President's Letter: May 2026

It’s an honor to serve as Chapter President during the nation’s 250th anniversary. In that spirit of democracy, I want to highlight a simple but powerful way to advocate for our profession: ASLA iAdvocate.

ASLA iAdvocate is our grassroots platform – designed to empower landscape architects to speak up on the policy issues shaping our work. It gives both ASLA members and non-members a quick, direct way to contact legislators and support initiatives that matter to our communities.

And it truly is quick:

1. Visit ASLA iAdvocate (ASLA login optional)

2. Browse active campaigns and petitions

3. Take action on what resonates with you

For Petitions:

• Enter your basic information and click “Sign Petition”

For Campaigns:

• Enter your information – your elected officials will auto-populate.

• Review or edit the pre-written message, then click “Send Message”. Your message goes directly to your representatives.

I would urge everyone to at least explore the active campaigns and petitions, which pertain to Bike-Ped Funding, Complete Streets, National Parks, Democracy in Design, Urban Heat Mitigation, and the at-risk Landscape Architecture program at University of Cincinnati.

You have a voice – use it!

In Fellowship and Service,

Patrick Whealton