Zachary Chrisco, PE, HASLA
Principal - Sasaki
As Sasaki’s lead civil engineer, Zach works with built design leaders and interdisciplinary teams to execute, strengthen, and innovate resilient engineering solutions. His portfolio includes some of Sasaki’s most complex site work — from the Chicago Riverwalk to the Wilmington Waterfront Park in Los Angeles. He integrates civil engineering solutions that are at once sustainable and sensitive to the design intent. Zach’s greatest motivation is to create built work that is both durable and well-loved by the client and users. He continues to refine a vision for further cultivating Sasaki’s civil engineering practice, encouraging a collaborative built work practice, and better integrating resilience and ecology into the firm’s work. Zach holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Tufts University, and is a registered civil engineer. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Sports Builders Association, and the Boston Society of Civil Engineers.
Gina Ford, FASLA
Principal, Landscape Architect and Co-Founder- Agency Landscape + Planning
Gina Ford is a landscape architect, co-founder and principal of Agency Landscape + Planning. Underpinning her two decades of practice are a commitment to the design and planning of public places and the perpetuation of the value of landscape architecture via thought leadership, teaching, writing and lecturing. Her work has received awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects, the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Architects, among others. She is on the stewardship council of The Cultural Landscape Foundation and was formerly on the board of directors for the City Parks Alliance. She received the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Charles Eliot Traveling Fellowship, the Wellesley College’s Shaw Fellowship and the Boston Society of Architect’s Women in Design Award of Excellence.
A.G. Lafley
Founding CEO - Bay Park Conservancy
A.G. Lafley is the Founding CEO of the Bay Park Conservancy, and the former CEO and Chairman of Procter & Gamble. Today, he advises CEOs on business and innovation strategy. He serves on several Start-up boards. While his primary interest is business, Lafley shifted his personal leadership attention to private/ public partnerships to accomplish major civic goals. In Cincinnati, Lafley chaired Cincinnati Center City Development Corp (3CDC) from inception in 2004 until 2010. Over the past 20 years, 3CDC has invested $2.5 billion in the redevelopment of the downtown area. In 2016, Lafley joined the planning effort to transform 53-acres of city-owned land on Sarasota Bay into a signature public park. Today, Lafley leads the team that designs, develops, manages, operates and programs the park known as “The Bay.”
Jerry Sparkman, AIA, NCARB
Founder, Architect - Sweet Sparkman Architecture & Interiors
Jerry Sparkman, a founding principal of Sweet Sparkman Architecture & Interiors, has been crafting resilient, thoughtful designs since the firm's inception in 2002. His work reflects a deep understanding of the coastal environment, emphasizing the integration of local culture, history, and long-term community growth. Jerry’s design philosophy — “respect the land and the people, and the rest will follow” — is exemplified in projects like The Bay Park in Sarasota, where he has merged innovative design with environmental stewardship to create vibrant public spaces. His portfolio spans high-end residential projects, public parks, higher education facilities, and community spaces, all shaped by active listening and a meticulous approach to financial, physical, social, and environmental factors. With a belief that nature provides unlimited inspiration, Jerry continues to create spaces that harmonize with their surroundings while meeting the needs of diverse communities.
