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.

2022 BOARD MEMBERS

Jennifer Arndt Robinson 
President

Jennifer Arndt Robinson is the President of the Friends of Maryland’s Olmsted Parks and Landscapes.  Jennifer brings a practitioner’s perspective and commitment to learn more so historical insights can continue to inform the workings of a vibrant urban park. She is a past membership committee chair for FMOPL.  Ms. Robinson lives and works in Baltimore City and currently is the Executive Director for the Friends of Patterson Park.

 

Claire Agre 
Vice President 

Claire Agre is the Principal and Cofounder of Unknown Studio in Baltimore.  Ms. Agre brings humor, passion, and conceptual clarity to projects of all scales and types, bringing with her a background in painting and field ecology, she has led design and implementation for a diverse portfolio of projects.  She is a licensed Landscape Architect in Maryland, North Carolina, Texas, New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Closer to home, Claire serves as a Board Member for the Friends of Maryland Olmsted Parks & Landscapes as Vice President. She is a passionate advocate for quality and equity in Baltimore’s public realm.

Jasmine Forbes  
Vice President 

Jasmine Forbes currently works for City of Gaithersburg as a planner.  Ms. Forbes serves on the board of FMOPL as Vice President.  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.

Valorie LaCour
Secretary 

Ms. Valorie LaCour serves on the Board the Friends of Maryland’s Olmsted Parks and Landscapes and holds the office of 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).  

Bill Reuter
Treasurer 

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.

Barbara L. Hopkins
Board Member  

Ms. Barbara L. Hopkins currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the Friends of Maryland’s Olmsted Parks and Landscapes.  Ms. Hopkins is committed to advancing the Olmsted principles in maintaining and preserving Olmsted parks and landscapes in Maryland and has a specific focus area of Baltimore County.  Ms. Hopkins is on staff at the NeighborSpace of Baltimore County, Inc.  She lives and works in Baltimore County.

David Myers
Board Member

David Myers serves on the Board of the Friends of Maryland’s Olmsted Parks and Landscapes. David  supports FMOPL and UMD to explore connections between these two organizations in support of preserving Olmsted legacy landscapes. Dr. Myers is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture and served as Director of University of Maryland Landscape Architecture from 2012 to 2017. He is a licensed Landscape Architect in Maryland and has previously served as President of the Maryland Chapter ASLA. David lives in Silver Spring in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Peter Dolkart
Board Member

Peter Dolkart serves as the Community Development Regional Manager for Maryland and Metropolitan Washington, D.C. for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.  Peter serves on the board of FMOPL to learn about the Olmsted legacy and work in Maryland and to preserve and promote this fascinating history and visual heritage.   Mr. Dolkart lives and works in Baltimore City.  Peter obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Johns Hopkins University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law where he led the Student Bar Association. He was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 2004. He is a 2015 graduate of Leadership Maryland and a 2019 graduate of the Greater Baltimore Committee Leadership class.

Adam Boarman
Board Member 

Adam Boarman is the Chief of Capital Development for the City of Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks.  Adam serves on the FMOPL Board and is interested in celebrating the contributions that the Olmsted brothers made to Baltimore City’s Park system and advocate for the profession of Landscape Architecture. Mr. Boarman is a resident of Baltimore County.

Amy Menzer
 Board Member 

 Amy Menzer has extensive experience in community development, policy advocacy, and organizing with several area nonprofits focused on revitalization, growth management, and equity. She prides herself in being a “pragmatic doer” who builds relationships with a wide range of stakeholders to implement concrete improvements to the region’s older neighborhoods. Following 15 years as Executive Director at Dundalk Renaissance, she now works for the Baltimore County Department of Planning as a Senior Project Manager. She holds a Ph.D in Human Geography from Johns Hopkins University and has published chapters on post-WWII planning efforts in Philadelphia and transportation equity. She lives in Baltimore County with her spouse and daughter.

Sandy Sparks
Ex Officio Board Member 

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.

Judy Dobbs 
Ex Officio Board Member 

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.

Ed Orser
Ex Officio Board Member 

Mr. Ed Orser served as President of the Board the Friends of Maryland’s Olmsted Parks and Landscapes from 2011-2015, and continues as an active Ex Officio Board member.  He served as an active board member and grant writer for the recently completed historic preservation project for the 170 year-old Winans Chapel in Leakin Park.  They live in the Hunting Ridge neighborhood, adjacent to Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park, where they are actively involved in service projects and are regular park users.