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President Report
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November
marks the official transition for Executive Committee (EXCOM) members.
Returning to the EXCOM in new roles are Jonathan Haigh (President Elect),
Patricia Castellano (M@L Education & Research), Jim Couillard (M@L
Advocacy) and Jon Champlin (Broward). I would also like to welcome new
members Scott Mosolf (Secretary), Adam McCollister (M@L Emerging
Professionals), Nicole Plunkett (Palm Beach), Jackie Owens (Gainesville) and
Dean Hill (Orlando) to the committee.
Since joining the EXCOM in 2006 I have served under nine different Chapter Presidents, all of whom provided wonderful leadership with varying styles. As I take on this new role I think back to when I was starting out as the Section Chair for Palm Beach and the EXCOM met every other month at the Leu Gardens in Orlando. We had no association management, one paid representative in Tallahassee and we had just finished a successful conference in Destin, Fla. (Where is Destin you may ask? Find Alabama on a map and look just below its undercarriage). We had three schools in our state that couldn't turnout future Landscape Architects fast enough to meet the profession’s demand. Our license to practice only came under scrutiny during sunshine reviews; and my daughter was three months old.
As the saying goes "nothing stays the same" and leadership is critical to navigating the changing sea. Since then, we have brought on Corey Matthews and MSI who now provide association management, we moved in a new direction hiring Rutledge and Ecenia to coordinate our legislative affairs. To conserve spending, the Executive Committee only meets three times a year outside of conference, a conference that has grown to be even more successful. As a result of lower enrollment during the recession, we are down to two schools with Landscape Architecture programs but we are striving to find new ways to cultivate our emerging professionals. Our license to practice came under a serious threat in 2011 that we successfully overcame via our Chapter leadership and advocacy network. Even though we are no longer ASLA’s largest Chapter, our membership is growing once again. My daughter is now 8 years old and has been joined by a 4-year old brother who loves to chase her around.
As with the leadership overseeing the changes in my family, the Chapter’s leadership is a joint effort. The previous presidents I have served under have proven to be a great inspiration. It is a humbling honor to follow in their footsteps.