President ANN ENGLISH RLA, ASLA, LEED AP BD+C Program Manager, MD Department of Environmental Protection Ann English, RLA, ASLA, LEED AP BD+C is the Program Manager for the RainScapes Program in the Watershed Management Division of the Montgomery County, MD Department of Environmental Protection. Her career spans private, non-profit and governmental sectors as well as several years teaching at two universities. For Montgomery County, she has worked to expand the RainScapes Program into a comprehensive set of initiatives that provide technical resources to Montgomery County residents and professionals working in the County. The program now provides a landscape professionals training series, consumer workshops, a Schools program and other educational initiatives that support the mission of the RainScapes program. Her passion is plants and environmental performance. Her solutions focus on how to better design with plants and hardscape, working with the site context, to address physical as well as aesthetic performance requirements. Prior to coming to the RainScapes program she had her own residential landscape architectural practice with a particular focus on practical and beautiful solutions that improve site ecology. Also, she is the designer of the Brookside Gardens Rain Garden, and the Low Impact Development Center s rain garden templates for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. She earned her BA in American History from U. Penn, a Master s of Regional Planning from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master s of Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia. PRESIDENT-ELECT: No candidates have been found for this position. If you are interested or have someone to recommend, please contact us at info@potomacasla.org. Secretary LAURIE BETH DONNACHIE PLA, ISA, ASLA Landscape Architect, Charles P. Johnson & Assoc. Laurie Beth Donnachie earned a Bachelors of Landscape Architecture from The Pennsylvania State University in 2011. She is a licensed landscape architect in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Laurie is also an ISA certified Arborist and holds a certificate in Healthcare Garden Design. Her work experience includes many phases of residential development spanning from neighborhood layout through private garden installation.
Treasurer MICHAEL CASEY ASLA, PLA, LEED AP Landscape Architect, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Michael is a landscape architect with Kimley-Horn and Associates in Reston, VA. Mr. Casey has more than 12 years of experience serving both private-sector and public clients. His project experience is both local and international, and includes masterplanning, retail streetscapes, campus design, corporate headquarters, courthouses, museums, and new community projects. In addition to projects in Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, North Carolina and West Virginia, Mr. Casey has provided landscape architecture services for international projects in over 15 countries, including 14 US Embassy Facilities abroad. Michael has specialized experience managing projects from concept design through implementation, and leading multi-disciplinary teams on complex, niche projects include incorporate integrated perimeter security design and advanced low-impact development solutions. Michael earned his BLA in Landscape Architecture from Virginia Tech and is a Registered Landscape Architect in Maryland and Virginia. KERRI BLACKMAN ASLA Landscape Designer, Merrifield Garden Center Kerri is a Landscape Designer with Merrifield Garden Center, an award-winning garden center and landscaping company in Merrifield, VA. She designs residential and small-scale commercial projects in the metropolitan Washington, DC area. She is also responsible for project management and crew oversight. Kerri has consulted with over 500 individual clients and successfully completed over 150 design/build projects. She enjoys working with people and is dedicated to each of their unique visions and needs. Kerri graduated in 2011 from the College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY with a Bachelor s Degree in Landscape Architecture. She was an active member of the ASLA Student Chapter and served consecutive terms as Secretary and President of the chapter.
ELIZABETH CHIARELLI ASLA Landscape Designer, AECOM Lizz Chiarelli is a Landscape Designer at AECOM in Arlington, VA where she has worked on a variety of projects, both national and international, ranging from memorials to large scale urban mixed-use developments. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Geology with a minor in Landscape Studies from Smith College and her Master of Landscape Architecture from University of Pennsylvania School of Design. Lizz has developed a significant interest in cultural landscapes and the layering of contemporary with contextual design. BETH CLAUSING Associate ASLA Urban Design Tech at Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization Beth is a recent Bachelor of Science Landscape Architecture graduate from The Ohio State University. She has experience creating an art master plan and working in the non-profit sector of the design field. Her current interests include environmental and sustainable design, advocacy for access to outdoor environments, and place-making design. She served as an officer for the Ohio State student chapter of the ASLA for three years and worked with the Ohio Chapter of the ASLA on fundraising events along with volunteering at annual galas and educational events. REID FELLENBAUM ASLA Landscape Designer, AECOM Reid Fellenbaum, ASLA is a landscape designer/urban designer with AECOM located in Arlington, Virginia. He has more than 4 years of professional experience working both in the U.S. and internationally in Rome, Italy and Beijing, China. As a graduate student Reid received the national student ASLA Award of Excellence for Analysis and Planning for his project Meridian of Fertility which studied the way land use, hydrological patterns, agricultural technology, and cultural beliefs have shaped the fertility of the plains region over time. Reid received his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Penn State University and a Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan.
