Our team.
Jonathan Alderson
Principal
Mr. Alderson, the founder and Principal of the firm, is the design leader. He will be involved from conceptual development to construction documentation and will help to incorporate the clients’ goals and expectations throughout the whole design process. Mr. Alderson brings a wealth of design and construction experience to the team. Project experience includes: the creation of an 85 Acre Meadow Garden for Longwood Gardens including bridges, boardwalks and pavilions; the design of an elevated ADA walk way for Chanticleer Gardens; the design of bike corrals for the University of Pennsylvania; and the design a Healing Garden and Landscape for Lancaster General Health. Mr. Alderson has won several significant design competitions including Reimagine Broad Street, the Avenue of the Arts, Philadelphia.
Mr. Alderson has a BA from the University of Reading, United Kingdom, and holds a Master of Landscape Architecture with Certificate in Urban Design from the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Alderson, who has taught at Temple University, is a registered Landscape Architect in Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia and is a member of the Council of Landscape Architecture Registration Boards.
Grace Herman
Studio Director, Landscape Architect
Ms. Herman is a project manager who contributes to the development of design concepts, presentations, and construction documents. She has overseen projects such as Penn Medicine Radnor, the Whiting Forest at Dow Garden, and Swarthmore College’s Sharples Dining Hall. She holds a Bachelor in Landscape Architecture from Philadelphia University as well as a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Texas at Arlington. She has been a team member at Jonathan Alderson Landscape Architects, Inc. for eleven years and is a registered Landscape Architect in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Matthew Nelson
Studio Director, Landscape Architect
Mr. Nelson brings over a decade of design and project coordination experience in the Greater Philadelphia Region in higher education, healthcare, commercial, institutional, and residential markets. He holds a BS in Landscape Architecture from Temple University where he had the opportunity to study Urban Design and Architecture while abroad in Rome, Italy in 2011. Mr. Nelson is responsible for conceptual design development, 3D modeling, graphics, technical documentation, and construction administration. He is a registered Landscape Architect in Pennsylvania and has contributed to a variety of projects, including residential estates, Chanticleer Gardens’ Elevated Walk, Reading Hospital’s Green Roof Healing Garden, and Dow Gardens’ Whiting Forest.
Leslie Hendricks
Landscape Designer
Ms. Hendricks joined Jonathan Alderson Landscape Architects in the Spring of 2021 after receiving her Masters of Landscape Architecture from Penn State University. Her graduate research focused on bioretention landscape design for pollutant removal. She received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont and spent a semester abroad studying New Zealand ecosystems. Ms. Hendricks brings experience working with non-profit organizations in Philadelphia including the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society where she worked to stabilize and convert vacant land to green space in underserved neighborhoods. Ms. Hendricks contributes to the team’s visual communication of projects throughout all stages of the design process. Her work incorporates her passion for native plants and the natural environment.
Jerri Wei
Landscape Architect
Ms.Wei brings 7 years of experience designing public parks, institutional campuses, and other urban spaces in the US and in China. Joining JALA in 2023, she split her time between the office and Chanticleer Garden, where she immersed herself in caring for a public garden in all seasons as a part-time assistant horticulturalist. She is excited to weave in-field knowledge into her designer life. She holds a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from University of Pennsylvania (2016) and Bachelor of Engineering in Architecture degree from Sichuan University (2013). She is a registered Landscape Architect in Pennsylvania and a LEED BD+C accredited professional.
Zoe Goldman
Landscape Architect
Ms. Goldman joined the firm full time in the Summer of 2023 after receiving her Masters of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor of Environmental Design from University of Manitoba, where she developed her passion for winter ecologies and urban design. She is a registered Landscape Architect in the state of New Jersey. Ms. Goldman contributes to the firm’s development of projects, where she assists in the creation of schematic, design, detail and construction drawing sets.
Ryan Debski
Landscape Designer, Registered Architect
Ryan earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Drexel University (2015), a Master of Architectural Management and Design from IE Business School in Madrid (2018), and a Master of Landscape Architecture from Temple University (2023). He was awarded the 2015 Gold Medal Pearson Prize for his undergraduate thesis, Rebuilding Home: Futaba, Japan, and was recognized as the ASLA Honor Award Recipient for Temple’s Graduate Landscape Program in 2023. With a background in both architecture and landscape architecture, Ryan’s work focuses on creating sustainable, ecologically sensitive designs that reconnect people with nature. His approach is rooted in a deep respect for place, integrating contemporary design with environmental restoration and he is guided by the belief that design should enhance a sense of place rather than alter it. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking and biking outdoors, traveling, and sketching.
Lillian Zhang
Landscape Designer
Lillian joined Jonathan Alderson Landscape Architects in the Summer of 2026 after receiving her Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, where she also completed a Certificate in Integrated Product Design. She received her Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture with a minor in Economics from the University of California, Davis. Her interests include urban design, resilient landscapes, mixed-use environments, ecological restoration, and the transformation of post-industrial sites. She is passionate about creating landscapes that foster meaningful connections between people and nature through an understanding of ecological systems and human experience. Outside of work, she enjoys classical music, traveling, photography, and sketching.