Sarah's Final President's Letter: October 2024

Dear MD ASLA Community,

I am not sure where the last twelve months have gone and find it hard to believe that this is the last President’s letter that I will be writing.

The National ASLA Conference was a huge success, and I want to thank all of you who submitted proposals for panels, presentations, field trips. Having Maryland as a sort of co-sponsor of the event was a big deal and I appreciate the extra work that you all did to help make this happen. I have heard great things about the sessions that I could not attend – the common take away being “what a whirlwind!” And DC shone.

This past year has been a whirlwind, too; and a pleasure and learning experience for me. I want to thank my Executive Committee for its help and support in navigating this new territory. I am proud of what we have accomplished over the last year: from creating and executing a successful Climate Action Plan Challenge for students within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, to a wonderful Awards Gala at Brookside Gardens, and recently co-hosting the What’s Out There Baltimore weekend with The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Our membership has grown to a new high, thanks largely to Patrick Whealton’s attentiveness, and the student membership is the highest it has ever been. This is so important in ensuring the future of the chapter.

We had a very productive strategic planning meeting yesterday, in which we set new goals for the coming year and looked at the calendar and budget. Thank you to all of you who attended and contributed – from Executive Committee members to Committee Chairs, to student representatives. We have a robust line up of activities and events, including the Regional Conference, which was put on hiatus this year due to the National ASLA Conference being held in DC. I know it is only October, but if you are interested in participating as a speaker or sponsor, please let me know. More information to come in the next few months.

Lastly, I know that our new President, Michael Pullano, is going to do a stellar job. It was wonderful to have his assistance this year as incoming-President and I will do all that I can to support him in his new role. Once again, thank you to Om Khurjekar for encouraging me to take on this position. It has been wonderful to get to know everyone on the Board better and I feel very fortunate to have had the help and backing of such a strong Executive Committee. Thank you all!

Many thanks,

Sarah Trautvetter, ASLA

2024 MDASLA President