The Olmsted Network is proud to announce the recipients of its 2026 awards, honoring individuals and organizations whose leadership, stewardship, and advocacy are strengthening public landscapes and advancing equitable access to parks and green space across the United States. 

Honorees from across the country—from Oregon to New Jersey—will be recognized at the 2026 Awards Dinner on Friday, September 25, at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, OR. The celebration is part of The Power of Connection: Shaping Resilient Public Landscapes, the Olmsted Network’s three-day national conference exploring the relationships that sustain public spaces. 

Each year, the Olmsted Network honors individuals and organizations that embody the spirit of Frederick Law Olmsted and the Olmsted firm by preserving historic landscapes and expanding access to public green space. The 2026 honorees are:

Caroline Loughlin Volunteer Service Award   

Recognizes individuals whose dedication, scholarship, and service have advanced the understanding and appreciation of Olmsted landscapes and their legacy on a national scale. 

Victoria Post Ranney | Chicago, IL  

Victoria “Vicky” Post Ranney is a founder of Friends of the Parks, the leading parks advocacy organization in Chicago, IL. As a scholar of Frederick Law Olmsted, she is the author of Olmsted in Chicago and edited Volume 5 of The Papers of Frederick Law Olmsted: The California Frontier, 1863–1865. Ranney served on the Board of Directors of the Olmsted Network in the early 2000s, advancing national understanding of Olmsted’s legacy through scholarship and advocacy. She most recently shared her expertise with the Network as a speaker at the 2022 Olmsted Bicentennial Gala at the Glessner House in Chicago, IL.  

Olmsted Stewardship Awards 

Recognizes individuals whose place-based leadership and long-term commitment have protected, enhanced, and advocated for Olmsted landscapes and the communities they serve. 

Donald Harris | Seattle, WA 

Donald “Don” Harris is celebrated for his nearly half century of stewardship of Seattle’s Olmsted Park System through his service with the Seattle Parks & Recreation Department. From 1977–1993, he led the department’s planning, park design, and construction efforts. Later in his career he was responsible for both property management of the city’s 6200 acres of parks and for a new parks and open space acquisition program funded by a $200 million parks levy. That program preserved over 700 acres of urban green spaces, helping advance Seattle’s Olmsted vision. Harris attended the 1980 founding meeting of the Olmsted Network and later served twice as Co-Chair of the Olmsted Network Board. He helped establish Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks, where he currently serves as vice president, continuing his advocacy for Seattle’s Olmsted legacy. 

Mike Houck | Portland, OR 

Mike Houck founded and directs the Urban Greenspaces Institute, where he works on local, regional, and national urban greenspace issues. For more than 50 years, he has championed the integration of the built and natural environments throughout the Portland-Vancouver region. His current focus is Ross Island and the planning and implementation of climate adaptation strategies. Houck also co-founded and serves on the board of directors of The Nature of Cities and served on the Olmsted Network Board of Directors beginning in 2005. Houck credits fellow honoree William Hawkins as an early inspiration — Hawkins’ writings and stories about Olmsted’s work in Portland and the Pacific Northwest helped shape Houck’s own path into park, trail, and natural area planning. 

Earl Jones | Louisville, KY 

Earl F. Jones has been a dedicated civic leader in Louisville for decades. Since 1997, he has served as a trustee of the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy—including as Board Chair from 2016 to 2018 and currently as Board Secretary—helping advance the preservation and stewardship of Louisville’s historic Olmsted parks. In 2019, the Conservancy honored his service with its highest distinction, the Olmsted Award. Jones was also a director of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority. A longtime cycling advocate, he served for many years as president of the Louisville Bicycle Club, one of the nation’s oldest organized cycling clubs.

President’s Awards  

This year, the President’s Award shines a spotlight on three community voices that are bringing Olmsted’s vision of “Parks for All People” into the 21st century by strengthening civic life and expanding access to public parks. 

Airport2Park & Great Park Coalition | Santa Monica, CA 
For demonstrating how community vision can shape the next great American park. In park-deficient Santa Monica, the coalition has united residents, organizations, and civic leaders around the creation of a large new ”great” park on the Santa Monica Airport site when it closes at the end of 2028. Their work reflects Olmsted’s belief that every community deserves access to inspiring public green space. 

People of Color Outdoors | Portland, OR 
For redefining what “Parks for All People” means by creating welcoming pathways into nature for communities that have too often been excluded from outdoor spaces. Through inclusive outings, leadership development, and community building, the organization is expanding who feels they belong in parks and natural areas. 

Weequahic Park Association | Newark, NJ   
For demonstrating how community stewardship can fulfill Olmsted’s vision of parks as places of belonging for all people. For more than three decades, the Association has brought together neighbors of diverse backgrounds to restore and care for Weequahic Park—creating educational, cultural, recreational, and environmental opportunities that connect generations and strengthen civic life. 

Certificates of Appreciation 

This year, the Olmsted Network acknowledges other important advocates with the presentation of two Certificates of Appreciation. 

Portland Parks Alliance | Portland, OR 
Born in 2024 out of conversations sparked by the Olmsted Network, Portland Parks Alliance has grown into a grassroots coalition of nearly 100 park advocates across more than 50 organizations. Together, they are moving the needle on critical issues like sustainable park funding while building a stronger, more connected voice for Portland’s parks and ensuring they remain accessible.  

William J. Hawkins, III | Portland, OR 

William “Bill” J. Hawkins, III, FAIA, has spent more than five decades championing the power of thoughtful design, historic preservation, and public landscapes. As an architect, Portland Parks Board member, and former Co-Chair of the Olmsted Network Board, he has helped preserve and share the stories of Portland’s landscapes while advancing a deeper appreciation for the legacy of Olmsted and the lasting value of parks for communities. His book, The Legacy of Olmsted Brothers in Portland, OR, still serves as a great point of reference today.  

Please join us in congratulating these inspiring honorees!  We look forward to recognizing them on Friday, September 25, at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, OR.  

Conference tickets, which include the Awards Dinner, are on sale through September 15 here. Individual Awards Dinner tickets are also available for $65 here.   

View award descriptions and past recipients online here.