On April 21st, 2016 at the ASLA-NCC Annual Meeting and Awards Gala, David Mitchell was awarded the ASLA-NCC Special Recognition Award for Continuous and Dedicated Membership. Dave served for 23 years as a member of the Northern California Chapter's Executive Committee beginning his tenure in the early 1990's as the South Bay Section Chair. In 1995, he was elected as President Elect to the Northern California Chapter and served as the Chapter President in 1996‚Äê1997 after which he moved on to serve on the CCASLA Committee representing the Northern California Chapter.
But Dave has not only served on the ASLA-NCC Executive Committee, he has also continuously represented California's Landscape Architects again and again during his tenure beginning in the early 1990's with a series of discussions with Foresters and Arborists regarding responsibilities associated with each profession. In 1996, Dave served on an ad‚Äêhoc committee of architects and engineers regarding the replacement design for the eastern span of the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge. The California Council of the AIA awarded the members of the committee with an Honor of Recognition to push the State to build a “signature” bridge. Dave worked on many projects including getting the profession of landscape architecture to be listed in the rewriting of the State's Mechanic Lien / Professional Design Law which was a major win for the landscape architectural profession in California. As well, he worked on CLARB's Landscape Architects Exam by writing questions, grading parts of the exam, and establishing passing levels for candidates, and creating various versions of the current California Supplemental Section.
Dave's work at the state level began in 1996 with the sunset review. There was a clear danger at that time of losing licensure altogether due to a public interest group in San Diego that has been a major force in requesting the elimination of the license requirements for Landscape Architects. Through major work of the California Council, Dave Mitchell's assistance and the Council's Legislative Advocate, the licensing activities are now administered by the Landscape Architect Technical Committee (LATC), which works under the California Architects Board. Since then, Dave has served on multiple sunset review committees comprised of the CCASLA, LATC and additional ASLA members to maintain the licensure requirements for California Landscape Architects. As well, he has represented CCASLA and California Landscape Architects defending our licensure from multiple attacks in 2006 and 2008 emphasizing that landscape architects act as primary consultants on many public work projects including parks, trails, streetscapes, and private development projects.
Dave co‐chaired the local effort on the 2002 Annual Meeting and Expo in San José and worked on the 2003 State Conference. Dave was a major force in the Chapter's Medallion Nomination Program and creating a new park in Santa Cruz County under ASLA's giveback program. He was always ready to chair a new initiative from National. He served as public jury member and chaired the Chapter's Annual Awards Program, besides providing many years as staff support to Chapter Award Juries. David Mitchell brought 23 years of institutional knowledge to both the Council and the Northern California Chapter. In short, Dave's service to the profession has consistently shown his belief in the profession of landscape architecture and the wide variety of services that we as a community provide to the public by defending the profession from outside concerns and advancing the profession as a career of choice for young people.
