Proposed by: Albemarle Garden Club, Zone VII

Over the past two decades of practice, Thomas Woltz has forged a body of work that integrates the beauty and function of built forms with an understanding of complex biological systems and restoration ecology. He creates urban spaces that provide not only beauty and functionality but also healthy habitat for plants, animals, and people. At present, Thomas is leading Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects in the design of major public parks across the United States, Canada, England, Australia, and New Zealand including the Aga Khan Garden (Alberta, Canada), Cornwall Park (New Zealand), Mount Cuba Center (Delaware), Memorial Park (Houston,Texas), and Centennial Park (Nashville, Tennessee). These landscapes have become global models for balancing sustainable land management with design that reveal our common narratives. In 2011, Thomas was the second youngest designer to be invested into the American Society of Landscape Architects Council of Fellows, and in 2013 he was named Design Innovator of the Year by the Wall Street Journal. Magazine. Elevating the discipline of landscape architecture to a new standard, his concepts will have long-lasting societal and ecological impact.