New York Upstate ASLA Chapter

Douglas McCord, ASLA, Chapter President

In Utica 2010, the Distinguished Practitioner Award was presented to Douglas Bracket, Environmental Design & Research, by Susan Hatchell, president.
Photos: New York Upstate ASLA Chapter

The chapter was formed in 1954 as the 13th ASLA chapter. The chapter serves as the primary professional organization for over 200 member landscape architects in upstate New York. The current chapter president is Douglas McCord of Rochester; the president-elect is Andrew Hart, also of Rochester. The chapter benefits greatly by retaining a consultant management firm for event planning and organization, The Rivers Organization of Rochester.

NYUASLA has become an important conduit for landscape architects seeking continuing educational credits, which became a requirement in New York State in 2007. The chapter is a registered continuing education provider. This year the chapter provided over 30 hours of CEU credited training for registered landscape architects.

Members became actively involved in the Aug. 17 ASLA national public relations campaign. Susan Steele was statewide coordinator for the chapter, with events staged in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Saratoga.

Michael Haas, NYU ASLA past president, presents a scholarship award to Cornell landscape architecture student Laura Durgerian in Utica in September. This year $500 scholarships were awarded to two students at the Cornell and SUNY ESF Landscape Architecture programs.

The chapter maintains an active year-round calendar of events, including regional based meetings, webinars and an annual conference. This year’s annual conference was held in Utica in September, in partnership with the N.Y. Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association. Attendees had 16 CEU LA credits available at the conference.

The chapter maintains an active relationship with New York’s two accredited landscape architectural degree programs: Cornell University in Ithaca and SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, in Syracuse. The chapter annually provides volunteer design jury services for each school’s Student Design Awards program. This year, the N.Y. Upstate Chapter provided $1,000 in funding to student ASLA chapters so student members could attend LA Bash.

Furthering its commitment to education, the chapter has created a scholarship fund to assist New York State based landscape architectural students. Under the direction of Michael Haas, ASLA, Binghamton, this scholarship program will be providing scholarships annually.

Vincent Pietrzak, ASLA, Appel Osborne LA, Syracuse, displays signage at Syracuse Inner Harbor Project for the the Aug. 17 ASLA national public relations campaign.

NYUASLA maintains a Professional Design Awards program, and each year teams with another ASLA chapter to provide awards jury services. This year, the Pennsylvania ASLA Chapter will be jurying the 2011 Design Award submittals for the chapter.

The N.Y. Upstate Chapter (ULN) recognizes the value of communication in reaching out to its members, and maintains several publishing venues.

The Upstate Landscape Newsletter is published twice annually, with the Spring issue of ULN serving as the New York Upstate Chapter Membership Directory. A monthly online newsletter, Upstate Landscapes Express is E-mailed to chapter members the first week of each month.

To see other 2011 ASLA chapter reports click here.