BSLA
/ NOW
GALA HIGHLIGHTS
At the BSLA Gala + Celebration, President Tim Nickerson presented Awards of Excellence in recognition of
accomplishment in support of BSLA’s mission of stewardship, planning, and design of our built and natural
environments over the past number of years. The awardees all have advanced landscape architecture through
advocacy, communication, education, and fellowship.
Awardee
ACE OF MENTOR PROGRAM OF MASSACHUSETTS
BSLA partnered with the ACE Mentor
Program of Massachusetts on the 2013
ASLA ACE Legacy Project, the redesign
of the PJ Kennedy School in East Boston.
The work that ACE does in educating
high school students about careers in
Architecture (and Landscape Architecture),
Construction, Engineering is remarkable.
Earlier this year, the three ACE student
teams presented their designs. The work
that the mentors brought out in the
students rivaled the work of many of our
current college students. This year, they
awarded over $30,000 in post-secondary
scholarships to high school students.
In recognition of their work, ACE was
presented with a BSLA Award of Excellence.
“The leaders of the three ACE Teams were
unaware that we would be considered for such
a prestigious award. The team leaders wanted
it to be known that they accepted this award
on behalf of all of the students and mentors
who partook in the program.
“Working on the ASLA 2013-2014 Legacy
Project was the first time that ACE has worked
so closely with the BSLA. We hope that more
opportunities to work together will present
themselves in the future for the benefit of
both of our organizations.”
–Nigel Gallagher, President
ACE Mentor Program of Massachusetts
Awardee
SONJA JOHANSSON, FASLA
For over a dozen years, BSLA was fortunate
have the contributions of this thoughtful
and persuasive woman, committed to
high standards of outcome, serving on
our Executive Committee. Sonja served
as our voice of reason, a co-chair of our
Membership Committee and then for nearly
ten years as the Chair of our Nominations
Committee ushering people through the
application process to become a Fellow.
Sonja worked diligently to understand what
made a successful Fellows application and
worked with candidates as a coach and
editor. Without Sonja, and the process she
created, we probably would not have as
many BSLA be members elevated to the
Council of Fellows each year.
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“It has been gratifying to work with the
BSLA Fellow nominees helping them with
their submissions for Fellows. So many are
very deserving. My knowledge of what the
Jury wishes to see, helps them get elected.
Since I have enjoyed the process, I was totally
surprised and delighted to get recognition for
this effort. It was a happy moment.”
–Sonja Johansson, FASLA