Council

Aaron Hirota
President

Aaron is a Principal Landscape Architect and Ontario Practice Lead with Architecture49 in Ottawa. He enjoys working on all facets of the profession especially project management, urban design, parks and open space development. His current interests include heritage and cultural landscapes, accessible and equitable design, and sustainability. Aaron is working on projects in Ottawa and across Eastern Ontario. He is a full member of the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects (OALA) and an out of province member of the Manitoba Association of Landscape Architects (MALA), L’Association des architectes paysagistes du Québec (AAPQ) and the Saskatchewan Association of Landscape Architects (SALA). He graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree in 1998 and a Masters degree in Landscape Architecture in 2005. Aaron has served on Council since 2021, most recently as Vice President from 2023-2024.

Justin Whalen
Vice-President 

Justin is a Senior Landscape Architect at GSP Group in Kitchener with experience working in a wide range of projects from streetscape and trail designs, residential and industrial developments to wayfinding, parks and recreation and campus master plans. With an eye for detail and excellent communication skills, Justin works effectively with allied professionals, clients, stakeholders and contractors to ensure projects are brought to fruition. He has a strong interest in the design of trails and public spaces, with the intent of creating meaningful spaces to connect people to the places where they play, live and work. As a project manager, Justin leads projects from conceptual design to construction, participating in all stages, from site inventory and analysis, to refining detailed designs and developing working drawing sets. He has a strong skill set in overseeing and directing the implementation of projects through construction administration in order to see ideas become reality.

Justin obtained his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Guelph in 2014 and his Full Membership with the OALA in 2018.

Justin has been serving on the OALA Council since 2016, when he was first elected as an Intern Representative, and then to a Councillor position in 2018. Now in his fifth term, he is honoured to continue representing both existing and new members of the OALA membership as Vice President, in addition to working with Council to further advance the profession within Ontario and support the OALA.

Paul Marsala
Treasurer

Paul is a partner at STUDIO tla with over 40 years of landscape architecture expertise and leadership with a demonstrated track record building a successful Master Planning, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture firm and leading multi-disciplinary teams on projects of different scales and types. Since STUDIO tla’s inception in 1980, Paul has worked alongside the founding partners to grow the Toronto-based business into a thriving, award-winning design firm that now boasts over 40 designers serving multiple municipalities, agencies and private companies across Ontario and beyond through his commitment to mentorship, design excellence, and maintaining and growing relationships with clients, consulting firms and suppliers alike. Paul is a full member of the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects and the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, the American Society of Landscape Architects, an accredited Green Roof Professional, and a LEED Green Associate. He is currently pursuing a PMP certification to further strengthen his project management expertise.

Steve Barnhart
Past President

Steve Barnhart is a Senior Director at Niagara Parks responsible for parks operations, horticulture programming and environmental planning. Prior to Niagara Parks Steve was responsible for managing forestry and horticulture operations and design development and implementation of open space capital projects for the City of Hamilton. Steve has worked on a wide range of projects including master plans, waterfront development, transportation, storm water management systems and visual impact assessments. Steve has been a full member of the OALA since 2000 and graduated with a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Guelph. Steve has previously served for 6 years as a volunteer on the OALA Continuing Education Committee. Steve is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Guelph Environmental Design and Rural Development. In 2016 Steve received the OALA Public Practice award.

Matthew Campbell
Secretary

Matt is a Senior Contractor Administrator at CF Crozier & Associates in Collingwood. He has worked on projects of all sizes, which include, large four-season resorts, transit projects, public parks, trails, private sector development and small residential designs. Matt obtained his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Guelph in 2014. He has a strong background in plant material and construction. Having the ability to translate ideas into practical and workable designs, Matt enjoys bringing projects full circle from concept design to the final built form. He is looking forward to the opportunity to represent the OALA membership and to work with Council to advance the profession of landscape architecture in Ontario.

