2020 ASLA SERVICE AWARDS
Honorary Membership
South Carolina House of Representatives Member Kirkman Finlay III
Throughout his service in the South Carolina House of Representatives, State Rep. Kirkman Finlay III has been paramount in resolving misconceptions about landscape architecture and advocating for the acknowledgment of state licensure to regulatory agencies such as the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT). His dedication ultimately resulted in the issued memo of clarification by SCDOT, acknowledging and accepting the qualifications of landscape architects.
The LaGasse Medal - Non-Landscape Architect Profesional
Tom O'Rourke
Educating professionals in the Parks and Recreation field has always been a significant part of Tom’s work. Tom previously served as the Executive Director of The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission from 2001-2019, leading the agency through the largest capital project, budget, and attendance growth in the agency’s history. During Tom’s tenure at CCPRC, the agency grew from 5,000 acres of parkland to over 12,000 acres of protected parkland. CCPRC has been nationally recognized for operating an ever-expanding park system with little reliance on tax subsidies for growth.
Tom O’Rourke is currently an educator, a parks and recreation consultant, a city council member, a high school track and field coach, and a speaker. As a consultant, Tom’s expertise lies in operational, programmatic, and financial planning for park and recreation agencies and nonprofits. Tom is in his fifth year as a Professor of Practice in the PRTM Department at Clemson University. His responsibilities include teaching at the graduate and undergraduate levels and working with other faculty to assist communities, agencies, and practitioners in various capacities. He was elected Council Member for the Town of Mt. Pleasant in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.
ASLA Fellow
Julie Hensley, ASLA
Nominated in Leadership/Management by the South Carolina Chapter
For over thirty years, Julie Hensley dedicated her professional life to acquiring, managing, and planning parklands and open space, and creating a nationally recognized model for operating an ever-expanding park system with little reliance on tax subsidies for growth. As Director of Planning for Charleston County Parks, she added 6,000 acres,
more than doubling the acreage of the Charleston County Park holdings. Julie also created a structure and process to provide sustainable stewardship of that public resource. Julie’s leadership contributed significantly to the Charleston Greenbelt Program, which has protected over 21,000 acres of land to date and purchased over 9,300 acres for future public parks and green spaces. In 2019, the ASLA Board of Trustees honored her with the LaGasse Medal for her career devoted to sustainable stewardship and her protection of thousands of acres of park lands and ensuring the longevity of valuable cultural and natural resources. Now the owner of her own firm, Julie continues to provide pro-bono services for parks and public landscapes. Her effective leadership and passion for open space and land conservation and her long-range vision and numerous park master plans will shape Charleston County for generations.