Page 45

 
Category: Leadership/Management
Rachel Booher, ASLA, is a transformative leader whose work has strengthened and expanded the impact of landscape architecture nationwide. As Deputy Director of the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF), she has played a central role in shaping the organization's growth, guiding its strategy, and advancing initiatives that elevate the profession's relevance in addressing climate, equity, and community resilience. Booher is exceptional for her ability to pair visionary leadership with operational excellence. Serving simultaneously as chief operating, financial, and administrative leader, she has more than tripled LAF's investment in students and professionals, expanded programs, and built a resilient organization during times of economic uncertainty and the COVID-19 pandemic. Her leadership has been instrumental in launching major initiatives such as the LAF Fellowship for Innovation and Leadership and LAF Ignite, a groundbreaking program supporting students of color as they enter the profession. A defining aspect of Booher's impact is her leadership in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. She developed and implemented LAF's comprehensive DEI strategy, integrating equity into governance, programs, and partnerships across the organization. Her work has significantly increased representation within LAF's leadership and influenced firms and institutions nationwide to adopt more equitable practices, including fair wages for interns. Booher also helped lead the landmark 2016 LAF Summit and the New Landscape Declaration, a global call to action that positioned landscape architects at the forefront of addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequity. Through mentorship, coalition-building, and national collaboration, Rachel Booher has amplified the voice and impact of landscape architecture. Her leadership continues to shape a more inclusive, resilient, and forward-looking profession.

As seen in LASN magazine, August 2026.