ASLA UTAH APRIL 2026 NEWSLETTER

LEADERSHIP EXPRESS

Jesse Allen, ASLA Utah President

UPCOMING EVENTS

THURSDAY, May 7th 6:30-8:30 PM — Evening Social/Tour

FRIDAY, May 8th - Conference and Vendor Expo

Keynote Speaker:
Kona Gray

FASLA, PLA, Immediate Past President

Dear Landscape Architect: A monthly feature from ASLA Utah exploring the art, ethics, and evolving practice of landscape architecture — written to spark conversation, reflection, and renewed care in our craft.

Submit your question to dearlautah@gmail.com

Dear Landscape Architect: “How do you help or deal with coworkers that don’t seem to care about landscape architecture and just seem to do this for a paycheck (no passion)? I love our profession and try to do the best I can on projects. Am I the problem?”

I appreciate you asking this question because it points to a core competency in our field: collaboration. Landscape architecture is a team sport—clients, engineers, architects, contractors, agencies, and the public all shape the outcome. Passion helps, but collaboration skills are what turn a mix of motivations into a coherent project and keep your own passion from tipping into frustration or burnout.

The trick is to collaborate with—not try to convert—people who don’t share your level of passion for landscape architecture. On any team, values and incentives vary; your job is to create clarity, alignment, and momentum. One of my favorite interview questions is, “Why did you choose landscape architecture?” The answer often reveals how someone prefers to work, what they prioritize, and what kind of collaboration helps them do their best work.

Here are a few collaboration-forward strategies for working with teammates whose motivations may differ from your own:

Collaborate around outcomes (not shared motivation)

Replace emotional appeals with collaboration basics: define the goal, assign owners, agree on deadlines, and document decisions. Clarity is the most reliable “motivation.”
Build a small collaboration network. You don’t need everyone to think like you; you need a few reliable partners—an ally on your team, a mentor, or an external peer group (e.g., the Utah ASLA chapter)—to pressure-test ideas and keep communication healthy.
Use your passion strategically: invest deeply where you have influence, and collaborate pragmatically where you don’t. Boundaries aren’t a lack of care—they’re what make you dependable over time.

Check your collaboration signals (you may be unintentionally raising the friction)

Is your communication clear, respectful, and specific—or is it mostly frustration?
Are you setting agreements (scope, quality bar, timeline) and then trusting people—or micromanaging the how?
Are you treating your passion as the only “right” approach, or inviting others into shared standards and decision criteria?
Are you working with people whose strengths complement yours—and are you giving them a way to contribute meaningfully?
Is firm culture, leadership, or market sector shaping how collaboration works day-to- day? Which parts can you improve through process (roles, meetings, handoffs, feedback loops), and which parts require a different environment?

In the end:

Your passion is a strength—use it to elevate the work, not to measure other people’s worth.
Focus on what you can influence: set clear expectations, invite input, make decisions transparent, and follow through. That’s what strong collaboration looks like.
Passion is like a fire: useful when directed into craft and service, risky when it turns into resentment. Sustainable collaboration protects both the project and the people doing it.
The goal isn’t to care less—it’s to care more wisely, more sustainably, and in ways that make it easier for others to work well with you.

As a landscape architect, you’re not “the problem.” And yes—trees are always the answer.

Have you navigated similar dynamics at work—or found collaboration habits that protect your passion while strengthening the team? Email your thoughts at dearlautah@gmail.com

Where did you grow up? On The Island in Logan City (IYKYK)

What led you to landscape architecture? I have an older sister who is a USU LAEP alumnus. She spoke of it often, but I never understood exactly what Landscape Architecture was. I ended up looking into programs on a lark and fell in love with the expansive and collaborative nature of the discipline. With a background in hard sciences, the idea of being able to do something with your research is very enticing.

What is your favorite part of your practice? Finding the narrative threads of a project. Being able to synthesize the complex nature of a problem into something digestible and actionable.

What is your favorite hobby? I’m terrible with favorites! Lately, I’ve been teaching myself to play the ukulele, which has been a small joy and respite from my MLA coursework.

What do you find inspiring? The grit of humanity. I love seeing a professional tackle a project from a bunch of different angles. Letting their passion drive the work instead of their perception of their own skillset.

Describe a notable landscape architecture project you were involved in. It is ongoing, but I’ve been working on a project with Joe and Paula Swaner Sargetakis called Frog Bench Farmstead. It’s agritourism, but they keep it really grounded in Education in this way that centers the local community and invests in it. Watching and participating as the design unfolds has been incredible.

Special Thanks to ASLA Utah 2026 Sponsors & Corporate Partners for their Support!

Platinum Sponsors
BioGrass | Great Western Recreation | Rain Bird

Gold Sponsors
Belgard | Hunter/FX Luminaire | LuckyDog Recreation | MADRAX/Thomas Steele | Victor Stanley

Silver Sponsors

Corporate Partners