I was born and raised in Roosevelt, Utah and later had the opportunity to live in the High Desert of Southern California for several years, surrounded by joshua trees and yuccas. I credit my love of plants to my mom, who has always had a gift with everything green. My interest in landscape architecture as a profession started back when I was a teenager, watching an episode of 'This Old House.' They were restoring an old home, and brought a landscape architect onto the show to restore and update the gardens. It was hard to believe that someone could do this for a living and I immediately knew the career path I wanted to pursue.

Now that I am working in the field, I am thrilled with the opportunity to work on such a wide variety of projects, from city general plans to residential landscape plans, and enjoy the challenges and opportunities for learning that each job offers. I am grateful for the chance to combine aspects of many different fields with my passion for nature into something that also allows me to make a living.

I enjoy dedicating some of my spare time volunteering with the Adopt-A-Native Elder Program, www.anelder.org, a local non-profit organization which takes food, clothing, and basic medical supplies to the Navajo Reservation to assist Elders living in the traditional way, and also hosts the annual Navajo Rug Show and Sale at Deer Valley each November.

Lisa Benson, ASLA, LLA
Associate

Education
Bachelors of Landscape Architecture
and Environmental Planning
Utah State University, 2001

Memberships/Affiliations
Licensed Landscape Architect, Utah
Member, Utah Chapter of the American Society
of Landscape Architects
Secretary, Utah Chapter ASLA Executive Committee, 2004 to 2006