10:30-11:45

Native Plant Material in the Landscape: A Focus on Gardens, Stormwater BMPs and Open Space

Bob Kehres and Drew Lathin, Great Lakes Native Plants

Learn how native plants can perform the same aesthetic functions as traditional landscaping practices, yet yield significant environmental advantages at a lower cost. We will show examples of sites landscaped with native plants and discuss ecosystem services, advantages of native plants and long term maintenance.

Complete Streets Panel Discussion

Deb Alfonso, Supervisor, Intermodal Policy Services, Michigan Department of Transportation

Darrell Harden, Transportation Planner, Michigan Department of Transportation

Brad Peterson, LLA, Michigan Department of Transportation

Andrea Brown, Executive Director, Michigan Association of Planning

Learn and participate in a lively panel discussion  with answers to frequently asked questions about Complete Streets legislation (Public Acts 134 and 135), signed on Aug. 1, 2010 which gives new project planning and coordination responsibilities to city, county and state
transportation agencies across Michigan.

Alden B. Dow Home Tour

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989, the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio is shared with the public through a tremendous amount of educational programming, public tours and researchers utilizing the Alden B. Dow Archives, the repository of Mr. Dow’s architectural records.  The Alden B. Dow Home and Studio is more than a museum, it’s a national treasure.

Alden B. Dow Gardens Tour

The ASLA Medallion Award winning Dow Gardens exist to preserve the history, enhance the horticultural beauty and share the educational and leisure time opportunities of the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow estate. Join us for a guided tour and learn about the past, present and future of this beautiful landmark.

Michigan's High Speed Rail Program

Timothy H. Hoeffner, Administrator of the Office of High Speed Rail and Innovative Project Advancement, Michigan Department of Transportation

Mr. Hoeffner presents Michigan’s High Speed Rail Program, including a brief history of passenger rail in Michigan, summary of current projects, vision and current challenges. His office consists of a team of experts in rail management who are responsible for promoting and developing the infrastructure needed to support highspeed intercity passenger rail, commuter rail and rail rapid transit services.

Placemaking in the New Economy

Mark Wyckoff, MSU Land Policy Institute

Michigan is undergoing an important economic transformation. Our ability to successfully retain and compete for talented knowledge workers, who are extremely mobile and can live anywhere they want, will depend in part on how effective Michigan communities are in: a) creating and maintaining vibrant places where people want to be; and b) linking with other community amenities such as trails, green spaces and waterfront areas. This session will explain what has happened and why, as well as lay out what Michigan communities must do differently to compete in the global New Economy and the role landscape architects can continue to play in this process.

John Campbell, “Dow Gardens – A composition blending man with nature”
Two mentors, Albe Munson and Clancy Lewis, inspired 1971 landscape architecture graduate, John Campbell’s passion for landscape architecture. In 1974, Alden B. Dow became his third mentor when he challenged John to establish a vision for the nearly century-old Dow Garden. With the impressive guidance of his mentors, John has enjoyed  shaping Dow’s future as a delightful place for learning while maintaining respect for its rich heritage.

Native Plant Material in the Landscape: A Focus on Gardens, Stormwater BMPs and Open Space

Bob Kehres and Drew Lathin, Great Lakes Native Plants

Bob Kehres, Great Lakes Native Plants is co-owner and General Manager of Ohio Prairie Nursery, Ohio’s largest native seed company, located in Hiram, Ohio. Bob has been presenting and sharing his extensive knowledge of creating and restoring native ecosystems around Ohio since 1998. He is busier than ever training individuals and organizations on the best ways to utilize native seed and plant material for maximum benefit and success.

Drew Lathin, Great Lakes Native Plants is the general manager of Great Lakes Native Plants located in Litchfield, MI. He brings 30 years of management and organizational development experience to the application of incorporating native plants into small and large landscapes.

Impacts of Climate Change on the Great Lakes Region

Rosina Bierbaum, Former Dean of UM SNRE became Dean of the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan in October 2001 and held that position until 2011. Previously, she served in environmental science policy leadership positions in both the legislative and executive branches of United States government, culminating as director of the Environment Division of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, a Senate-confirmed position. Dr. Bierbaum was named by President Barack Obama to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. She co-chaired the National Climate Adaptation Summit in May 2010 and she is a member of the Executive Committee for the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement.  Dr. Bierbaum received her B.S. in Biology and B.A. in English from Boston College, and earned her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution at the State University of New York, Stony Brook.

Michigan's High Speed Rail Program

Tim Hoeffner, Administrator, OHSR & IPA, High Speed Rail, MDOT is the administrator of MDOT’s newly created Office of High Speed Rail and Innovative Project Advancement and reports to MDOT’s Director while overseeing staff that consists of a team of experts in rail management, who are responsible for promoting and developing the infrastructure needed to support high speed intercity passenger rail, commuter rail, and rail rapid transit services. 

Complete Streets Panel Discussion

Deb Alfonso, Supervisor of MDOT’s Intermodal Services Unit within the Bureau of Transportation Planning.  In this role, she oversees staff working with all modes of transportation: highways, transit, rail, air, marine, plus MDOT’s bicycle and pedestrian programs. She has a Master’s Degree from Western Michigan University in Urban & Regional Planning coupled with a Minor in Public History. In her private sector work she brought the two disciplines together, teaching communities to recognize and value their origins and build a community identity or “sense of place” to promote economic growth. She has over 15 years of experience in transportation planning issues, including time overseeing a diverse Metropolitan Planning Organization area. Her work with various types of communities lends a breadth of experience to her perspectives on community building and transportation needs. 

Complete Streets Panel Discussion

Andrea Brown, Executive Director, Michigan Association of Planning (MAP), is responsible for the development of MAP’s land use and planning policy; for advancing MAP’s legislative agenda in Lansing; and for developing relationships and partnerships, forming coalitions, and working closely with other land use leaders, state agencies and non-profits.  Brown is the chief fundraiser and has successfully secured funding to advance MAP initiatives.  She was recently appointed by former Governor Jennifer Granholm to serve on the Complete Streets Advisory Council.  Prior to her appointment as Executive Director, Ms. Brown served four years as MAP’s Information Director. Ms. Brown has over a dozen years of experience, in both the public and private sector, as a professional community planner and received awards for two comprehensive plans during her tenure as project manager with the City of Ann Arbor. Ms. Brown is a certified planner and registered lobbyist, who holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in urban planning from Eastern Michigan University.

Complete Streets Panel Discussion

Darrell Harden, Transportation Planner, Michigan Department of Transportation has served for seven years as the transportation planner for MDOT’s Southwest Region. He is the region’s coordinator for complete streets, context sensitive solutions, non-motorized transportation, and Safe Routes to School. In those roles, he provides technical support to both MDOT project development and local agency initiatives. In addition, Darrell serves as co-chair of MDOT’s complete streets team.In his spare time, Darrell collects postage stamps, dabbles in photographing old things and is usually training for a half marathon.

Complete Streets Panel Discussion

Bradley P. Peterson, LLA, received a Bachelors of Landscape Architecture and  Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from Michigan State University and began his career in private practice designing site plans, open space planned unit developments and residential site plans, before joining the Michigan Department of Transportation as a Transportation Planner in 2003 .  Currently, he is the Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) Coordinator and landscape architect in the Roadside Development Unit where he designs  roadside facilities, performs technical reviews of applications for the Enhancement Grant program and is the primary contact and liaison for MDOT CSS policy and implementation. He is also the  Assignment Coordinator on the MDOT Complete Streets Internal Team.