WASLA Board of Directors

Effective November  2024

Committee Description

The Board of Directors administers the Washington Chapter of ASLA including chapter events, conferences, finances, membership and advocacy.

Tasks and Goals

The main tasks & goals of the Board of Directors include:

  • Establishing and maintaining Chapter Strategic Plan with goals and objectives in accordance with ASLA’s and our members’ priorities;
  • Identifying  programs, activities, and events to reach Strategic Plan objectives;
  • Approving proposed amendments to the Chapter Constitution and Bylaws;
  • Setting the time and place for the Chapter’s annual conference and annual awards reception;
  • Issuing public statements in the name of the Chapter;
  • Establishing annual dues;
  • Overseeing committee operations;
  • Supporting student chapter activities;
  • Adopting Chapter programs and annual budgets;
  • Preparing Chapter annual reports including year-end financial statements
  • Directing staff activities and contract support services; and
  • Serve as a conduit between ASLA and our members

Board of Directors Positions

PRESIDENT

Role:

  • Sets the time, place, and agenda for meetings of the Board of Directors;
  • Presides at meetings of the Chapter and the Board of Directors;
  • Represents and acts for the Chapter as directed by the Board of Directors and consistent with the policies of ASLA;
  • Appoints the chairs and members of committees with the approval of the Board of Directors,
  • Serves as a member of the Chapter Presidents Council;
  • Oversees the management and administration of Chapter programs and budgets as adopted by the Board of Directors;
  • Reports on the state of the Chapter at the annual meeting of the Chapter; and
  • Acts as the Board of Directors liaison for the “Membership and Social Events” Committee

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Role:

  • Select for appointment when he or she assumes office as president the chairs and members of standing councils and committees and such other special study groups, task forces, and representatives of the Society as necessary and appropriate
  • Serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the ASLA Fund; represent and act for the Society as directed by the president and consistent with the policies of the Society as established by the Board of Trustees
  • Serve ex officio as chair of the Nominating Committee
  • Serve as acting president when designated by the president or the Executive Committee; and perform such other duties as are customary for an officer of a corporation or as may be assigned or delegated by the president.

 

President: Michael Faulkner, ASLA

As our profession continues to evolve and faces growing challenges, I’m excited to see how our creative and collaborative nature will step towards further addressing issues such as climate change and inequality. I believe that landscape architecture is a diverse and powerful profession that can bring us together in new and exciting ways while reconnecting us with the natural ecosystem.

As a landscape architect with 20 years of experience designing public spaces, I have seen firsthand the power of collaboration and advocacy to improve the health, equity, and resiliency of our communities. This has included donating my time alongside community non-profits to design, build and fund community gardens and gathering spaces which have helped to improve the overall health and well-being of the surrounding neighborhoods.

During these past couple of years as a WASLA board member, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed mentoring and working alongside students and emerging professionals as their creativity, optimism, and commitment to sustainability is advancing our profession in inspiring ways. I look forward to building upon these experiences by continuing to serve WASLA and the landscape architecture community in the years to come.

President Elect: Rachel Gleeson, ASLA

Rachel Gleeson is an Associate Principal at Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. She has contributed to MVVA’s design and planning projects at scales ranging from playgrounds to urban master plans. In addition to project management, she develops writing and communications support for a wide array of MVVA projects. She has written and co-written articles about MVVA's work, and she contributed an essay on MVVA's plazas to the book Reconstructing Urban Landscapes. She has served on the City of Seattle’s Design Commission, as well as the Seattle Public Art Advisory Committee.

 

Rachel earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Columbia University, a Master of Architecture and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Arts in Art History from the University of Washington. She is a licensed landscape architect in Washington State.  

TREASURER

Role:

  • Collects all fees, dues, charges, and other funds due the Chapter;
  • Is the custodian of all Chapter funds and disburses such funds only as authorized by the Board of Directors;
  • Keeps the accounts of the Chapter that shall be open at all times to inspection by the Board of Directors;
  • Presents quarterly reports on the financial condition of the Chapter and year-end financial statements to the Board of Directors;
  • Initiates preparation of the Chapter's annual budget;
  • Works with the Board of Directors and standing committees regarding event budgets and sponsorships;
  • Acts as the Board of Directors liaison for the “Audit" and "Tellers" Committee.

Treasurer: Su Wanqin, ASLA


As a landscape architect with 5 years of experience, Su has worked in the San Francisco Bay Area, New Orleans, Shanghai, and Southeast China, before arriving in Seattle in 2017.

Growing up in a populated City along the Chinese coast, she has always been fascinated with how humans and the environment drive the transformation of each other. Her passion as a landscape architect is to create designs that speak to the nature of the site, as well as provide amenities for local communities to enjoy.

Currently, she is a member of the City of Redmond Design Review Board, and a Co-leader for Magnuson Park Children’s Garden Design Committee. She is interested in financial aspects of the practice and sees the treasurer position as an opportunity to hone her skills and be a leader.

SECRETARY

Role:

  • Maintains a record of the proceedings of the Chapter's Board of Directors meetings;
  • Leads compilation of and issues the Chapter's Board of Directors meeting agendas;
  • Administers annual and special elections: prepares, issues, and receives election ballots, and notifies candidates of election results;
  • Maintains the Constitution and Bylaws of the Chapter;
  • Organizes and sets the dates and times for the monthly Board of Directors Meetings;
  • Acts as the Board of Directors liaison for the "Public Relations & Communications" Committee.

