jersey ASLA Annual Meeting, Jan. 29-31. Her presentation on Jan. 30 was titled “The Technical Aspect of Equity and Inclusion: The ADA,” which focused on the knowledge of ADA standards and their applications when designing projects. 

•  On January 12, President O’Mahoney facilitated the Minnesota Host Chapter 2023 Conference on Landscape Architecture kickoff call with the national conference team and Minnesota Chapter members. Over 60 participants joined to learn about volunteer opportunities in helping with the conference. Thank you to co-chairs Ross Altheimer, ASLA, and Nicole Peterson, ASLA, for their help with the preparations.  



• CEO Torey Carter-Conneen participated in Land 8X8 Lightning Talks in Denver, Jan. 18-20. While there, he toured the landscape architecture firm DIG Studio, hosted by Gretchen Wilson, ASLA; and also toured the University of Denver campus and met with students; and participated in a dinner with the Denver chapter leadership and others.