On September 19, 2024, ILASLA held our annual Celebration+ event. The day began with Field Sessions, which included a sketch workshop and a talk on how Graceland, a historic cemetery, is re-imagining how it can serve its community while honoring its cultural legacy. The day continued with a reception and awards ceremony, which WGN's Dina Bair emceed (pictured above).

Jacobs/Ryan and Associates was named Firm of the Year. Other awardees included public recognition awards to Julia Bachrach, Julia Bachrach Consulting LLC, for her work in preserving historic landscapes, and Arnold Randall, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation for his work as the General Superientendate of the Forest Preserve of Cook County. Congratulations to all of the award winners and thank you to our attendees and sponsors for the event.

 

Congratulations to ILASLA members from MKSK, Inc. and Omni Ecosystems, who received awards at the ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture in early October.

MKSK, Inc. received an Honor Award in Urban Design for:
Celebrating Community Resiliency: An Equitable Garden Transformation
Client: Uptown United / City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Chicago, IL
Donny Zellefrow and Brett Weidl (from MKSK) accept the award along with several members of the Winthrop Family: Frances Price, Sharon Giles, Joshua Price, Shannon Young, and Miah Grant. The garden would not have been possible without their family resilience and legacy in the Uptown community, and MKSK was very grateful for their attendance.

Lastly, congratulations to Bradley McCauley, ASLA, who was elevated to Fellow and was also sworn in as ASLA President-Elect. ASLA President SuLin Kotowicz, FASLA, and Chair of the Fellows Committee, Terry Ryan, FASLA, present Brad with his Fellow's medal.