Improved Fellow Preparation Process

As part of a commitment to provide responsive guidance to prospective candidates selected by the Executive Committee, a revised standard operating procedure (SOP) has been adopted that incorporates:

  • A March start for the Executive Committee receiving nominations by members and selecting candidates for support by the Fellows Committee and candidate mentors,

  • Advancing deadlines for nomination package preparation, and

  • Setting an annual limit on the number of supported nominees to insure adequate guidance toward success.

Future candidates will benefit from a more structured onboarding process and schedule of reviews of their packages, earlier involvement of the Executive Committee in the review process and approvals, and numerous other improvements to produce a greater success percentage for turning distinguished North Carolina landscape architects into Fellows.  

Nominee Preparation. Changes at the national level involving the selection criteria, best practices in preparing nomination packages, and more detailed specifications require that all parties involved in the nomination process must think carefully about presentation strategy, exhibit detailed attention to detail, provide disciplined responsiveness to deadlines, and many hours of writing, responding to reviews, rewriting, and paying particular attention to writing clarity, punctuation, thoughtful

responses to critique, careful adherence to published criteria and guidance, and a general commitment to the highest of quality standards.

A typical reflection from nominees is: “I had no idea how much work, time and thought must go into a successful Fellow nomination package.” Another candidate reflected after a few weeks of starting the process: “I’m beginning to understand what is required.”

A key role of the Fellows Committee and candidate mentors is to help applicants adapt to the rigors and time requirements of this process. For these reasons, and to provide the best guidance toward success, the Executive Committee will typically support a maximum of two candidates per year, with provision for a third under special circumstances.

2027 Candidates. In this the first year of the board’s adopted standard operating procedures, three candidates for 2027 are currently engaged in the training and preparation processes. The Fellows Committee (Juanita Shearer-Swink, Eric Davis, Drake Fowler and I) and the candidates are now actively engaged in the review and rewriting process. Our intent is to complete the process well in advance of the national deadline in early 2027. These North Carolina Chapter nominations will then go under review by the national ASLA Fellows Committee with the announcement of the 2027 class expected in the late spring.

Looking ahead to 2028. The Executive Committee will request nominations from the membership during March 2027 for the 2028 class of Fellows. As you will see below, the NCASLA Executive Committee is responsible for making nominations at their discretion for the chapter. Here are the particulars for nominations that the Executive Committee must take into account:

The selection of North Carolina landscape architects for elevation to the ASLA Council of Fellows is an honor at both the state and national level. To qualify for  consideration an individual must:

  • Be a current ASLA Full Member or International Member in good standing

  • Have achieved at least 10 continuous years of FULL membership at the time of nomination.

  • Have demonstrated exceptional contributions over an extended period of time.

  • Have made a significant positive impact on the public and the profession.

  • Have received recognition for those contributions from multiple sources.

 

Nominations may be made by:      A) the executive committee of a chapter,

                                                            B) the executive committee of ASLA, or

                                                             C) the executive committee of the Council of Fellows

in one of four categories: Works, Leadership/Management, Knowledge, or Service. The ASLA website provides a Council of Fellows section that details the criteria for each category, provides sample templates, offers webinars full of guidance and tips, and other information helpful for candidates.

Any member of ASLA may recommend another eligible ASLA member for consideration as a nominee to the three groups mentioned above via written documentation highlighting the member’s accomplishments.

Please Help the Executive Committee succeed. The information and changes cited in this update are all targeted toward bringing more earned recognition to the stellar community of landscape architects in North Carolina. In the newly-minted 2026 Council of Fellows class with one Canadian representative, more than half of the 35 U. S. Fellows represented only five states, each with 3 or more successful candidates. Four additional states had two successful nominees, so in total, only 9 states represent about 75% of 2026 U. S. Fellows success. We believe that with our state’s talent and a thoughtful process, North Carolina has the capacity to join the states enjoying multiple successes per year.

As the NCASLA Fellows Committee and Executive Committee refines our Class of 2027 Fellow nomination packages and begins to think about identifying 2028 candidates, please give thought to other professional colleagues who possess the professional longevity, significant impact on the public and the profession, and track record of recognitions necessary to qualify for this Fellow nomination process. As you will see on the NCASLA website, we have recognized a number of NC landscape architects over the years, but we believe that there are many highly qualified candidates that can be brought to the Executive Committee’s attention.

Please be on the lookout in March 2027 for announcements seeking names and qualifications for prospective Fellow nominees. We would appreciate your help!