Describe your typical day as a landscape architect.

My practice is atypical of most landscape architects. I speak about and demonstrate landscape-specific design software. I also work with our development team on how our features can best benefit the landscape design and landscape architecture professional.

Have you received any awards for your work as a student or professional? Is there a project or anything you’re proud to have been a part of thus far?

I have served with several state, regional, and national professional associations in leadership roles, including Ohio ASLA, Maryland ASLA, National ASLA, DCMDVA APLD, and NALP, but my current role as president of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers has been a professional leadership opportunity I am most proud of.

Working with our members, our board, and our executive team through some challenging times has proven that we all can do great things as we work together, and we grow from them readying ourselves for the next challenge up ahead.

What is one piece of advice you can give a Knowlton student who is searching for a job or internship?

The advice I heard from a dear alumni friend and APX fraternity brother John Hagley, upon graduating, which still rings true today: when considering career opportunities, don’t make your focus too narrow. If you turn down opportunities that weren’t exactly what you had envisioned as your lifelong career, you limit yourself. Keep an open mind where adjacent opportunities may produce a unique experience, and you will end up where you never expected and love every minute.

What does having your degree from Ohio State and Knowlton mean to you? How do you stay connected as an alumnus?

I enjoy giving back to both through mentoring students and emerging professionals, and I find it to be an essential life-long learning experience. I learn from each student I meet with and continue to stay in touch with them for years past their graduation.

Also, for many years, I have conducted LARE Preparation Sessions in Ohio and nationally, and I find it additionally gratifying to support the professional development of our recent grads as they pursue licensure.

What were your most memorable moments as a student?

Being a member and officer of the Alpha Rho Chi fraternity. That introduced me to professionals early on in my academic career and to leadership skills.

In our senior year, one of our courses brought alumni landscape architects in to critique and mentor us. I recall meeting Kathleen Fox who didn’t waste a minute in introducing me to other professionals she knew at a Columbus Landmarks Foundation event that evening, and I learned then how meaningful the process of connecting people to each other can be.