The annual election for 2025-2026 ASLA President-Elect will be open May 7 through June 7, 2024. All Full, Associate, Student, and International members in good professional standing will be eligible to vote and will receive a paper and/or email ballot to participate. The candidates this year are Jeanne Lukenda, FASLA, and Bradley McCauley, ASLA.

Over the next three issues of LAND, the candidates will respond to questions related to the future of the profession and the Society.

This week’s question is "Why do you want to be ASLA President? And why now?"

LAND Forum: Question 1 Response

Jeanne Lukenda

Jeanne Lukenda, FASLA

Why do you want to be ASLA President? And why now?

Nothing is insurmountable for our ASLA community. I have witnessed this across the profession. Just look around. The weight of local and global challenges is carried on our shoulders. In both private conversations and national discourse about the future of our intertwined humanity and environment, I hear the urgency. Yet, even in the face of this, our profession and our people—long practiced at leading diverse teams through complex issues using skillful facilitation, nuanced communication, and changemaking solutions—continue to persevere, embracing the future and bringing hope through landscape architecture.

Like so many of you, when I have leaned on our ASLA community, I have been guided by it, challenged by it, and uplifted because of it. Through ASLA, I have found meaningful and fulfilling pathways for service and leadership within landscape architecture.

Many of us can attribute our own increased professional support and engagement to the greater transparency, higher visibility, and overall effectiveness of ASLA’s recent strategic planning process and implementation. Our Strategic Plan demonstrates our collective priorities and maps out our shared path to our visionary goals. Our self-reflection, outreach, hard work, and persistence have newly strengthened and revitalized ASLA. We have always come together–strategically, proactively, and when asked.

Now, as a President-Elect candidate, I am asking even more of us. ASLA is only as strong as each and every member. With some members of our landscape architecture community still struggling to find their place amongst us, in this regard we have more work to do. In my Goals & Direction Statement, I have challenged us to create a “Courageous Ask” culture, and cultivate a unique and highly tailored space of support for these members. Only through impactful conversations and actions can we walk hand-in-hand until this crucial work is done. With the updating of our Strategic Plan underway, now is the time to move beyond our strategies to date, and dedicate and prioritize the necessary resources to accomplish this goal together. As President-Elect, I will work directly and visibly towards this top priority. We have a strong foundation in place from which to ensure that those on the outside looking in become and remain part of our story at long last. Only with them can ASLA look far enough ahead to understand how our decisions and actions today will shape our tomorrow.

Together, nothing is insurmountable.

LAND Forum: Question 1 Response

Brad McCauley

Bradley McCauley, ASLA

Why do you want to be ASLA President? And why now?

My aspiration to become ASLA President is deeply rooted in my commitment to advancing the landscape architecture profession. As President, I aim to focus on enhancing firms in business development, members in professional growth, and students in gaining meaningful employment.

With years of practice, including helping grow a firm from the first generation of ownership to the second, and from 8 employees to 60 employees, I am not jaded by experience nor distanced from the challenges that come with entering the profession or growing a small business. I recognize that now is a crucial time to lead ASLA in addressing the multifaceted challenges we, as a profession, are facing in the 21st century.

One of my primary motivations is to enhance the business environment for landscape architecture firms. I understand the unique challenges we encounter, from widened exposure and recognition in the design community to workforce and client acquisition to project and business management. As ASLA President, I aim to develop strategic initiatives that empower firms to thrive, to collectively increase value that directly correlates to financial gain. I envision creating platforms that facilitate knowledge exchange, foster collaboration, and equip firms with the tools needed to navigate the intricacies of running a successful practice.

As past Vice President of Membership, I was involved at the national level through many strategic initiatives, including a change in leadership and the revived campaign to provide free membership to students. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t, and I am deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of landscape architects. Recognizing the importance of seamless transitions from academics to professional practice, and from entry-level to leadership, I plan to champion initiatives that bridge the gap between education and industry. By strengthening partnerships between ASLA and educational institutions, I aim to create pathways for students to gain practical experience and secure rewarding, long-term positions. My vision extends beyond job placement; I want to cultivate an ecosystem where students not only find employment but also grow into valuable contributors to the profession and ASLA.

I am also keenly aware of the role of technology in shaping the future of landscape architecture. Understanding its potential impact on design processes and business operations, I intend to spearhead efforts within ASLA to provide firms with resources for judiciously integrating cutting-edge technologies. The emphasis on technological advancement has the potential to enhance design capabilities and equip firms with tools to streamline operations and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving and competitive world. AI is coming and we need to be ahead of it.

My desire to be ASLA President is underscored by a comprehensive vision that encompasses not only the elevation of the profession, but the enhancement of business practices for firms and the empowerment of students and emerging members. My tenure in the profession and ASLA, coupled with a strategic focus on business development and student support, gives me a solid background to guide ASLA through a transformative period that addresses the dynamic needs of all.