President 2023-2024
Drake Fowler
(828) 665-2492
The North Carolina Arboretum
Drake Fowler is Deputy Executive Director/CFO for The North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, directing the finance, development, horticulture, facilities, and information technologies departments. He manages a $6 million annual budget and has led more than $5 million in capital improvements Drake co-led a 20-year campus master planning process during 2020. He was recently elected chair of the American Public Garden Association CFO council, representing 200 institutions.
Drake previously worked 12 years for Design Workshop, an international, award-winning landscape architectural firm, serving as the operations manager for both the Asheville and flagship Denver offices. He worked with the firm’s national leadership on firm strategy, finance, HR and daily operations.
As a licensed and LEED AP certified landscape architect, he served as project manager on multi-million-dollar projects, designed and built throughout the United States and internationally, including three years leading landscape design and construction for Sierra-Nevada Brewery’s eastern U. S. manufacturing and tourism facility.
Drake is the co-author of A Guide to Strategic Planning: How to Build & Critique a Plan with Data and Research. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Landscape Architecture from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Western Carolina University.
President - Elect 2023-2024
Dan Lambert, ASLA
(704) 527-0800 x327
McAdams
Dan is the Director of Landscape Architecture in the McAdams Charlotte office. His 23-year career has been spent creating inspired designs for places for people. His design philosophy is to create beloved places that become a part of its users' stories. Dan focuses on designing for ease of access and use by the greatest number of people.
Dan spent the early part of his career in his home state of Colorado and later moved to Myrtle Beach, SC. Seven years ago, Dan made the move from Myrtle to Charlotte and has never looked back. His design experience is broad in scope, project types, and geographic reach and he has project work in 20+ states and the Bahamas.
Dan believes that ASLA and our local chapters provide tremendous service and resources to the landscape architecture community and he believes that giving back to our champion professional organization is a necessity and a privilege. He looks forward to continuing his service to our community and our organization.
Secretary 2023-2025
Brenna Laffey
Design Workshop
919-319-6716
Brenna is a landscape designer and project manager at Design Workshop in the Raleigh studio. She holds her graduate degree in Landscape Architecture from North Carolina State University, where she served as President of the Student Chapter of ASLA, and is actively pursuing professional licensure. Her experience and interests in the field translate across multiple scales of intervention, from large-scale systems thinking to crafting thoughtful details. Brenna’s background in interior design and materials fuels her passion for human-scale place-making. Inspired by witnessing the catastrophic impacts of Hurricane Sandy in NYC, Brenna has also participated in cross-disciplinary teams working in the realm of resiliency and environmental justice. She believes that design at any scale can be a powerful medium in addressing complex issues and advocates for equitable, meaningful, and sustainable solutions. Brenna is experienced in project management and has worked on a variety of project types from land use planning at a County level to traditional landscape and site design.
Treasurer 2022-2024
Lora Greco
(919) 460-4980
Lora Greco is the Development Review Manager for the Town of Cary. She has practiced landscape architecture in both the private and public sectors for over fifteen years. Lora has been a member of ASLA since her undergraduate studies at NCSU’s College of Design and has been a full member of ASLA since 2008. Previously, she served as NCASLA’s Treasurer for three years before being elected to serve as president-elect, president, and immediate past president. At work, Lora serves as a liaison between the business community, developers, customers, and the Town of Cary coordinating the workload and output of Cary’s Development Review Committee, explaining development review processes to customers, and identifying and implementing understandable and customer-friendly solutions.
Lora holds a bachelor of landscape architecture from North Carolina State University and a master of city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is licensed to practice landscape architecture in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Past President 2023-2024
Josh Karrick, PLA, ASLA, AICP
(919)833-6413
Cline Design Associates
Josh Karrick is a Landscape Architect with over 20 years of experience and is now based in Raleigh, NC. He recently served NCASLA as the Triangle and Mountain Section Chair over the past four years prior to taking the position as Associate Director of Planning for Cline Design Associates. Josh has a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from the University of Kentucky and is also a Certified Planner. In addition to serving on the NC ASLA Board, Josh served on the Kentucky ASLA Executive Committee in a variety of roles including President and Sponsorship Chair, and on the Kentucky APA Board as Professional Development Officer and Section Chair.