Matthew Perotto
Councillor

Matt is a Senior Associate Landscape Architect at Janet Rosenberg & Studio (JRS) and a Sessional Instructor II at the University of Toronto (UofT) Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

Prior to joining JRS in 2024, Matt worked at Hargreaves Jones after receiving his MLA in 2015 where he was instrumental in both project pursuits and projects for private and public clients ranging from master plans through to implemented landscapes, and managed projects across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Since joining the JRS, Matt has been leading the development of JRS sustainability standards and toolsets, leveraging parametric computational workflows that enable the office to stay current with contemporary environmental performance goals and research without letting metrics drive the iterative design process.

Since 2019 Matt has been a Sessional Instructor in the Masters of Landscape Architecture program at UofT, where he teaches various Visual Communication and Computation courses as well as acting as a thesis advisor to graduating students.

Matt is a Landscape Architect in Ontario, is a Councillor of the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects (OALA), a full member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and sits on the Carbon Accounting, Building Information Modelling (BIM), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) workgroups within the Digital Technologies Professional Practice Networks, working with like-minded professional and academic landscape architects to advance the discipline.

Kate Preston
Councillor

Kate is a senior landscape architect and Partner at Dillon Consulting Limited, with over 22 years of experience in public space design, park revitalization, streetscapes, and trail and open space planning. She serves as both the national Discipline Lead for Landscape Architecture and Urban Design and the Business Development Manager for Dillon’s Public Space Design service offering.

In these leadership roles, Kate drives strategic growth and promotes design excellence across multidisciplinary teams— experience that directly informs her perspective and contributions as a new member of the OALA Council. Her ability to bridge business development, design leadership, and professional advocacy positions her to support the advancement of the profession and the Association’s goals.

Kate specializes in designing functional, pedestrian-focused public spaces for large-scale municipal park projects, and brings extensive experience in transit-integrated public realm design. Her design approach is rooted in equity, accessibility, and quality, with a focus on delivering inclusive, and innovative solutions that balance functionality with aesthetics.

She holds a professional diploma in Landscape Architecture from Toronto Metropolitan University and is a full member with seal of both the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects and the Atlantic Provinces Association of Landscape Architects. Kate also contributes to the profession through volunteer engagement with the University of Guelph and remains actively engaged in OALA events and initiatives.

Cameron Smith
Councillor

Cameron Smith is a senior landscape architect working in the federal government with Public Services and Procurement Canada, Real Property Branch’s Architecture Group. He wears the hats of a Design Manager for federal major recapitalization works and as a senior site specialist in urban design and master planning for federal assets. Cameron is an active participant in the OALA Professional Practice and Ethics Review Committee and local OALA Ottawa Chapter. A graduate of the University of British Columbia’s Master of Landscape Architecture program he believes strongly in the profession of landscape architecture’s principles of good stewardship to ensuring safe, healthy, accessible, livable and sustainable communities. But equally he sees landscape architects as critical advocates in the next decades to lead and actively participate to help effect the necessary changes to improve urban landscapes as Canadians and the world face the challenges of climate change, high-density living and significant socio-economic change. Cameron is looking forward to having this opportunity of working with his fellow councillors to both advance and support the profession of landscape architecture in Ontario, and, to assisting the organization and its members in their endeavour to better serve and protect the public interest.

Steven Shuttle
Intern Councillor

Steven Shuttle is a Landscape Architect at ERA in Toronto. He holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Guelph where he was recognized as a 2022 LAF Olmsted Scholar and awarded the ASLA Certificate of Honor. He is also a director of the Friends of Allan Gardens. His work focuses on leading with landscape, and the intersections of planning, design, and stewardship for conservation through reactivation. Steven looks forward to serving on Council and representing emerging landscape architecture professionals in Ontario.

