Attendees at the Southern California Chapter ASLA Quality of Life Design Awards included (left to right) Ken Nakaba, FASLA, a retired professor of landscape architecture at California Polytechnic University Pomona; Linda Forde, FASLA, from NUVIS Architecture and Planning; and Leslee Temple, FASLA, president of NUVIS Architecture and Planning. The chapter presented over 40 Honor Awards and Merit Awards.

This past year was very good to ASLA Southern California.

Employment is up throughout the chapter, thus giving hope to the students starting their careers. Spending on projects has increased in the private and public sectors, thus giving firms hope of rebuilding offices after many years of business erosion. Having served previously as chapter president during the depth of the recession, this is good news as we move forward.

California has been in a history-making drought, which has been a game changer for those who are regulating and those who are regulated. The days of just get the plants wet are over. As stewards of the land things have just become more complicated. ASLA Southern California has been working with the allied professions and the California Council of ASLA (CCASLA) to assist the state regulators craft a workable solution to the reduction of landscape water use. It is our hope that when the dust settles on the new regulations we will have established a new sustainable California friendly landscape.

ASLA National President Richard Zweifel, (left) FASLA, and ASLA Southern California Chapter Past President Baxter Miller (right), ASLA, at the ASLA National Leadership Reception in July.

Activities were held throughout the year, including the annual leadership retreat. Held at the home of Alan Clarke, FASLA, in Pasadena, the day was all about business and the way ahead for the upcoming year, but it is hard to call it work while spending the day in the California sunshine in a well executed garden. Thank you to the chapter leadership for their hard work in making 2015 a successful year.

Other events, in no particular order, included the Quality of Life Design Awards, this year focusing on a theme personal to me. As my son entered the profession, the theme centered on the generations of landscape architects who have a profound effect on the Southern California landscape and the generations yet to come. Eric Lloyd Wright was also honored with an Honorary Chapter membership; and in September, we held an event at Eric's property overlooking the coast of Malibu. Attendees were treated to an inspirational walking tour as we learned about Eric's design philosophy and sustainable techniques that he is incorporating on his 26-acre site.

Students from four Southern California universities "?u UCLA, USC, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo "?u went on a field trip to Taft Gardens in Ojai in April. Kim Rhodes, ASLA, the chapter's VP liaison to students, organized the trip. Rhodes is from David Evans and Associates.

An annual spring event gathering the leadership of the student chapters of our four universities, this year's successful student field trip was held at Taft Gardens in Ojai. Chaired by our VP liaison to students, Kim Rhodes, we owe her a debit of gratitude for her passion and mentorship to the students. Honored to be on hand to make several presentations, the chapter also honored student achievement at our four universities earlier in the year. Work presented by the student winners demonstrated that the future of the profession is in good hands.

One final event should be noted. This year, the chapter was honored to have a member of our chapter as ASLA's national president. Not only did this put Southern California in the spotlight, but we had a unique opportunity to host the National Executive Committee for their mid-year meeting in Southern California. Thanks to Chapter Trustee Perry Cardoza and his friends, we were able to welcome them aboard the Sovereign Motor Yacht in the harbor at Marina Del Rey. The attendees were impressed by the support of the chapter's leadership and the great weather. It will be difficult to top that for the next mid-year gathering.