2025 Program At A Glance​

​Subject to change.  ​

7:30 a.m. –  

​Doors Open; Registration, Breakfast & Networking

8:15 a.m.​ –

Welcome & Opening Remarks

8:30 a.m.​ – 

Accident Investigation In Tree Care
​Presenters: Nels Spence and Addison Hill, Bartlett Tree Experts

9:30 a.m.​ – 

​Introduction of Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board’s new Director of Forestry
Presenter: Chris McMaster, Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board

9:45 a.m.​ – 

Networking & Exhibitor Break

10:15 a.m.​ –

Designing for Longevity: Tree Health and the Landscape Architecture Process
​Presenters: ​​Brit Erenler, PLA, ASLA, Damon Farber; Jodi Refsland, ISA Certified Arborist, SITES AP, PLA, Damon Farber
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​Landscape architects play a crucial role in shaping the environments where trees are expected to thrive. Their decisions around grading, soil design, tree placement, and construction detailing have long-term impacts on tree health. This presentation provides a behind-the-scenes look at how tree-related considerations and best practices are woven into each phase of the landscape architecture process. 

​​We’ll discuss how site planning and early coordination with other design disciplines, owners, and stakeholders affect root zones and hydrology; how canopy goals and sustainability requirements shape species selection and placement; and how construction documents translate these ideas into specifications and details. Importantly, we’ll address how the design intent is (or isn’t) realized during construction and what happens after handoff, including punchlists and warranty walkthroughs. This session will highlight projects as case studies, including the Plymouth Community Center.

This session offers arborists insight into the challenges, priorities, and opportunities encountered throughout the design process, with the goal of fostering stronger collaboration across disciplines to ensure long-term tree success on designed sites.

11:15 a.m.​ – 

Utility Panel – Part 1: Introductions and Context
​​Panelists: Christopher Loiselle, Xcel Energy; Brandon Lunde, Dakota Electric; Nicholas Perry
Moderator: Sam Wallace

​​This session will introduce the panel members for our afternoon discussion, and provide context for their goals, obligations, and frustrations when managing the conflict between vegetation and utilities.

12:00 p.m.​ – 

MSA Awards Luncheon & Annual Updates

1:00 p.m.​ – 

Utility Panel – Part 2: A Deeper Dive
Panelists: Christopher Loiselle, Xcel Energy; Brandon Lunde, Dakota Electric; Nicholas Perry
Moderator: Sam Wallace

​​This session will build on the morning discussion about constraints on utilities and vegetation management contractors, with a focus on improving communication between all stakeholders involved when a tree is near a conductor.​

2:30 p.m.​ – 

Networking & Exhibitor Break

3:00 p.m.​ – 

Panel: Building Cross-Industry Understanding and Collaboration – A conversation with Landscape Architects
​​​Panelists: Jason Condit, Metro Blooms; Brit Erenler, Damon Farber; Anna Sprenger, Bolton & Menk​

4:30 p.m.​ – 

Closing Remarks

4:30​ – 5:30 p.m. –

Site Tour of the Plymouth Community Center  
Presenters: ​​Brit Erenler, PLA, ASLA, Damon Farber; Jodi Refsland, ISA Certified Arborist, SITES AP, PLA, Damon Farber​

Following the conference, attendees are invited to join the landscape architects for a guided tour of the Plymouth Community Center site. This tour offers a unique opportunity to see how the design principles and strategies discussed in the session were implemented on the ground, and how they’ve performed over time.
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Participants will explore how the site integrates new and existing trees within a complex public landscape, balancing programmatic needs, grading challenges, hydrology, and sustainability goals. Now several years post-construction, the site provides a living case study of tree establishment, soil performance, species selection, and the impact of long-term maintenance.
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This interactive walk-through will foster discussion around design intentions vs. outcomes, and opportunities for stronger collaboration between arborists and landscape architects in future projects.

4:30​ – 6:00 p.m. –

MSA Social

Join us following the conference for great food, drinks, connection, and fun!