ABOUT US
Preserving and Advancing the Olmsted Vision
The Friends of Maryland’s Olmsted Parks & Landscapes is committed to advance the Olmsted legacy and its relevance in Maryland through advocacy, education and preservation.
The Friends of Maryland’s Olmsted Parks & Landscapes, Inc. (FMOPL) is a 501(c)3 non-profit membership organization, established in 1986, and affiliated with the National Association for Olmsted Parks.
2026 BOARD MEMBERS
Officers
Jasmine Forbes
President
Valorie Rupp
1st Vice President
Melissa Miklus, PLA, ASLA
2nd Vice President
Jasmine Forbes currently works for City of Gaithersburg as a Community Planning Manager. Her goal is to promote and advocate Olmsted’s city planning and landscape principles. These principles have an impact on today’s society on how we use public and natural spaces. Jasmine Forbes lives in Baltimore City.
Valerie Rupp currently serves a Climate and Resiliency Program Manager for the Baltimore Office of Sustainability where she oversees the development of plans, resources and human capital to help the people who live, work, invest, grow and learn in the City proactively respond to the effects of climate change, mitigate disaster risk and hazards, enjoy the natural environment and, learn more about sustainability and climate resiliency as a way of life and a career field. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the Partnership of the National Trails System. Prior to that, she worked with the Parks & People Foundation in Baltimore where she led creative initiatives that catalyzed neighborhood revitalization through forestry, green infrastructure, park and trail creation, and other projects.
Melissa is a Landscape Architect and Director of Healthy Communities at RK&K. Her passion is working with communities to create healthier places through context sensitive planning and design. With experience from large scale master plans and greenways to prominent urban plazas and streetscapes – her projects effectively combine classic design principles with modern awareness, addressing infrastructure with innovative sustainable alternatives to craft spaces that stimulate positive social interaction and purpose. Melissa’s focus on human-centric design enhances transportation projects by engagement communities through rich, dynamic, and clear presentations and activities. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina’s Journalism and Mass Communications College and a master’s degree in landscape architecture from North Carolina State University. She sits on the Council for the East Coast Greenway and Board of The 82 Alliance. As a resident of Baltimore City, Melissa enjoys weekly sailboat racing in the Chesapeake Bay and hiking local, regional, and state trails with her family and dog, Harbor.
Valorie LaCour
Treasurer
Jillian Storms
Secretary
Valorie is committed to the preservation of the Maryland Olmsted legacy parks and landscapes. She is a Past President of the Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS) and Past President of the Maryland Chapter of the ASLA. She is also a member of the Baltimore Industrial Group (B.I.G.). Ms. LaCour lives and works in Baltimore City and currently serves as Manager for Strategic Initiatives for the Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT).
Jillian Storms has long been involved with the Olmsted Archives, both inventorying historic documentation and researching their projects throughout Maryland. Her love of exploring the past to understand the present once earned her Preservation Maryland’s George T. Harrison Volunteer Award and the Baltimore Architecture Foundation’s Roger Redden Award in recognition of her extensive architectural research and public programming( highlighting the early women of architecture in Maryland). A professional architect by training, she also serves on the Baltimore Architecture Foundation’s Board of Directors and as the Executive Director of the Office of School Facilities at the Maryland State Department of Education.
Directors
Amy Johanson
Tom Liebel FAIA, LEED Fellow
Alice Storm Jones PLA, CPSI
Amy Johanson works in documentary film and media production as a researcher, producer and archival producer. She has worked on documentary content for PBS, MPT, ABC, Discovery, CBS and Showtime, several independent films, and a range of museum exhibitions. Amy studied Historic Preservation and American Studies at Goucher College and received a Master’s in Community Planning from the University of Maryland. She held leadership roles in housing and community development programs for Prince George’s County and Baltimore County and served as the executive director of a regional Community Development Financial Institution. Amy is a longtime board member and officer of the volunteer organization Friends of Stony Run.
Tom Liebel, FAIA, LEED Fellow is a Vice-President with Moseley Inc, where he leads their Multifamily Housing Studio. Tom has been involved in integrating sustainable design principles into a variety of ground-breaking adaptive use and historic preservation projects over the past twenty-five years, with these projects recognized with multiple awards for design, smart growth, sustainable design and historic preservation. Tom served two terms as Chair the Maryland Green Building Council and chaired Baltimore City’s Commission on Historical and Architectural Preservation for a decade, serves on the Maryland Advisory Council for Historic Preservation, the Baltimore County Landmarks Preservation Commission, and served as the 2020 Moderator for the American Institute of Architect’s Strategic Council.
Alice is a principal at Floura Teeter Landscape Architects with over 20 years of experience working on a variety of public and private projects. Ms. Jones enjoys the collaboration of working with communities to create welcoming outdoor space especially quality play spaces for kids (and adults!). Ms. Jones feels strongly about supporting the health and well-being of the Baltimore community through preservation of the outdoor environment and celebration of diversity within the City.
Charles H. Place AIA
John Malinowski
A graduate of the Rice University School of Architecture and the University of Houston Law Center, Chip Place’s career has focused on large scale land development and the public policies of land use. Chip is a member of the AIA and ABA and has served on many community and professional boards. He and his wife Mary live in Havre de Grace MD where he served on the City Planning Commission. He is also a member of the AIA Baltimore Urban Design Committee, the Baltimore Greenways Coalition Steering Committee and the board of Friends of Maryland Olmsted Parks and Landscapes.
John Malinowski is the Principal Engineer of the ADA Compliance Division for the Baltimore City Department of Transportation. As the ADA–CD Principal Engineer, John is currently responsible for managing and assigning work for the several consultants and a staff of engineers to design ADA compliant ramps to be constructed through the contract documents developed by the ADA-CD. Prior to joining the City of Baltimore, John was in the private sector, and with over 45 years of experience, has successfully worked on and directed others on all stages of a project, from field work to production of the contract document for advertising. Mr. Malinowski is a Professional Engineer license in Maryland. He is a graduate of Manhattan College with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering) degree.
Emeritus Directors (Active)
Judy Dobbs
Sandy Sparks
Bill Reuter
Judy Dobbs is a retired Program Officer for Maryland Humanities. She is a Past President for FMOPL (2005-2009) and previously served as Vice President for Membership. She leads tours of Roland Park Paths and the Olmsted legacy and has assisted with various bus tours. Ms. Dobbs lives in Baltimore City.
Sandy Sparks is a retired Graphic Designer and Founding President, 1986, for FMOPL and lives in Baltimore City. Ms. Sparks is focused on sustaining FMOPL and ensuring that its mission is relevant to attract diverse participation. Ms. Sparks has been the publications designer for The Olmstedian monographs, since the 1990s. she has served as a tour guide for national/regional conferences in Baltimore, requesting Olmsted overview and as a tour guide for Wyman Park Dell and surrounding communities.
Bill Reuter, Design Director at Reuter & Associates lives and works in Baltimore City. Mr. Reuter currently serves the FMOPL Board as Treasurer. Bill is an advocate for community involvement in creating and maintaining the environment for recreation. His focus for FMOPL is adding to the history and story of Baltimore City.