BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Co-Founder + President

Urban Designer | Landscape Architect  | CBLP Certified 

Washington, DC

Kendra exudes a deep commitment to community-based planning and a passion for using design as a tool to achieve social equity. As a native Washingtonian, she continues to pursue her commitment to equity and inclusivity in the design process through the facilitation of youth and community design programs throughout the District. Kendra Hyson is a trained landscape architect and urban designer - currently working as a Senior Planner - with the Prince George's County Planning Department. Kendra also serves on the Chesapeake Bay Conservation Partnership steering committee and various ASLA National committees. Kendra is a 2015 University Olmsted Scholar and an emeritus member of the Landscape Architecture Foundation's Board of Directors. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Spelman College and a Master's of Landscape Architecture from the University of Arizona.

Co-Founder  + Treasurer 

Urban Planner | Landscape Architect | Certified Arborist

Washington, DC

Maisie brings decades of leadership to our practice. As a 2018-2019 Leadership and Innovation Fellow with the Landscape Architecture Foundation, she brings honest and unvarnished insights to create a framework for people-centered design. Maisie won the National Capital Area Chapter of the American Planning Association 2016 Fredrick Gutheim Award for Distinguished Leadership by a Professional Planner and the 2014 Award of Merit for the “Citizen Advocate Handbook”.  Maisie is an ISA Certified Arborist with an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University, a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from Morgan State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Afro American studies from Howard University. 

Founding Member + Assistant Treasurer 

Urban Planner | Landscape Designer

Los Angeles, CA

Born and raised in South Central LA, the occupied territories of the Tongva People, Daví is the first of his family to pursue higher education. As a landscape architect and urban planner, Daví works to address park justice and access at various phases of development. His work centers listening to community members as design experts and manifesting those ideas in built projects in a co-design process. Daví studied at Cal State Northridge in the San Fernando Valley, territories of the Tataviam people, and in the Pacific Northwest at the University of Washington, Seattle, territories of the Duwamish people.

Director of Communications

Integrative Designer | Landscape Architect  

Washington, DC  

Jenn’s work seeks to redistribute power in the design process to address issues in spatial justice. In collaboration with the 1882 Foundation, they prototyped Dear Chinatown, DC, a making and sharing pop-up installation that explored how we can redesign public engagement practices that give community members a more meaningful role in how our neighborhoods are planned and designed. Jenn is an integrative designer, educator, and landscape architect with over twelve years of experience as a Landscape Architect in New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle. She holds an MDes in Integrative Design at the Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan and a Bachelor in Landscape Architecture from the University of Washington. 

Student Member
Artist | Videographer

 Washington, DC

 Jelani Byrd is a passionate student, international traveler, and lifelong learner currently working toward his high school diploma, with a focus in architecture and engineering, at Phelps ACE High School in Washington DC. He is also pursuing advanced course work at the University of the District of Columbia. Jelani has spent years of independent study refining his artistic abilities to prepare himself for his future organized education. Through this independent study, Jelani has acquired professional proficiency in a myriad of fields including sound design, video editing, graphic design, web design, and more. As a previous participant in the Studio DC program with The Urban Studio, Jelani never ceased to showcase his skills as a designer and collaborative leader, producing high-quality work with his fellow cohort members. Jelani’s greatest desire in life is too, “create the world I would have wanted to grow up in,” and most importantly, “have fun while doing it”.