Trustee 2023-2025
Zachary Pierce, ASLA
(919) 319-6716
CLH design
As a Vice President of CLH design, Zak leads a team of landscape architects, designers, and civil engineers with the development of design plans for a variety of civic, recreational, and educational projects. His dedication to ASLA reaches back to his role as the Secretary for Penn State’s Landscape Architecture Student Society. Once in North Carolina, Zak immediately became involved with NCASLA by volunteering on several long-range and conference planning committees. As an active member of
the North Carolina Chapter of ASLA, Zak works diligently to advocate for the profession. He served as NCASLA Membership Chair, NCASLA Chapter President, ASLA Chapter Presidents Council (CPC) Chair, and recently was selected to serve on the ASLA Leadership Development Committee. He is also a frequent speaker at parks/recreation, public safety, and landscape architecture conferences to further his professional development and promote the importance of landscape architecture.
Zak values the comradery amongst landscape architects and would be honored to serve as the NCASLA Secretary.
Member-at-Large Awards 2023-2024
Jael Wagoner
Qunity
(919) 274-9288
Ms. Wagoner is an Assistant Vice President at Qunity, with 19+ years of experience in Land Development, Landscape Architecture, and Land Planning. Jael has project understanding and practical experience in many areas of Land Development: Private- Residential, Commercial, Industrial, and Mixed-Use; Public- Parks and Recreation, Streetscape, K-12 Education, Higher Education, Government Facilities, and Aviation; and Energy: Power and Delivery, Transmission, and Renewable Energy.
Jael’s experience includes master planning, site analysis, feasibility studies, conceptual design, site layout, detailed grading and stormwater management, erosion and sediment control, planting plans, specification coordination, regulatory permitting, cost estimating, construction drawing preparation, construction administration, and client management.
Jael is a 2021 graduate of the ACEC/NC Future Leaders program. Jael is also a United States Navy Veteran with a combined nine years of active and reserve service.
Jael has been actively involved with the North Carolina chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects since 2019, serving as a NCASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture Committee Member (2020), as the NCASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture Conference Committee Chair and Awards Co-Chair (2021-2022), and returning as the NCASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture Conference Committee Chair and Awards Co-Chair for 2023-2024.
Member-at-Large Government Affairs Advocacy Chair 2023-2025
Paul Kuhn
Town of Cary
919-469-4360
Paul Kuhn is a licensed landscape architect who has worked for Cary, NC for over 18 years. Paul is currently the Capital Program Manager for Cary overseeing the $1 Billion worth of existing projects occurring in Cary. Paul oversees the twenty-year capital improvement plan for the future of Cary. Before coming to Cary he worked in the private sector in Pennsylvania for about 4 years. Paul graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s in landscape architecture and a minor in planning. He has also successfully completed a course on Municipal Administration from UNC. He is a problem solver who has planned, designed, and built some of the many “first” projects in Cary. He enjoys working on a range of projects that the public will use from maintaining the current, building for current needs, and planning for the future. He has worked on greenways, parks, venues, public safety, and other government facility projects during his career. He has also worked closely with the development of community building in the community.
Member-at-Large Communications 2022-2024
Lauren Patterson, PLA, ASLA
vhb
Lauren is a Landscape Architect and Planner with 10 years of experience leading projects from large-scale regional planning initiatives to detailed immersive designs. She has worked on a wide variety of projects throughout the U.S. and is involved in outreach and advocacy for smart planning and design initiatives throughout the country.
As a Planning and Design Project Manager at VHB in Charlotte NC, she is passionate about improving the world of transportation and development through smart design and collaboration. She has been involved in ASLA for about 7 years and is active in various aligning professional organizations as well. She currently serves as the Urban Design PPN Co-Chair and is involved in National ASLA committees.
Member-at-Large Emerging Professional (2023-2025)
Britt Davis
JDAVIS
Britt Davis has 15 years of leadership and management experience in community development and is an emerging professional in Landscape Architecture and Urban Design. Before studying Landscape Architecture at North Carolina State University's Master's (MLA) program, Britt spearheaded many initiatives ranging from youth to economic development. One of the most notable is the Vacationer Supported Agriculture (VSA) project, which pioneered cooperation with over 40 farmers, NC Extension, and various partners to implement a strategic plan for place-based community-led food systems.
As someone deeply invested in building genuine human connections and lasting relationships, Britt served as the President of the Student ASLA chapter during her time in the MLA program. Her team chased innovative opportunities such as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion grant to foster lasting social bridges, strong bonds, and share resources with North Carolina A&T University. Further, Britt's multi-phased research in mapping human health concerns and testing resilient landscape systems' ability to mitigate such problems garnered a National ASLA award in the research category. Britt currently works as an Urban Designer in Raleigh, North Carolina. Britt is excited to leverage her leadership and community development experience to pursue niche urban design innovations in the Southeast by empowering collaboration between designers, developers, government officials, and locals to create dynamic power shifts and regime changes in how we build cities in this region.
