How Developers Value Landscape Architecture - 1.0 PDH (LA CES/HSW)

Gail focuses on crafting strategies that support equitable economic development, creating vibrant and inclusive open spaces, and advising a wide array of clients on pressing urban policy issues.

As a Director based in HR&A’s New York office, Gail brings expertise in organizational planning, feasibility analysis, business planning, economic and fiscal impact analysis, and placemaking strategies that support vibrant open spaces.  She has crafted benefits cases that articulate the value of parks around the country, including New York’s Central Park, the Brickline Greenway in St. Louis, and the Dallas parks system; supported business planning and feasibility studies for a wide variety of facilities and programming uses; and helped align mission with funding models and organizational structures in Fairfax County, VA and Tulsa, OK. 

Previously, Gail was a researcher at the Center for an Urban Future, where she contributed to reports on topics including healthcare worker transportation, public parks infrastructure, and regulation of for-profit colleges. She also worked for the B-Hub at ideas42, where she translated academic behavioral science research findings into actionable solutions to real-world problems. Prior to graduate school, Gail served as a Senior Research Analyst at CEB (now Gartner) and as a Customer Experience Analyst at ORC International.

Gail is a native New Yorker and earned her Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service at New York University. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Cornell University.

Jill Schmidt Bengochea is a Director in HR&A’s Los Angeles Office, supporting public and private sector clients on parks and open space projects, neighborhood and master plans, and equitable policy development. She has managed research and developed cases for park investment with numerous cities and partners, including the New Yorkers for Parks 1% for Parks study, a report on Park Investment and Economic Vitality with the Trust for Public Land, and the Los Angeles Park Needs Assessment.

Previously, Jill was a Senior Project Manager at the Brooklyn Navy Yard where she managed historic rehabilitation and ground-up developments to support inclusive economic development. As a Forefront Fellow with the Urban Design Forum, Jill researched the risks of extreme heat in New York City with a focus on public health and equity to prepare mitigation proposals for the Mayor’s Office of Resilience.

Jill is originally from Portland, Oregon where she worked on regional policy and planning at Metro before leading community engagement and program development for James Beard Public Market. She holds a Masters in Urban Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design where she was a graduate researcher at the Joint Center for Housing Studies. She received her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of Oregon.

Robert Gibbs is a landscape architect, specializing in market research and planning new town centers and historic downtowns. He has consulted for hundreds of cities, institutions, new town centers, resorts and universities across the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific Rim.  

He is the founder of Gibbs Planning Group and has lectured at Harvard’s GSD Ex Ed program for 25 years.

He is a charter member of Congress for New Urbanism and is credited with developing one of its 25 Great Ideas. He was named one of the 100 most influential urbanists of the century by Planetizen. Gibbs has authored and contributed to numerous books, including Principles for Urban Retail.  

Gibbs holds degrees from the University of Michigan.  

Jacob is a studio leader at LandDesign whose creative, yet analytical thinking is a catalyst for project-specific design solutions. His work ethic and drive for professional growth guide the integrity of project concepts through development and construction to ensure that the resulting experience aligns with the initial design intent.

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.