2024 Class of Fellows, Cleve Larry Mizell, FASLA, Tennessee Chapter
Lebanon, TN
Over 60 years ago as a young graduate, Larry Mizell started on his path of doing service work to raise the profile and understanding of what Landscape Architects are capable of. A member of ASLA since 1963 and one of the first licensed Landscape Architects in Mississippi, he fought licensure battles in the state, shaped regulations that preserved and improved upon the built and natural landscapes of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and informed Tennessee state stormwater regulations. Within ASLA, Mizell has been part of more activities than can be counted: he chaired the Tennessee chapter and brought it back to financial solvency. He worked diligently to bring the ASLA national meeting to Nashville. He chaired the ASLA Membership Committee when it started producing a bi-monthly newsletter with ideas for ways to enlist new members. Currently, he is a member of the ASLA Audit Committee. Mizell's professional work moved between the public and private sectors. In 2007, he started working for the City of Franklin as a land planner in the Sustainability and Planning Department. Among other things, he rewrote the local zoning ordinance to include a landscape section, something unique to city ordinances at the time. Since its adoption, other Tennessee cities have used it as a model. Mizell received the Olmsted Award from the Tennessee Chapter in recognition of his significant contributions to the profession. Mizell retired from Volkert, a multidisciplinary firm in Franklin in 2023, but continues his unflagging efforts for the profession.
