Photo courtesy of GMC
Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC) Senior Landscape Architect Jane Reed Ross will be inducted into the 2024 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Class of the Council of Fellows, one of the highest honors ASLA bestows on its members.
“Naming a new class of distinguished ASLA Fellows is a reminder of how much landscape architects do to make our communities more connected, more enjoyable, and more resilient,” said ASLA CEO Torey Carter-Conneen. “We extend our warmest thanks to the new class of ASLA Fellows for their exemplary work and accomplishments.”
This year ASLA elevated 40 members as ASLA Fellows for their exceptional contributions to the landscape architecture profession and society at large. “Landscape architecture makes the world a better place, and ASLA Fellows represent the most accomplished and admired leaders in the entire field,” said ASLA President SuLin Kotowicz, FASLA. “The professionals recognized in this year's class of ASLA Fellows have made consistent and exceptional contributions to resilience and sustainability, stronger and more beautiful communities, and human health, safety, and welfare.”
Ross has become a household name with respect to landscape architecture in the Southeast, practicing landscape architecture for 40 years. Her experience spans throughout the southeastern U.S., as well as Washington D.C., and even Queensland, Australia, working as the principal at her own firm, Ross Land Design, for 15 years, and with GMC now for more than 16 years.
“Ever since I studied landscape architecture at Auburn University, I’ve been drawn to working in public spaces,” Ross said. “I’ve had the good fortune to work on many different types of parks, trails, streetscapes and campuses over my career. I’ve experienced first-hand how important spaces like these are when it comes to building community and bringing people together. For me, it’s all about striving for the common good and improving quality of life. I am very honored to be awarded the ASLA Fellow and I share this honor with my colleagues at Goodwyn Mills Cawood who also embrace the goal of building communities.”
Ross is a trailblazer when it comes to the innovation of vibrant greenspaces and how to connect those spaces in a way that enhances active lifestyles. It's probable that the majority of residents in Birmingham, Alabama have experienced and benefited from her contributions, as she has worked with Tom Leader, FASLA, on Railroad Park and designed some of the most beloved public and private outdoor spaces in the Magic City and beyond, including Rotary Trail, the Birmingham Zoo, Homewood’s Central Park, Shades Creek Greenway and more. Many of her projects have received American Society of Landscape Architecture design awards including an Honor Award for the Red Rock Trail Master Plan for Jefferson County.
“Whenever I introduce myself as a landscape architect, people excitedly ask me, ‘Do you know Jane?’” GMC landscape architect Natali Herrmann, ASLA, said. “Jane’s design influence has made a notable mark on Birmingham over her decades as a landscape architect here, and she is well known as a proactive member of our community. Her persistence and determination throughout her career have paved the way for other designers to follow in her footsteps. Our team is so proud of her for achieving the honor of being named an ASLA Fellow.”
In addition to her passion for public spaces, Ross is vehement about encouraging the landscape architects of the future. She pours into the young landscape team at GMC including interns, so that she can help better set them up for success. She is the epitome of a team player, celebrating the team’s wins personally and boosting morale to carry into the next project.
“Jane has been an incredible mentor,” GMC landscape architect Reid Fincher, PLSA, ASLA, said. “I've learned so much working under her the last seven years, especially about the fierce determination it takes to achieve positive change in the public realm. It is not for the faint of heart, and Jane is resolute in her determination to be a positive force in that change. Her compassion for people really shines in her work and is apparent in the countless hours she spends in her personal life working towards the betterment of her community. She's an incredible champion for our profession and the impact her work has had on the state of Alabama cannot be understated. I cannot think of an individual more worthy of the ASLA Fellows than Jane Reed Ross.”
Being involved in local and national organizations is nothing new for Jane. She is a member of the Birmingham Rotary Club, Sloss Furnace National Historic Landmark Board, Oak Hill Cemetery Board, Friends of Shades Creek Board, and is the past president and trustee for the American Society of Landscape Architects Alabama Chapter. She has also received many awards throughout her career including becoming a Rotarian Paul Harris Fellow, receiving GMC’s annual George Goodwyn Building Communities Award, as well as the Jefferson County Health Department 2023 Health Champion Award. Becoming an ASLA Fellow, however, is one of the highest honors for a landscape architect and is the cherry on top of her impressive career.
GMC is proud to have Jane as a leader within the company and is ecstatic to celebrate this honor alongside her.
“Jane has profoundly impacted not only the landscape architecture profession, but the communities she serves,” GMC CEO Jeffery Brewer said. “Almost anywhere you go in Birmingham, you’ll encounter a space she’s helped create, including the city’s most iconic places like Rotary Trail and Railroad Park. Our communities are better because of Jane’s vision, and I can think of no one more deserving of this honor.”
A complete list of all of the newly inducted fellows and their biographies can be found here.
ASLA Fellows will be elevated during a special investiture ceremony at the 2024 Conference on Landscape Architecture, which will be held in Washington, D.C., Oct. 6-9, 2024.
