SWA Announces Fall 2024 Promotions
In recognition of their professional excellence, leadership, and continued promotions to the growth and success of the firm, SWA is pleased to announce the promotion of 14 individuals. Additionally, the firm welcomed a new member to the executive leadership board.
Executive Leadership
Riley Van Bebber
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer, Firmwide
This summer, SWA was delighted to welcome Riley to the firm, stepping in as CFO/COO. Based in Sausalito, Riley oversees global finances and operations across SWA’s eight offices. With a background in accounting and finance roles in mortgage banking, communication technologies, and AEC, Van Bebber brings a cross-functional perspective to her combined role.
Co-Managing Principal
Abdallah Labib, PLA, LEED AP
Co-Managing Principal, SWA/Balsley, New York
With over a decade of experience leading projects across the U.S., Middle East, Europe, and Asia, Abdallah is a landscape architect and urban designer whose work has become central to SWA/Balsley, the firm’s New York office, since he joined in 2018. Recognizing these accomplishments, he has been elevated to Co-Managing Principal of the studio alongside Tom Balsley, FASLA.
Associate Principals
George Kutnar, CLARB
Landscape Designer, Los Angeles
Based in SWA’s Los Angeles studio since 2013, George leads a broad range of projects including public open spaces, corporate landscapes, cultural institutions, hospitality, campuses, master plans, and more. Having first interned for the firm’s Laguna Beach studio, he’s spent his career at SWA bringing a fascination with social design to projects of all scales and contexts.
Josh Lock, PLA
Landscape Architect, Houston
Drawing on over 15 years of experience with built work, Josh is focused primarily on construction observation and management in SWA’s Houston studio, where he collaborates with design teams to ensure the constructability, accuracy, and technical performance of projects—a crucial role in QA/QC and mentorship across the office.
Mariana Ricker, PLA
Landscape Architect, Climate & Sustainability Co-Lead, San Francisco
In a dual role as a landscape architect in SWA’s San Francisco studio and Co-Lead of the firmwide Climate & Sustainability team alongside Sarah Fitzgerald, Mariana brings a critical eye to stewarding the firm’s commitments to climate action in the design process, operations, and culture of SWA. For her 2023 Patrick T. Curran Fellowship, she developed a phase-based approach to decarbonizing design work (the basis for an ASLA guide on the same topic), and also serves on ULI’s national Sustainable Development Council.
Jackson Rollings
Firmwide Communications Director, Firmwide
Leading firmwide communications from SWA’s New York office since 2023, Jackson works across all eight studios to oversee brand strategy, digital media, and public relations, translating the firm’s work and thought leadership to the outside world. With a background in environmental science and policy, he is laser-focused on multimedia and climate storytelling, drawing on a decade of experience at firms, nonprofits, and publications.
Laura Wilson
Director of Human Resources, Firmwide
Since joining SWA in 2015, Laura has overseen the firm’s Human Resources team, serving as a steadfast resource for SWA’s employees and business operations globally and drawing on her background across a range of related disciplines. Rooted in the Bay Area, Laura holds memberships with the national Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and its Northern California chapter as well as the California Chamber of Commerce.
Associates
Claire Adams
Landscape Designer, San Francisco
Pawida (Loft) Bualert
Landscape Designer, San Francisco
Henry Dalton, PLA
Landscape Architect, Dallas
Shengqian (Chris) He
Landscape Designer, Dallas
Andrew Joseph, PLA
Landscape Architect, New York
Joe Kensel
Landscape Designer, Dallas
Michael Quixtner
BIM Lead, New York
