February 2013 Movers & Shakers

Heather Chung

Bill Patek

Mark Patterson

SmithGroupJJR, one of the nation's leading architecture, engineering and planning firms, has named three to its board of directors. New board member Heather Chung is a principal and leader of the Healthcare Planning Studio at the firm's San Francisco office. Known for her in-depth expertise in working with complex projects for healthcare organizations, she is a recognized authority in healthcare facilities strategy, systems analysis, and analytic modeling.

Board member Bill Patek is a vice president and director of the firm's Madison, Wis. office. There, he serves as a studio leader for its award-winning Campus, Community and Waterfronts practice. Patek leads all project phases from master planning, schematic design, and design guideline preparation to construction documentation and administration.

Mark Patterson, vice president, is the leader for the firm's Health Studio in Phoenix. Since joining the firm in 2004, he has led the studio to numerous successful completions that have brought forth innovative, award-winning designs for healing environments.

Ryan Maters

Mahan Rykiel Associates, a Baltimore-based landscape architecture, urban design and planning firm hired Ryan Maters as director of business development. He will guide the firm's strategic plan to support their existing clients and market sectors while partnering with the firm leadership to identify new business opportunities.

 

Steve Edwards

Harvey Design Land Architects in Lynchburg, Va. has hired Steve Edwards, CLA, to join their team as a landscape architect. Edwards has over 15 years experience in residential design, site planning and project management. His previous experience with Terra Concepts in Charlottesville and Planning & Design Collaborative in Richmond, make him a valuable member of the HDLA team.

Carrie Van Valkenburg

Carrie Van Valkenburg, MLA, has joined SWA-Dallas as director of marketing and business development. She holds a masters of landscape architecture from Cornell University with a concentration in visual representation and a bachelors degree in art studio, concentrating in photography and graphic productions. While at Cornell, she was awarded a National ASLA Student Honor Award and was the recipient of an American Planning Association award for her work on the New Orleans Planning Initiative.

Sharon Mertzlufft

Sharon Mertzlufft will join the CityArchRiver 2015 team as director of development. She comes to the foundation from the Missouri Botanical Garden where she served as senior vice president of institutional advancement. Mertzlufft will lead a capital campaign to finish the Missouri components of the project by October 28, 2015, the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Arch. The foundation has a private fundraising goal of more than $250 million to help fund the $380 million project in Missouri and an endowment for work as a conservancy.

John Hykes

Joe Runco

Northern California Chapter ASLA recently inducted its new officers at the annual meeting. Selected as secretary-treasurer was John Hykes, PLA. Hykes is a landscape architect with over 10 years of professional experience. He works as a senior associate at The Planning Center | DC&E, a planning and design firm in Berkeley. Since receiving his masters of landscape architecture from University of California, Berkeley in 2001, Hykes has devoted his career to working on public projects that are informed by the community.

Joe Runco was selected as director. Runco is a managing principal in SWA's Sausalito office. he has practiced as a landscape architect and community planner since joining SWA in 1981, working in the Houston, South Florida and Sausalito offices. Runco directs large-scale community planning and design projects that balance development desires within the context of existing and restored natural systems.

Elise McElwain

Carmine Russo

James Obert

Ohio Chapter ASLA officers recently inducted its new public awareness representative at the annual meeting. Selected as public awareness representative was Elise J. McElwain. In this role, she acts as the liaison between the national ASLA and the Ohio Chapter on matters related to ASLA's Public Awareness Campaign, which was launched in August of 2011. McElwain assists the chapter in developing public outreach events and aims to tell Ohio about the Landscape Architecture profession. McElwain is a six-and-a-half-year veteran of the industry. She received the OCASLA Service Award in 2009.

Carmine Russo was chosen as vice president of communications. He has been involved with the organization for the past five years and within the landscape architecture profession for six years. Russo helped to lead the website design team in developing the current OCASLA website graphics and layout. He also helped to establish the website as the main platform for communication and event management. Some of his other responsibilities include managing the awards program and planning the yearly awards gala.

James D. Obert is vice president of business affairs for the chapter. He has been an ASLA member since 1978. In his current role, Obert is responsible for soliciting corporate sponsorships for OCASLA functions and their participation in the Annual Meeting. He works for LandPlan Development Services in Loveland.