Roberto Rovira

2016 ASLA Diversity Summit in Washington D. C.

Roberto Rovira was part of The American Society of Landscape Architects fourth annual Diversity Summit in Washington D. C.  Among this year’s panelists were Melissa Henao-Robledo, Ailyn Mendoza, Monique Bassey, Luis Hidalgo, Paul McGehee II, Kene Okigbo, Angelica Rockquemore, Aaron Ruffin, Mercedes Ward, and Roberto Rovira who were joined by Kona Gray representing the Landscape Architecture Foundation; Denver Trustee Marq Truscott; ASLA Accreditation and Education Program Manager Kristopher Pritchard; and Joel Albizo, Chief Executive Officer at Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards. The summit was moderated by Terence Poltrack, Director of Public Relations and Communications for the American Society of Landscape Architects.

The ASLA Diversity Summit is meant to be an open forum for ideas to discuss and promote diversity in the landscape architecture profession. While landscape architecture remains a minority profession employing just 21,600, according to estimates by the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the demographics within the profession do not match the racial and ethnic demographics of the country. This discrepancy will only become increasingly glaring as the minority population across the U.S. continues to grow.