Khadija Kushalgadhwala
Intern Councillor

Khadija is an Intermediate Landscape and Urban Designer with 7+ years of experience in landscape architecture, urban planning, and project management across Canada and the Middle East. She has contributed to streetscapes, urban parks, residential communities, and municipal projects, integrating sustainability, accessibility, and aesthetics. With a Master’s in Urban Planning from Newcastle University and a Bachelor’s in Architecture from NMIMS, she combines strong academic knowledge with hands-on expertise. Her work with multidisciplinary teams, municipalities, and international firms at Fathom Studio in Halifax and previous roles in Dubai and India has given her a global perspective on landscape design trends and best practices.

Elise Shelley
Appointed Educator, Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto

Elise Shelley is an Associate Professor at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto and the Director of Landscape at gh3*. She a registered landscape architect with 20 years of experience in projects of all scales. Shelley’s background and training in both architecture and landscape has enabled a method of practice that emphasizes the physical, experiential and functional connections between interior and exterior space. Her teaching portfolio includes Site Engineering, Studio, Planting Design, Professional Practice and Thesis advising.

Focused on the interdisciplinary nature of urban places, Shelley’s work addresses material innovation, community. engagement and ecological resilience. Award-winning urban playspace projects include gardens and playgrounds for city daycares, public schools and non-profit organizations. In addition to having her Landscape Architecture licensure in the United States and Canada (Ontario and Alberta), Shelley is certified in Playground Safety Inspection by the U.S. National Recreation and Park Association.

Shelley has lectured throughout North America and Europe and her work on resilient landscapes and contemporary children’s playspaces has been presented at several international conferences.

Afshin Ashari
Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture at the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph

Afshin Ashari is an Assistant Professor in Landscape Architecture at the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD). Prior to joining SEDRD, he was engaged in a range of architectural and landscape architectural projects in both public and private sectors and most recently working with Brook McIlroy Inc. in Toronto; an interdisciplinary firm of architects, landscape architects, planners, and urban designers.

He has a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Computer Engineering from the Azad University of Tehran. Afshin has always been passionate about merging the two worlds of computer science and design. He is interested in implementing novel approaches that bridge traditional and computational design processes, with the hope of avoiding analogue habits of design and landscape homogenization.

Taking advantage of his interdisciplinary background in landscape architecture and computer science, his research interests lay within the fields of computational, parametric, and digital design representation activities for landscape architecture involving advanced technological tools in contemporary design media and professional practice.

Karen Liu
Lay Councillor

Dr. Karen Liu is the Green Roof Specialist with Next Level Stormwater Management. Karen is an engineer by training and passionate in using nature-based solutions to address climate change. Upon receiving her PhD from the University of Toronto, Karen joined the National Research Council in Ottawa, where she established the first North American field facility for green roof research. She led the green roof research team at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Vancouver and was involved in the development of CSA A123.24 national wind testing standard for vegetated roofing. In the past 15 years, Karen has worked on many green roof projects across North America, Europe and Asia, often alongside talented landscape architects. She appreciates the important role of landscape architecture plays in creating a beautiful and sustainable future. Karen is honoured to serve the OALA as the lay councillor.

Amber Mays
Student Representative, University of Guelph

Amber Mays is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree of Landscape Architecture at the University of Guelph and previously served as Co-President of the University of Guelph's Landscape Architecture Student Society. Amber’s strong passion for the environment has led to employment as a tree planter and she has also worked for the city of Toronto with Parks and Recreation. She loves working in collaborative environments and enjoyed volunteering with LABASH in 2025. Amber is excited to connect the OALA with students and hopes to share her passion for the environment with others.

Benjamin Dunn
Student Representative, University of Toronto

Ben is currently a Master of Landscape Architecture student at UofT, with a BA double major in psychology & anthropology from UBC. His research, design, and community work have focused on solving problems related to food, water, and energy security in cold climate environments. Dunn has presented his research at conferences across Canada, with projects spanning the fields of cultural evolution, positive psychology, visual anthropology, and now landscape architecture. His design experience comes from positions at Verge Permaculture, Hoffman Hayes, Sprucelab, and most recently, as a Climate Design Research Scientist with the Centre for Landscape Research.