Staff report
Some 100 members of the N.C. Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects will be in Salisbury tonight and all day Friday for their 2008 fall conference and awards program.
Salisburians Fred and Alice Stanback will receive the organization’s 2008 Citizens Award Friday evening during an awards banquet at the F&M Bank Trolley Barn. A reception will be held at the Waterworks Visual Arts Center.
The keynote speaker for Friday night’s NCASLA Professional Awards Gala will be former Salisbury resident and nationally known author John Hart.
A pre-conference reception will be held tonight at East Square ArtWorks Gallery.
Salisbury Mayor Susan Kluttz will give a welcome to the conference participants Friday morning.
Conference activities will be held Friday at the Trolley Barn. The conference’s title is “Landscape Architects Tools of the Profession: Private and Public Practice.”
The Citizens Award going to the Stanbacks recognizes their contribution “to the enhancement of the physical environment of North Carolina, thereby enriching the special, cultural and personal lives of North Carolina citizens.”
It also is used to recognize individuals or groups who have promoted a better understanding and acceptance of landscape architecture or contributed to the education of landscape architects.
Lynn Raker, a landscape architect and urban design planner for the city of Salisbury, nominated the Stanbacks for the award.
“Over the past 50 years, the Stanbacks have made significant contributions to enhance the quality of life in Salisbury as well as across the state of North Carolina,” Raker said in her recommendation letter.
The couple are longtime supporters of conservation and environmental causes, serving tirelessly on conservancy boards and contributing millions of dollars to conservation projects throughout the state, Raker said.
“As Sierra Club supporters,” Raker said, “they provided financial backing for the organization’s effort to end commercial logging in our national forests and educate the public about the effects of commercial logging, such as wildlife habitat destruction and water pollution.”
Most recently, the Stanbacks’ support enabled the Carolina Mountain Conservancy to add 289 acres to Chimney Rock State Park.
As Duke University alumni, the couple have established numerous programs and scholarships, including an internship program that has funded 251 summer internships at 44 environmental organizations.
In addition, the Stanbacks donated $2 million in December 2007 to the Nicholas School and the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“The Stanbacks’ contributions to the quality of life for the citizens of Salisbury are immeasurable,” Raker said. “They are steadfast supporters of Catawba College’s Center for the Environment and its wildlife preserve. In addition, they have made possible numerous amenities along the city’s greenway, including a lake, weir and a covered bridge across a major creek.
“The Stanbacks are known for providing the incentive to make many regional land trust acquisitions possible, often matching other contributions dollar for dollar.”
Founded in 1899, the American Society of Landscape Architects began with 11 members and today has grown to more than 16,200 members and 48 chapters representing all states and territories and 42 countries.