President's Letter: August 2026

David E. Locke, FASLA

1950-2026

This month, our Chapter lost one of its most respected leaders with the passing of David E. Locke, FASLA.

Throughout a distinguished career spanning more than four decades, Dave was recognized as a trusted practitioner, mentor, and leader. As co-founder of Smith-Locke-Asakura and later in leadership roles at Daft-McCune-Walker and KCI Technologies, his work left a lasting mark on our profession. He served as Maryland ASLA President (1995), ASLA National Trustee, and was elevated to the ASLA Council of Fellows in 2005 in recognition of his distinguished service to the profession. In 2017, he became the fourth recipient of the Maryland Chapter's Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his monumental contributions to Landscape Architecture in Maryland.

Organizations like ours are built by people like Dave who choose to devote precious time and energy, well beyond their day jobs, to serving and advocating for our profession. Through his advocacy for licensure and professional standards, his service as an instructor for Maryland’s CLARB Review Professional Practice Session, and his mentorship of emerging professionals, Dave invested countless hours strengthening the profession, leading by example, and inspiring the next generation of practitioners.

On behalf of the Maryland Chapter ASLA, I extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife Roma, his family, friends, and colleagues. We are grateful for Dave's lifetime of service and the lasting impact he had on our Chapter and our profession.

In Fellowship and Service,

Patrick Whealton