ASLA UTAH AUGUST 2026 NEWSLETTER

LEADERSHIP EXPRESS

Jesse Allen, ASLA Utah President

During the 2024 ASLA Conference in Washington, DC, I had the opportunity to walk with our Past President, Lars Erikson, around the National Mall between sessions. We were talking about my goals for serving as ASLA Utah President, and I shared that one of my priorities was improving public understanding of landscape architecture. I asked Lars how he explains what landscape architects do. His answer has stayed with me. He said he doesn't usually start by describing the profession. Instead, he talks about the landscape architects he knows.

Landscape architecture is Nancy Monteith.
Landscape architecture is Terrall Budge.
Landscape architecture is Craig Johnson.

The more I've thought about that conversation, the more I've come to appreciate his perspective. Landscape architecture is an incredibly broad profession. Some of us focus on the intricate details of materials, planting, and site design. Others help shape campuses, streets, and communities. Some work at the scale of an individual site, while others influence municipal and regional planning. That breadth is one of our profession's greatest strengths, but it can also make it difficult to explain.

Over the past year, I've written about communicating the value of landscape architecture. We often try to explain the profession by listing the services we provide. Lars took a different approach. He explained the profession by talking about the people who practice it. Perhaps there is something to learn from that. Every landscape architect brings different strengths, experiences, and perspectives. Together, those individual contributions define our profession better than any single description ever could.

As a chapter, we have an opportunity to continue telling those stories. Let’s celebrate our award winners, recognize the accomplishments of our members, and share examples of the projects and people shaping communities throughout Utah. The profession is too broad to be understood through one project or one definition. It is better understood through the collective work of the landscape architects who practice it every day.

UPCOMING EVENTS

**Watch your inbox for details about each upcoming ASLA Utah Chapter Event**

**Indigenous Right Relations: Design Alignment Through Cultural Humility Webinar Series**

**CLICK HERE TO REGISTER**

**A free webinar series Climate & Biodiversity Action 101 - free Webinar Series**

**CLICK HERE TO REGISTER**

Election Results: 2026-2027 Utah ASLA Executive Committee

We are pleased to announce the results of the 2026 Utah ASLA Chapter Elections — with all four candidates running unopposed, we’re excited to welcome this talented group of professionals to the Executive Committee.

Devon Dillinger will be joining the Executive Committee as President, after serving as Climate Action & Biodiversity Chair.
Dan Sonntag joins the Ex. Committee as President Elect We are glad to welcome Dan to the Executive Committee in this leadership role.
Adam Castor returns for a second term as Treasurer, continuing his excellent work overseeing the Chapter’s financial management.
Jeff Coons has been elected as Secretary stepping into the role previously held by Ladd Schiess. Jeff has already been a valuable member of the Visibility & Public Affairs Committee.

We are excited to move into this new year of leadership with our newly elected Executive Committee Members, and extend our gratitude and best wishes to outgoing President Elect, Lars Erickson and President, Aaron Johnson and Secretary, Ladd Schiess. We sincerely appreciate your dedicated service and hope to see you continue your involvement through committees and chapter events.

We Need You!

ASLA Utah continues to promote and protect the landscape architecture profession—and we can always use more help! If you’re interested in joining a committee, assisting with even just one event, or just pitching in here and there, please reach out. Your support makes all the difference.

Here’s to another great year for ASLA Utah Chapter!

MEET YOUR NEWLY ELECTED ASLA UTAH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

TREASURER Adam Castor

Dear Landscape Architect

Dear Landscape Architect is 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: “Some LA’s seem to hop around to different companies. Some are long-timers at the same place. What are you ? Why?”

Dear tenure watcher, thanks for the fun question! It would be nice to hear your thoughts on why and how long you have personally stayed employed at a particular company as well. Write back and share your thoughts when you have a few minutes.

The reasons a professional may stay with one company for a long time—or choose to move between firms more often—can vary as much as the professionals themselves, including different seasons of a professional’s life. Some people are shaped by loyalty, stability, mentorship, and shared history. Others are shaped by curiosity, opportunity, and the need to keep stretching into new roles, project types, or workplace cultures. Because I represent a panel of landscape architects, I’ll share perspectives from both flavors.

‘Long-Timer’

I’m definitely a long-timer. I’ve spent my entire career with one firm, and a big reason is that I found a company that aligns with what I value: meaningful projects, strong employee support, work-life balance, and a culture where people genuinely care about each other.

Our company often talks about success as a three-legged stool: employee-focused, client-based, and financially successful. If one leg is out of balance, the whole thing becomes unstable. That mindset has always resonated with me because it recognizes that good work, strong client relationships, and employee well-being all have to support each other.

I understand why some landscape architects move between firms, and there can definitely be financial, professional, or growth-related reasons to do that. But for me, I’ve found a place where I can grow, be challenged, contribute meaningfully, and still feel a strong sense of stability, camaraderie, and belonging. I’ve had recruiters reach out over the years, but leaving has never felt tempting because I already have what I would be looking for somewhere else.

I think there is value in both paths. For me, if you find a place that meets—and even exceeds—your expectations, it makes sense to keep investing in it.

‘Company-Hopper’

From the outside, my résumé probably looks like I hop around. But for me, moving has usually been less about restlessness and more about deliberate growth. I have changed companies when a new role offered a clearer path toward the skills, responsibilities, or project experiences I needed next.

Early in my career, I wanted exposure to the full range of landscape architecture practice. One firm taught me technical discipline through grading, detailing, planting plans, and construction documents. Another helped me understand public work, community engagement, and long approval processes. Another pushed me into project management, where I learned budgeting, scheduling, consultant coordination, and client communication faster than I would have otherwise.

In contrast to a theoretical ‘long-timer’, I haven’t expected one company to meet every need for an entire career. I’ve looked for seasons of learning: a season for technical growth, a season for civic projects, a season to understand a small studio, and a season to see how larger firms handle leadership, mentorship, design quality, deadlines, and profitability. When the learning curve flattened or the next opportunity clearly pointed somewhere else, I moved.

There were practical reasons too: compensation, commute, family needs, flexibility, workload, and whether the next step toward licensure, leadership, or a different project type was available where I was. Leaving did not always mean the previous firm was bad; sometimes the fit had simply changed.

I don’t romanticize changing firms. There are costs: starting over socially, rebuilding trust, learning new systems, and sometimes leaving good people behind. Stability has real value, and I respect those who build deep institutional knowledge. But movement can also be a commitment to growth and to finding the work where your contribution is most useful.

So yes, I’ve hopped around. But I’d describe it as purposeful movement rather than professional wandering. Some people grow roots by staying in one place; I’ve grown by carrying lessons from one place to the next. Both paths can be valid when chosen with self-awareness, integrity, and respect.

Did these answers make you think about where you sit or consider more deeply what others may be experiencing at work? I’d love to hear your experience with changing companies or deciding to stay longer. Email your thoughts to dearlautah@gmail.com.

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