JASON GRANADO ASLA Designer, LandDesign Jason works on a variety of projects ranging from roof top terraces to large master plans. Currently his roles at the office vary from conceptual design to construction documentation and construction administration. Prior to joining LandDesign, Jason worked for HDR architecture, a global architecture firm where he concentrated on federal healthcare and civic work. His most notable project is the Alexandria Police Memorial which is dedicated to the fallen officers in Alexandria. Jason graduated from Florida A&M with a bachelor in architecture in 2010 and from Virginia Tech with a Masters in Landscape Architecture in 2013. Jason is also an instructor at TechShop, a local maker space where he teaches woodworking and metal working along with Digital Fabrication and furniture design. Jason is most interested in the art of Making and how that translates from the furniture scale to the scale of landscapes. MATTHEW JOHNSTON PLA, ASLA Associate, MVLA Matthew Johnston is a registered landscape architect with MVLA, an award-winning design firm in Alexandria, VA. He received his Masters of Landscape Architecture and Masters of Urban Planning degrees from Virginia Tech, and is an enthusiastic member of the professional design community represented by the Potomac Chapter of ASLA. Matt s background in international relations, urban planning, and landscape architecture informs his commitment to bring the benefits of design to more people. His interest in expanding the impact of his work led him to the field of public interest design, where he volunteers as a project leader with Open Architecture DC, a pro-bono design non-profit. He previously served as Chapter Coordinator for the DC chapter of Architecture for Humanity, and he s a member of the Potomac Yard Design Advisory Committee for the City of Alexandria, helping to shape development in a growing urban corridor. Matt recently joined the Potomac Chapter as Chair of the Public Awareness Committee, helping shape the Chapter s public media presence and publicize its mission and activities.
STEPHEN E. McLAUGHLIN RLA ASLA Landscape Architect at ATSG Corporation, in support of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, Architectural Design Division Steve McLaughlin is a landscape architect in Arlington, Virginia, who has been practicing in the Baltimore/Washington National Capital Region for over fifteen years. Since January 2015 he has been fulfilling a contract with the State Department to provide subject matter expertise in landscape architecture as a supervisor of site design for American diplomatic missions world-wide, and as a code official for landscaperelated design standards. Steve has previously been employed with several architecture, engineering, landscape architecture and other consulting firms of various sizes; serving a broad mix of clientele including the State Department, Department of Defense and other federal agencies, for domestic and international projects ranging very widely in scale and scope. In a self-employed capacity he has also designed residences, additions, decks, patios and gardens. His first career was as a U.S. naval officer. Steve has a bachelor s degree in architecture from the University of Virginia and a master s degree in landscape architecture from Louisiana State University; is certified by CLARB; and professionally registered in Maryland. He is a member of ASLA, previously affiliated with the Maryland chapter where he once served as Secretary. PETER NOHRDEN ASLA Landscape Designer and Project Manager, DC Parks and Recreation Peter is a landscape designer and project manager living and practicing in Washington for over fifteen years. He joined DC DPR last year and is now assisting the department in small park designs, new parks and renovations of their facilities. Peter specializes in green infrastructure, especially green roofs and storm-water management. He has partnered with firms across the country while employed with the Tilson Group to work on high security
government facilities including the Pentagon and the new Homeland Security & Coast Guard Headquarters. Peter was also the principal of his own design/built practice for nearly seven years and worked on projects of various complexities, ranging from private residences to embassies, government such as the Vice Presidents Residence, and commercial properties. Peter has a degree in landscape architecture from UMass, Amherst and is a member of the ASLA. He is an active committee member of the DC Pedestrian Advisory Council. Peter has also volunteered as technical advisor with Engineers Without Borders at the University of Maryland and in Ecuador. Peter has guest lectured at the University of Maryland in their Engineering and Landscape Architecture Departments. He has also operated in Germany, South Sudan and Sudan with foreign contractors and as a private consultant. He was also the treasurer of his student ASLA chapter. Partner, LandDesign STEPHANIE PANKIEWICZ ASLA, PLA Stephanie is a Partner and Landscape Architect with LandDesign, based out Alexandria VA. Stephanie directs many of the firm s large scale master planning projects, including long-range master planning to urban design solutions for some of the nation s leading developers. As a creative design leader, she applies her knowledge by offering innovative approaches including state-of-the-art design tools to engage diverse stakeholders in building consensus and understanding. She enjoys working at a variety of scales throughout the design process, and remains uniquely involved in all stages of a project. Her experience includes urban design, park planning and design, community master plans, site planning, design guidelines and streetscapes, with an emphasis on utilizing green infrastructure techniques as storm water harvesting, roof gardens, stream restoration, native plants and natural treatment systems for bio-retention. Several notable NCASLA and Tri-State chapter award winning projects include Camp Lake James, the Park at Pine Hill Business Campus and Dr. Wesley Grant Southside Center. She currently is very involved in the design of