TLN Advisory Board

Naomi A. Sachs, PhD, MLA, EDAC
Founding Director
Washington, DC

Naomi A. Sachs, PhD, MLA, EDAC
Founding Director
Washington, DC

Naomi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at the University of Maryland and Founding Director of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network. She received a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley and a PhD in Architecture from Texas A&M University. Naomi is Co-editor of the peer-reviewed Health Environments Research and Design Journal. She has been an active member of the American Society of Landscape Architects’ Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network (PPN) since 1999 and is also a member of the Children’s Outdoor Environments and Environmental Justice PPNs. She an instructor at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Healthcare Garden Design Certificate Program. She serves on the Center for Health Design’s Research Coalition; on the Nature Rx@UMD Steering Committee; and as a Design Advisor for Nature Sacred. Naomi has published and presented nationally and internationally on the positive role of nature in human health and well-being, including as co-author with Clare Cooper Marcus of the book Therapeutic Landscapes: An Evidence-based Approach to Designing Healing Gardens and Restorative Outdoor Spaces.

Jinny Blom
London, U.K.

Jinny is Principal of Jinny Blom Limited, Landscape Design. Her background training is in transpersonal psychology and psychotherapy. Before she began her career in landscape design, she headed a residential non-profit organization for people with extreme psychiatric conditions. Horticultural therapy was an important part of the program, and Jinny continues her interest in therapeutic landscapes with her design work, particularly around issues of how spatial organization affects people. Although principally involved in high end private work, she maintains an active involvement in raising awareness around the need for good quality public and non-profit landscapes. Her most famous project in this area was the Healing Garden, designed with HRH The Prince Charles of Wales, for the Chelsea Garden Show in 2002.

John Carman, FASLA
Medford, NJ

Jack Carman, FASLA, RLA, CAPS, President of Design for Generations LLC, is a Landscape Architect specializing in the creation of therapeutic exterior environments for senior communities and healthcare facilities. Jack is co-editor and contributing writer to the recently published book Re-creating Neighborhoods for Successful Aging. Additional book contributions include Complimentary and Alternative Medicine for Older Adults and Interaction by Design. As a contributing writer for national publications, he has written numerous articles on connecting people with nature. Jack actively works to promote the design and development of therapeutic gardens and landscapes through speaking engagements, audio-conferences and contributing to the publication of technical papers. Jack is founder and former chair of the American Society of Landscape Architects Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network. He is an adjunct faculty member at Temple University teaching “Healing Garden Design” and “Introduction to Horticultural Therapy” and at the Chicago Botanic Garden School of Healthcare Garden Design Certificate Program. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from the University of Richmond.

Clare Cooper Marcus, Hon. ASLA
Berkeley, CA

Clare has over forty years experience evaluating environments in terms of how well they meet the needs of users. She is Professor Emerita in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at the University of California, Berkeley, and Principal of Healing Landscapes in Berkeley, CA. Clare is the author of five books including Healing Gardens: Therapeutic Benefits and Design Recommendations, which she coauthored with Marni Barnes. She has consulted and lectured in the UK, China, Iceland, Denmark, New Zealand and Australia. She was educated at the University of London, University of Nebraska, and University of California, Berkeley. She is an instructor for the Chicago Botanic Garden Healthcare Garden Design Certificate Program. She is currently co-authoring a book with Naomi Sachs on the evidence-based design of therapeutic landscapes, to be published by John Wiley and Sons in 2013

Mark Epstein, ASLA
Seattle, WA

Mark is a professional landscape architect and the director of landscape architecture for ESA Adolfson in Seattle, Washington. For nine years Mark served as co-chair of the Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network for the American Society of Landscape Architects. He currently teaches therapeutic site design at the University of Washington and at the Chicago Botanic Garden. He also serves on the Advisory Board for the Chicago Botanic Garden program. His writings include a chapter in Interaction By Design (2002) and several articles in professional publications. Mark has presented widely on specific design techniques for healthcare gardens and the process for effective participatory design. His practice emphasizes evidence-based design within a participatory process, based on measurable outcomes for user benefits.

Teresia Hazen, MEd, HTR, QMHP
Portland, OR

Teresia M. Hazen, M.Ed., HTR, QMHP has been with Legacy Health System (LHS) in Portland, Oregon since 1991. LHS is a not-for-profit integrated healthcare network including five hospitals and related services that promotes gardens in healthcare to create supportive environments of care for patients, families, visitors, staff and neighbors. It is the only health care system in the United States to offer a horticultural therapy certificate program authorized by the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA). Teresia is responsible for pioneering the horticultural therapy program and therapeutic gardens for Legacy’s long-term care and SNF patients. Today, she oversees nine therapeutic gardens and horticultural therapy work through the Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon, Emanuel Children’s Hospital and the Oregon Burn Center. In addition to being a Registered Horticultural Therapist, Ms. Hazen holds a Master of Education degree (M.Ed.), a K-12 Administrative Credential, and is a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP). Teresia served on the AHTA Board of Directors from 1995-1999. In 2003, the Association recognized her leadership by honoring her with the Professional Service Award. In 2007, the American Horticultural Society awarded Teresia the annual HT award for national leadership. She serves as an instructor for the Chicago Botanic Garden Healthcare Garden Design Certificate program and the University of Washington Certificate in Therapeutic/Healing Gardens. She has taught, lectured and consulted in the US, Japan, Korea, China, Canada and Britain.

Jerry Smith, FASLA, LEED AP
Columbus, OH

An advocate for sustainable healthcare and healing environments, Jerry serves on the Human Health & Well-being Sub-Committee of the Sustainable Sites Initiative. He is also on the Steering Committee of the Green Guide for Health Care. Jerry is the landscape architecture representative on the Environmental Standards Council of The Center for Health Design and is the Council’s representative on the Global Health & Safety Initiative. With over twenty years experience in healthcare architecture and holding degrees in botany, architecture and landscape architecture, Jerry’s work focuses on evidence-based design principles, integrating the benefits of nature into the built environment. Jerry is Principal at Smith\GreenHealth Consulting in Columbus, Ohio.