Danielle Pieranunzi is drawn to work that bridges the gap between science and practice to create accessible tools and compelling stories that foster positive, measurable change in society. Since 2006, she has worked on the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES) collaborating with a diverse group of practitioners, scientists, educators, and policymakers to elevate the value of nature in the built environment. This resulted in a set of comprehensive design guidelines and a certification system guiding development projects toward nature-positive outcomes while addressing impacts on carbon, resilience, human health, biodiversity, and more. At GBCI, Danielle continues to support SITES focusing primarily on technical development and client solutions.

Mr. Hartz is an advocate for climate resiliency, performance, and community sensitivity in the design of federal landscapes; using integrated nature-based solutions tailored to local environments and contexts to achieve agency sustainability and community goals. He leads policy development and design direction of all capital projects in the nationwide GSA portfolio, which encompasses150,000 acres of managed land in more than 2,200 communities nationwide. Prior to his federal service, Brandon was a Senior Associate for HOK, managing, designing, and building high profile and award-winning institutional landscapes for the National Park Service, the US Department of State, the FBI, and GSA.

Ilse is a co-founder and principal of Studio Balcones. As a firm leader, Ilse focuses on creative solutions for civic and institutional projects that will have significant impact on the future growth and function of cities.

Her work at the University of Texas at Austin was recently awarded 2020 Texas ASLA Merit Award and a 2021 AIA Austin Design Award of Merit. Prior to founding Studio Balcones, Ilse worked on many award-winning design competition projects at a firm in New York City. She has a Master of Landscape Architecture and a Master of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin. Ilse is a licensed landscape architect in Texas and Oklahoma. Ilse volunteers her time as a member of The Trail Foundation’s Project Committee and Arts & Culture committee and previously served on the Art In Public Place’s Advisory Panel. A native Austinite/unicorn, she loves enjoying tacos on a good patio, hikes with her dog, Brisket, and exploring the art scene with her husband, Tim.