Every year, LASN does it's best to promote the Society's Annual Meeting as the central national meeting for Landscape Architects. The event is not only important to the Society for economic reasons, but also for the sharing of knowledge and the interactions between the many specialties . . . This year is no exception, as LASN has brought together 39 of the 40 newly elected Fellows into an editorial showcase featuring their contributions to the profession. (Unlike years past, ASLA HQ wouldn't release the info, and one fellow unfortunately 'declined to participate' in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.) That said, the contributions of the Fellows are beyond description, yet, equally as important is the work being done by ASLA Advocacy teams (see page 54). These teams are the heart of the society.

 
With that, this has been a great year for Shaping the Profession. It was only a few months ago that the Alpha Designer debate consumed these pages, with several hundred PLAs taking the time to send their opinions to LASN. Most of them held the belief that PLAs should be at the forefront of every development. That should help guide the Society as they begin to refocus on the actual professionalism of the profession.

This election year, there was also great debate over the Society potentially electing a Non-PLA to become the future ASLA President, with members ultimately electing the PLA with licenses in 14 states over the Non-PLA. Will there be a rule change in the future? Should licensure be a requisite for full ASLA membership, or does the title ASLA still mean that you can just be a good designer? Only time will tell, but licensure is the natural progression, and you can't legally call yourself a Landscape Architect until you have one.

That conversation has led to the debate about the definition of a PLA. Are you a professional Landscape Architect or a Practicing Landscape Architect? I do know you can be an Unprofessional Professional, but only if you earn and pay for a license do you have the right to call yourself a Landscape Architect while practicing your profession.

So . . . With the elections this year and the meeting in D.C., it is great to see a positive shift with Landscape Architects as you move beyond the TikTok trends of the past few years and start elevating Practicing Landscape Architects to the leadership rolls you deserve! Stop by Booth 2824 at the ASLA Conference and say hi! We'll see you there . . . God Bless!

George Schmok, Publisher