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Category: Leadership/Management
Kelly Bassett Coffman, PLA, ASLA, is a distinguished public sector leader who has spent over 36 years expanding equitable access to high-quality parks and resilient landscapes across the Midwest. As the Principal Planner for Cleveland Metroparks, she leads multidisciplinary teams and manages a $450 million vision to complete the city's historic "Emerald Necklace," a 25,400-acre regional park system that serves over 1.25 million residents. Coffman's leadership is defined by her ability to bridge the gap between large-scale strategic planning and community-scale impact. She was instrumental in Cleveland Metroparks winning the prestigious National Gold Medal for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management twice during her tenure. One of her most notable achievements is leading the Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resilience Strategy (CHEERS), a 30-year initiative that will create 100 acres of new parkland and habitat along Lake Erie, protecting infrastructure while providing waterfront access to underserved neighborhoods. Throughout her career, Coffman has demonstrated a remarkable talent for transforming complex challenges into award-winning public assets. Her previous work includes leading the brownfield-to-park transformation of the Scioto Audubon Metro Park in Columbus and pioneering immersive nature play at the Sisters' Garden at Inniswood. She also spearheaded the designation of the Lake Erie Water Trail, coordinating across twelve municipalities to ensure safe public access to the lakefront. A former president of the Ohio ASLA Chapter and a dedicated mentor, Kelly Bassett Coffman has consistently elevated the profession's visibility. By positioning landscape architecture as a driver of economic health and climate resilience, she has left an enduring legacy on the public realm of Northeast Ohio and beyond.

As seen in LASN magazine, August 2026.