People

Our Principals

Ken Gardner, President

When Ken was 12, he asked his uncle what he did for a living.  At that time, Bill Rosenberg was the president of Henderson, Rosenberg, Scully Landscape Architecture.  The idea of creating environments and manipulating the world around him to engender a feeling was fascinating and since the New York Mets weren’t beating down the door for a centerfielder that couldn’t hit, he thought that Landscape Architecture might be a good fallback occupation.  He quickly grew to love nature, architecture, and the way spaces are put together.  Canoe trips and constant quizzing by Bill helped Ken learn the plant species and how they fit in their respective communities.  Ken received his degree in Landscape Architecture in 1991 from the University of Georgia.  After school and on breaks in college, Ken worked alongside Bill who had formed Rosenberg Design Group, until 1993 when he came back home to work full time. In 1996, upon becoming licensed in Florida, Bill and Ken became partners, changing the name to Rosenberg Gardner Design.

Ken is extremely proud of the diverse types of work performed by the Firm, renamed Gardner Semler Landscape Architecture after bringing on Kiehl Semler as a Partner, and the fact that even the smaller projects get the same high level of design and attention as our larger, more prestigious endeavors.  Ken is excited about our upcoming undertakings and comes to work every day motivated for the future.

Kiehl Semler, Partner

Passion for art, science, social interaction, and the built environment compelled Kiehl to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia in 2008. Originally from Charlottesville, Virginia, Kiehl grew up with an innate love of the outdoors and a youth spent hiking and canoeing through the Blue Ridge Mountains with his grandfather. Discovering South Florida through a chance internship back in 2007, he was enamored by the subtropical climate and diverse flora and fauna unique to the region and decided to become a Florida licensed Landscape Architect. Kiehl has spent the many years since practicing and obsessing about Landscape Architecture while living and surfing in Miami. He implements all aspects of the practice from commercial urban design and streetscapes to school campuses, parks, condominiums, and custom residential projects.

Chris Garcia, Project Manager

Chris was born and raised in Miami, FL. Surrounded by south Florida’s tropical environment and architecture, Chris developed an interest in spatial design at an early age. This led him to pursue an education in design and graduated from Florida International University with a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture. During his education, he acquired the skills and knowledge to create and design outdoor spaces. Since starting back in 2019, his time here at GSLA Design has been essential in helping complete our projects from initial design sketches to a finished constructed project. His eagerness to take on more responsibility has made him an essential part of the team. When he is not designing, you can find him playing basketball, at the studio recording music, or photographing cityscapes.

Jose Fonseca, Project Manager

Jose was first introduced to Landscape Architecture in 2008 while working on his undergraduate Architectural degree. A love for the outdoors and the thought of designing exterior spaces and landscapes brought him over to Landscape Architecture. Jose has a passion for delivering designs that create meaningful experiences for users. Jose graduated with his Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from Florida International University in 2011.

In 2014, Jose became involved with the Florida State Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects by becoming the Graphic’s Chair for the State Conference in Ocean Reef, Key Largo. He went on to take a leadership role, becoming the Miami section chair serving the South Florida Region. In 2016, he became involved in a startup program named Future Landscape Architects of America (FLAA), and joined their Leadership Committee. FLAA is a non-profit organization focused on educating K-12 students about the profession. He loves working with kids and this organization and hopes to create future landscape architects with the help of FLAA.

Jose joined the GSLA team in 2022 and quickly became an asset. His skills and personality have enriched the office culture. With 12+ years of experience of working in private and public sectors, he has shown his ability to manage a project from its schematic design through construction documentation and administration. Jose’s project management skills, strong design knowledge and graphics have made him a perfect fit for GSLA.

Erica Gardner, Accounting and Marketing Manager

Erica has been running the GSLA office since 2011.  She graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in Accounting and an MBA in Finance. Erica is the administrative heart of the GSLA team and facilitates & coordinates the firm’s day-to-day organization and operations. In her free time she enjoys pickleball and biking, as well as attending Hurricanes and Dolphins games.  She also likes to take advantage of all the concerts and live comedy shows that come to town.  Erica loves the South Florida lifestyle, where she and Ken raised their 2 sons.