President's Letter: August 2025

Dear Fellow Landscape Architecture Professionals,

August marks the final stretch of summer, as well as National Site Tour Month—a reminder of the power of sharing our work with the public. In that spirit, we’re planning a special site tour of projects in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor with local policymakers to spotlight the positive impact of landscape architecture. We hope you’ll join us!

I’m excited to share progress on one of our top goals: modernizing our Chapter’s Bylaws and governance documents. A few key updates include:

• A fully reimbursed Public Practice Representative position, encouraging more participation from public and nonprofit practitioners.

• Clarified Executive Committee responsibilities and a renamed Associate Member Representative role (formerly “Junior Professional Rep”).

• Adoption of national ASLA policies on conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and anti-harassment.

We also drafted our Chapter Constitution, aligning with Maryland nonprofit law and national ASLA recommendations. This gave us the opportunity to reaffirm our mission: Advancing and empowering Maryland’s landscape architecture professionals through advocacy, education, communication, and fellowship. Members are invited to review and comment on both documents before September 9, after which they will be submitted to the ASLA Board of Trustees for final review.

This week is your last chance to vote in our Executive Committee elections—don’t miss the opportunity to help shape our Chapter’s future!

Later this month, we’re co-hosting another happy hour with AIA Baltimore at the new offices of Floura Teeter Landscape Architects. We're also hosting a Lunchtime Learning webinar in partnership with our Gold Sponsor, Deco Planters, exploring innovations in custom metal planters and modular systems.

Finally, planning is well underway for our 2026 Regional Conference, set for Saturday, February 28 at Vectorworks HQ in Columbia. The focus is “Leading Locally: Our Responsibility to the Community, Climate, and Ecosystem,” and we’re currently recruiting speakers and sponsors. If you’re interested in participating, please reach out!

Thank you for your continued support—I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer.

Warmly,

Michael Pullano, PLA, ASLA

President, Maryland ASLA Chapter