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Haley Blakeman has served as Director of Implementation for the Center for Planning Excellence and has led innovative demonstration projects that have helped Baton Rouge residents imagine how bike lanes, traffic calming, and beautification measures can make a meaningful difference for safety, property values, and economic development. She has served as the ASLA Chapter President’s Council Chair and was named one of Baton Rouge Business Report’s Forty under 40.

Well-versed in local community planning activities, Thomas has led neighborhood redevelopment efforts in Baton Rouge since obtaining her Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from LSU. As the former head of Plan Baton Rouge and the Mid-City Redevelopment Alliance, Thomas has been an advocate for smart growth in Louisiana throughout her career.

While Thomas’ work at Plan Baton Rouge focused in the revitalization of the downtown area, in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, she led CPEX in facilitating the Louisiana Speaks recovery process, which was the largest planning effort ever undertaken in Louisiana and set national records for public participation. The process resulted in the Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan, a comprehensive plan created through the participation of over 27,000 South Louisiana residents. Thomas has continued to build on that plan, overseeing CPEX’s planning efforts in parishes across the state.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions to Louisiana, Thomas has been honored by the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA, the Baton Rouge Business Report, LSU and the Louisiana Architecture Foundation. In September 2009, Thomas and CPEX were awarded the Olmsted Medal by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) for “incredible leadership and set the standard for bringing community members and leaders together to work toward a shared vision for future growth and development.” One year later, Thomas became the second woman in Louisiana named to the ASLA National Council of Fellows, one of the highest honors the organization can bestow on an individual.

David Kendall is retired from North Carolina State and A&T Universities as a Field Faculty Adviser. David recently helped review the proposed landscape architecture program for Wuhan University, was a guest lecturer at Sichuan Agricultural University in China, and is working on guide certification for Shinrin Yoku, a Japanese form of nature therapy. He is stewarding approximately 140 acres in the mountains of western North Carolina with a rustic lodge and farm centered on community and Biodynamic farm.

Christopher accepted the position of director of Design-Municipal and Education Division with the Haskell Company, a fully integrated design-build company headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Flagg will oversee urban design, community planning, campus master planning, and landscape architecture services. As the past president of FLAGG Design Studio, he was responsible for multiple downtown Jacksonville improvements and award-winning designs.

One of LSU’s most distinguished alumni, Ace Torre received a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the Robert Reich School in 1971. He is the CEO and principal of Torre Design Consortium, a multidisciplinary design firm that provides services in architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban design, environmental planning, and zoological and interpretive planning and exhibit design.

Ace’s career exemplifies the interdisciplinary foundations of the college: he is a LEED Accredited Professional; a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects; a licensed architect in 49 states; a licensed landscape architect in 16 states; a licensed interior designer in two states; a gifted musician and talented author; and an award-winning artist, painter, sculptor, and furniture designer who invented his own unique approach to design drawing coined the “tilt-up.” His legacy within the College of Art & Design includes four endowed scholarships, annually awarded to students who demonstrate exceptional design talent in architecture, art, interior design, and landscape architecture.

In 2015, Torre Design Consortium celebrated its 35th anniversary. In that time, the firm has completed zoological planning and exhibit designs totaling more than $1 billion. Eighty-five percent of the firm’s projects have been outside of Louisiana. The zoos Ace has designed are frequently ranked within the top 10 in the country by Trip Advisor, including the Memphis Zoo, which has held the number one spot and was ranked sixth in 2014.

Ace Torre was honored with an LSU College of Art & Design’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005.

Ace’s Portfolio

Stephen E. McLaughlin, RLA, ASLA, has been practicing in the Delaware/Maryland/Virginia region for two decades, including for the past two years at the U.S. Department of State, providing subject matter expertise in landscape architecture as a supervisor of site design for American diplomatic missions world-wide and serving as a code official for landscape-related design standards. Steve has previously been employed with architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, and other consulting firms of various sizes, serving a broad mix of governmental and private sector clientele on projects around the USA and abroad. He has also worked in a self-employed capacity, designing residences, additions, decks, patios, and gardens. His first career was as a U.S. naval officer, in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. Steve has a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Virginia and an MLA from the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. He is certified by CLARB and professionally registered in Maryland. He is a member of the ASLA Potomac Chapter, recently elected as an at-large member of the executive committee, and he was previously affiliated with the Maryland Chapter, where he once served as secretary. Steve also serves on the Board of Directors of the the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, National Capital Chapter, as secretary, and as secretary of the USS Julius A. Furer Association (a naval veterans reunion group). Steve has been married to Sophia Wang McLaughlin since 1999, and they currently reside in Arlington, Virginia. Steve and Sophia enjoy patronizing the National Capital area’s visual and performing arts scene, attending lectures and symposia, museums and galleries, and studying cultural landscapes and architectural history. Steve’s other passions include Chesapeake Bay restoration, landscape and streetscape photography, naturism, and figure drawing.

View Steve’s profile on LinkedIn. Read more about the Overseas Building Operations at overseasbuilding.state.gov.

Landscape Architect Samuel Baucum (MLA 2005) was promoted to the position of design associate at Bluegreen Aspen in 2014. Since joining Bluegreen Aspen in 2012, Sam’s detailed expertise and innovative design vision have contributed to the successful realization of countless projects ranging from high-end residential design to large-scale public works and parks throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. Most recently, Sam’s keen capacity to manage multidisciplinary projects was demonstrated through his leadership at the New Aspen Art Museum Plaza. From elegant details to technical ingenuity, Sam’s design work continues to blur the boundaries of form, function, and art.