In ASLA’s annual election, Kona Gray, FASLA, has been elected 2023-2024 president-elect by ASLA Full/Fellow, Associate, and International members. He will be sworn in as president-elect at the 2023 Conference on Landscape Architecture this fall and as president at the 2024 meeting in Washington, DC.
Over 29 years of experience in 30+ countries, Kona A. Gray, FASLA, PLA has designed memorable places and unselfishly served the profession through volunteer efforts with care. Kona’s civic responsibility is evident in his years of commitment to the Landscape Architecture community. He envisions welcoming environments that promote community and vitality in diverse neighborhoods. Kona’s ethos is influenced by travel, environmental empathy and exposure to many cultures while growing up in Liberia, West Africa and Decatur, Georgia. As a Landscape Architect, he is committed to enhancing awareness of the discipline through public and industry influence.

Today, Kona serves on the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board as the ASLA Representative. He is an ASLA Fellow, 2022 ASLA Presidents’ Medal recipient, 2018 ASLA Vice President Professional Practice and 2016 President of the Landscape Architecture Foundation. He continues to serve on ASLA Florida, ASLA National, CLARB, HD, LAAB and LAF committees as well as design juries. Kona also serves on advisory boards for the ULI SE Florida/Caribbean District Council, University of Miami School of Architecture MRED+U and NSU School of Business MSRED.

A bona fide ambassador, Kona has contributed to more than two decades of outreach heightening awareness for the profession through sharing global projects, individual experiences, and external inspirations. He’s enthusiastic about growing the profession and committed to DEI initiatives through mentorship, internships, and scholarships. Kona regularly gives back to academia via lectures, design reviews, program visits, keynotes addresses, and LABash conferences. Kona was honored to serve as the 2021 LSU Bickham Chair and deliver the 2021 UGA – SE+D Spring Commencement.

In private practice at EDSA, his portfolio ranges in multiple scales with emphasis on communities, parks, hospitality, urban public realms, mixed-use developments, healthcare, museums, aquariums, and campus spaces. Currently, Kona co-leads design and business development as a firm resource. He is a registered Landscape Architect in four States and holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia and a Commercial Real Estate Certificate from Cornell University. Kona’s award-winning projects are passionately inspired towards creative design solutions that solve environmental issues, improve quality of life, and celebrate humanity through Landscape Architecture.

“It is with sincere gratitude and appreciation to serve the community of landscape architecture as ASLA president - elect. The future is full of possibilities, and we have the capacity to deliver lasting improvements to the environment. In partnership, we will elevate the profession, design resilient communities, steward our precious natural resources and expand awareness of our beautiful planet. Together we can make positive enhancements to benefit the environment and humanity,” says Gray.