2025 General Session: Leading Beyond Limits: Power, Place, and the Future of Cities - 1.0 PDH (LA CES/HSW)

Mitch Landrieu is a public servant, lawyer, author, and nonprofit leader. Landrieu most recently served as a senior advisor to President Biden and the Infrastructure Coordinator at the White House, responsible for the implementation of the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In that role, he oversaw the most significant and comprehensive investments in American infrastructure in generations that led to over 40,000 new projects in two years encompassing roads, bridges, rail, ports, airports, transit, clean water, clean energy and high-speed internet. 

A former two-term mayor of New Orleans, Landrieu led the recovery from Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. He also led the removal of four Confederate monuments, for which he received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Prior to his terms as mayor, Landrieu served two terms as lieutenant governor of Louisiana and 16 years as a state legislator.  

Landrieu is also the founder of E Pluribus Unum, which collaborates with leaders and communities across the American South, providing tools and support to bridge divides and foster connections across differences. Landrieu penned a New York Times bestseller, In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History, in which he recounts his personal journey confronting the issue of race and institutional racism that still plagues America. A past president of the US Conference of Mayors, he was named the 2015 Governing Magazine Public Official of the Year. He currently serves as co-chair of American Bridge 21st Century. He and his wife Cheryl live in New Orleans, where they raised their five children. 

As a firm leader with 30 years of experience in 30+ countries, his global design and management sense has positively shaped the outcomes of many environments. His portfolio ranges from large-scale planning to detailed site design with emphasis on communities, parks, hospitality, public realm, and campus spaces that solve meaningful issues. He currently serves as National President for the American Society of Landscape Architects. He is a Past President of the Landscape Architecture Foundation and an active member of the Urban Land Institute. Kona is a registered Landscape Architect holding a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia.

Torey joined ASLA as Chief Executive Officer in August 2020. Torey has more than 25 years of experience and expertise in strategic organizational development, tactical implementation, financial stewardship and administrative leadership. He has a proven track record as an innovator and thought leader in the association world, with an aptitude for pioneering strategies to shape organizational priorities, ensure financial stability, and invigorate member recruitment and retention programs.

Prior to joining ASLA, Torey served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Prior to his leadership at AILA, Torey was the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Center for American Progress (CAP), COO and later Acting President and CEO at the LGBTQ Victory Fund and Institute, Divisional Controller of MV Transportation—a privately held North American transportation management corporation—and an auditor at a CPA firm.