Secretary: Zack Thomas, ASLA

 

TRUSTEE

Role:

  • Stays informed on Chapter and Society goals and objectives, policies, programs, services, activities and events;
  • Serves as the Chapter representative on the Board of Trustees of ASLA;
  • Facilitates the conduct of the business of ASLA by bringing the Chapter perspective to the Board of Trustees and the national perspective to the Board of Directors and members of the Chapter;
  • Facilitates the conduct of the business of the Board of Trustees by serving on standing councils or committees, special study groups or task forces, or as a representative or delegate of the Society; and acts as the Board of Directors liaison for the “Advocacy” and “Fellowship & Scholarship” Committees.

Trustee: Tim Slazinik, ASLA

A Senior Associate and Senior Landscape Architect at GGLO in Seattle, I have dedicated many years to ASLA both on the National and State Levels. As a Past President of the Washington Chapter, I have helped to guide and plan for the chapter, including state conferences, awards ceremonies, and many other local and statewide events and functions. I have since had the honor of serving as the Chair of the Chapter Presidents Council at National ASLA. Prior to moving to Washington State, I also served as President of the St. Louis Chapter of ASLA, and in many other roles within that chapter.

As a licensed Landscape Architect with over 18 years in the industry, I have worked in both the private and public sectors. My work ranges from Corporate Headquarters to Local Parks, and from Urban Streetscapes to Rooftop Amenities. My involvement with ASLA and the relationships I’ve created within ASLA have helped to guide my career path and make impactful connections over many years. I feel the time is right that I step up to serve our profession and state professional community again but seeking the trustee position within WASLA. I look forward to focusing on the many issues that affect and threaten our profession, as well as helping us capitalize on the many unique opportunities we have to make change around us.

 

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE

Role:

  • Represents a cross-section of the Chapter’s regional membership;
  • Acts as the Board of Directors liaison for the “Student and Emerging Professionals” Committee;
  • Acts as the Board of Directors liaison for university professional advisory councils or boards
  • Acts as the Board of Directors liaison for WASLA student chapters.

Members-at-Large:

Statewide Member-at-Large: Cresha Wee, ASLA

Cresha Wee is a landscape architect with 7 years of experience focusing on habitat restoration and public access. She grew up in a Detroit metro-area suburb, where she worked at a civil and environmental engineering consulting firm before moving to Seattle and beginning work at Anchor QEA in 2019. Cresha participates in all phases of a variety of public and private projects, from preparing concepts and drafting permit applications, to completing final design documents and providing construction oversight. She specializes in designing around environmentally sensitive issues, including restoring shorelines and habitats across Washington.

Cresha has had the privilege of working on multidisciplinary teams while collaborating with engineers, planners, geologists, and archaeologists. Her experience emphasizes the importance of landscape architects as leaders, and she welcomes the opportunity to elevate her leadership and skillset to the next level by representing WASLA’s Statewide Member at Large position.

 

Eastern Washington Member-at-Large: Dan Cronan, ASLA

Dr. Dan Cronan is an Assistant Professor at Washington State University, where he specializes in integrating geospatial tools and scenario planning into landscape architecture practice and education. His professional and academic work spans diverse regions including the U.S. Pacific Northwest, Gulf Coast, New York State, China, and Turkey, with a strong emphasis on food systems, land use planning, and climate resilience.

His teaching and research focus on how landscape architecture can shape more adaptive and equitable futures. At WSU’s School of Design and Construction, he teaches courses on site planning, regional landscape systems, and scenario-based design. He works with students to apply geospatial tools such as GIS, web-based applications, and digital twins to real-world projects, particularly in rural, agricultural, and Tribal communities across the Northwest. A key part of his pedagogy involves helping students engage with community partners to develop resilient design strategies grounded in both local knowledge and future environmental conditions.

In both research and outreach, he emphasizes scenario planning through digital tools as a method to explore and visualize alternative land use trajectories, support sustainable decision-making, and inform policy around food, water, and energy systems. He’s led or contributed to projects supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), AmeriCorps, UNESCO, and the National Park Service, with a consistent goal: to use design as a tool for systems change at multiple scales.

He is especially committed to advancing interdisciplinary collaboration between landscape architecture, environmental science, and planning by training the next generation of designers to navigate complex socio-ecological challenges with creativity, care, and stewardship.


 

 

Western Washington Member-at-Large: Rhiannon Neuville

I graduated from the University of Washington and have been working in Landscape Architecture for 3 years. I have experience working on projects in tight urban spaces, expansive campus restoration, and transportation infrastructure. These varied projects match my varied interests and I hope to continue to gain knowledge across this ever-expanding field. One area that I am particularly interested in is community driven design and I hope to find more opportunities for this in the future.

Outside of work, I serve on the University of Washington PAC, where I just finished a two year role as co-chair. I am discovering a love of west coast swing dancing and cycling. This past year I have found a lot of joy in gravel bike packing and cyclocross racing.

I look forward to serving as the Western Washington Member at Large and growing the connection between the PAC and WASLA. I think it is incredibly important that we have good channels between current practitioners and future generations of Landscape Architects and I am honored to be a representative for those connections.


For more information please contact WASLA at Phone: 360-867-8820;  Email: [email protected]