several Tysons VA redevelopment projects. After receiving her BLA from the University of Georgia in 2000, Stephanie spent the first portion of her professional career in California. Stephanie has been a member of ASLA since 2005 when she was on an emerging professional panel at the Fort Lauderdale, FL Annual Meeting & Expo. She currently participates on the ASLA national PR and Communications Advisory Committee, recently completed an ASLA 2015 Tellers Committee Appointment and in May 2014 served as a juror for the Virginia Tech MLA student awards at the WAAC (Washington + Alexandria Architecture Center). Additionally, prior to moving to DC in 2011, she served as Mountain Section chair for the 23 western counties of the NC Chapter of ASLA and was a City of Asheville NC Greenway Commissioner. She is currently active in several DC metro area organizations and initiatives including Built by Women DC, Urban Land Institute and the City of Alexandria VA Public Art Task Force. A fun fact about Stephanie is that she was the unnamed architect who sketched an instant city park in this Washington Post story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/he-helps-others-see-his-vision-of-redevelopedtysons-corner/2014/01/18/8c3b1b9a-7979-11e3-8963-b4b654bcc9b2_story.html?wpisrc=emailtoafriend
ELLIOT RHODESIDE, FASLA Director/Landscape Architect Elliot had a dream over 30 years ago of establishing a noteworthy multi-disciplinary landscape architecture, planning and urban design practice. Through collaboration with his founding partners, Deana and Faye, he has realized his goal: the creation of a talented, respected firm with an outstanding staff doing creative and carefully considered work locally, nationally and internationally. Elliot is passionate about landscape architecture. He grew up wanting to be an architect initially, then evolved that dream into fine arts and industrial design. After hearing a lecture by Ian McHarg when he was a sophomore at the University of the Arts, however, he was inspired to pursue a different career in the arts a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. Following more than a decade of practice in Philadelphia, London, Boston and Washington, DC, he and his partners established Rhodeside & Harwell in 1986. Following his life-long interest in the diverse challenges presented by different scales of work, Elliot currently leads design and planning projects ranging from gardens to regions. He is happiest when the projects are complex, the stakeholders are many and the assignments are full of challenges. He loves mentoring staff and maintaining a high creative bar from which each project is measured. He is proud of his and his firm s work and the positive impacts it has had on the lives of many. MANQING TAO ASLA, LEED AP Senior Associate, AECOM Manqing Tao, ASLA is a senior landscape designer/urban designer with AECOM located in Arlington, Virginia. She has over 10 years of professional experience in urban design and landscape design with projects ranging from large scale master planning to small streetscape construction documentation. Her current interests include transit-oriented development, public realm design, waterfront parks and sustainable design providing flood mitigation for cities. Manqing received her Bachelor of Architecture from Zhengzhou University, Master of Architecture from Chongqing University and Master of Landscape Architecture from Cornell University.
ANNIE VARMA ASLA, RLA Associate, Lee and Associates Inc. Annie Varma is an Associate with Lee and Associates, a landscape architecture firm based in Washington D.C. She holds a Master s degree in Landscape Architecture with a minor in Cultural Heritage and Museum Practices from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Bachelor s degree in Architecture from India. Over the past 8 years as a professional, she has worked in diversified Landscape Architecture, Historic Preservation, and Architecture & Planning firms and brings the knowledge of Heritage Conservation and waterfront design based on her graduate study. She has published her work twice and actively pursues and researches green and sustainable initiatives, in both her urban design projects and professional development pursuits. Her current work includes a broad spectrum of projects ranging from memorial, mixed-use residential, playgrounds and parks, streetscape and public realm design, and master planning projects. She also loves to volunteer for community causes and providing pro-bono graphic design assistance to emerging entrepreneurs. Member-at-Large BRETT WALLACE ASLA, RLA, LEED AP, ISA Landscape Architect/Urban Designer, Arlington County Brett Wallace is a Landscape Architect/Urban Designer working for Arlington County in the Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development. He is responsible for design review on a wide variety of urban planning and development projects, and is committed to creating more pedestrian-friendly and dynamic streetscapes throughout the County. Brett recently relocated to Northern Virginia from New York City in 2011. While in NYC, he worked as a Senior Urban Designer with The New York City Department of Transportation where he was active in the design and implementation of public plazas, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and public art projects throughout the City. He also has experience in the private sector working on a variety of urban, waterfront, and campus projects. He has also served as a Board Member of the Gowanus Canal Conservancy (a not-for-profit organization in Brooklyn dedicated to smart growth and greening of the community).
With his diverse background and experience in both public and private organizations, Brett brings innovation and technical expertise to every project. He is inspired by art and landscape, and striking a balance between social, cultural and natural systems. He received a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Colorado State University, and an Associate Degree in Landscape/ Turf Management from Virginia Tech. Brett is a Registered Landscape Architect in New York, a LEED AP and an ISA Certified Arborist.