Charlotte Section Chair 2023-2024
Hollie Colony, PLA, ASLA
(704) 749-1432
Orsborn Engineering Group
Hollie Colony is the Studio Lead at Orsborn Engineering Group. She graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture and has been practicing in Charlotte, NC since 2010. Hollie is a licensed landscape architect whose planning and design experience includes adaptive re-use, residential and multi-family design, and urban infill projects. She is actively engaged with NCASLA by serving in various roles to include Charlotte section chair and president
In her spare time, Hollie enjoys traveling, going to concerts, being actively involved in the local Purdue Alumni Association, and spending time with her husband, Eric, and their two dogs, Jax and Remy.
Coastal Section Chair 2021-2025
Sharon Rhue
252-758-3446
The East Group
I fell in love with landscape architecture as an extension of my love for the natural and built environments of Southern California 25 years ago and have never looked back. Upon returning to my native NC in 1999, I continued the education I began at UCLA with a Master of Landscape Architecture from NCSU. After several years in Raleigh, my career took me to Greenville, NC where I am currently a Senior Landscape Architect at The East Group.
In this smaller market, my practice is broad. I am interested in coastal ecologies, and the smart growth of urbanizing communities. Another interest involves the intersection of art and architecture, which has led to long-term engagement with Pitt County Arts Committee, where I am currently as Chairperson.
Triangle Section Chair 2023-2025
Brittain Allison, ASLA
(919) 924-3239
Cline Design Associates, PA
A unique blend of architect and urban designer, Brittain's experience and insight have shaped numerous projects, blending the built and natural environments. His understanding of architecture allows him to interpret and discover relationships between buildings and the public realm; creating one-of-a-kind places. He has contributed to the design of numerous municipal and privately funded projects including master plans and site plans for complex, mixed-use developments, multi-family communities, and offices.
As a burgeoning new member of NCASLA I am honored to be considered for the Triangle Section Chair position. I am eager to meet with and connect with Landscape Architects across the state and to grow both personally and professionally with ASLA.
NC A&T University Representative & Triad Section Chair 2023-2025
NCSU Landscape Architecture Department Head
María Bellalta
NC State University
María’s career is distinguished by the admirable work she has produced over the past 30 years across research, teaching, academic administration, and practice in landscape architecture. Her research is focused on the urbanization of the Global South, and its environmental and social impacts, and is informed by international projects and collaborations and her roots in Latin America.
Derived from her research work in Latin America, María leads international studios focused on social urbanism based in Medellín, Colombia, and Mexico City, Mexico, as rapidly expanding cities that exhibit ecological, economic, and social dilemmas exacerbated by a climate crisis era. Since 2015, she has invited students to work alongside local landscape architecture and design students, broadening students’ perceptions of the discipline. Her work guides students through planning strategies that reconsider design in service of diverse communities and frame social urbanism as a means for inclusive development across territories.
María received her MLA from Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, with prior studies in environmental psychology from the University of Notre Dame. Her professional experience includes positions with Buró Verde Arquitectura, Martha Schwartz Partners, Sasaki Associates, and Copley Wolff Design Group.
María is a former trustee for the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, ASLA Delegate to the International Federation of Landscape Architects – Americas Region, and serves on the Americas Council of Landscape Architecture Schools. She has engaged in academic collaborations with Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia, and Centro Metropolitano de Arquitectura Sustentable in Mexico City, among other academic institutions in Latin America.
Fellows Chair
Gene Bressler, FASLA
919.515.8342
North Carolina State University College of Design
Professor Emeritus Gene Bressler, FASLA was head of the Department of Landscape Architecture from 2006 – 2018. He is currently in Phased Retirement status serving as the Founding Director of the College’s emerging Design Collaborative. He co-teaches the First-Year Fall MLA Design Studio with Professor Carla Delcambre and mentors the faculty and students on their scholarly and academic projects, courses, and careers. His research and teaching focuses on urban growth, sustainable development, and the planning and design strategies for “Challenging Suburbia.” In 2008, he co-authored, with the University of Colorado Professor Allan Wallis, “Oh Give Me Land, Lots of Land,” in the book Healing the West by Professor Patricia Limerick.