WRA’s Riverscapes and Shorelines Team Expands Leadership with New Directors
WRA is pleased to announce the expansion of its Riverscapes & Shorelines leadership team with the addition of Nick Southall as Watershed Science Director and Julie Johnstone, PLA, as Landscape Architecture Director. Their appointments strengthen the technical leadership of WRA’s interdisciplinary team while providing clients with senior-level expertise and innovative solutions throughout project planning, design, and implementation.
As Watershed Science Director, Nick Southall provides technical leadership in geomorphology, watershed analysis, and design for ecological restoration projects.
Nick earned a Master of Science in Integrated Environmental Studies from the University of Southampton, U.K., and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Geography from the University of Leeds, U.K. His 27 years of experience in river, wetland, floodplain, and estuarine restoration across California and the Pacific Northwest make him a valuable addition to WRA’s senior leadership team.
Julie Johnstone, PLA, is WRA’s Landscape Architecture Director, providing strategic leadership and technical expertise across a diverse portfolio of projects, including trail planning, shoreline resilience, parks and recreation planning, ecological restoration, and wetland mitigation. She leads multidisciplinary teams through every stage of project delivery—from visioning and feasibility studies to permitting, construction documentation, and construction administration.
Julie holds dual master’s degrees in Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning from Cornell University and is a licensed Landscape Architect in California and New York. With nearly 15 years of experience leading innovative landscape architecture, planning, and ecological design projects, she brings a thoughtful, integrated approach that strengthens WRA’s ability to create resilient parks, open spaces, public infrastructure, and restoration projects that benefit both communities and the environment.
“Our clients are tackling increasingly ambitious projects that require diverse technical expertise and collaborative leadership,” said Aaron Sutherlin, Director of Project Delivery. “Nick and Julie bring unique experience and leadership to WRA, and together they strengthen our ability to provide innovative, interdisciplinary solutions that help our partners deliver ecologically sound projects.”
To learn more about Nick and Julie, please visit WRA leadership web page.
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WRA is an environmental consultancy that’s making a net positive impact. As a tenacious team of planners, engineers, and scientists, we believe in leaving the lands we love better than we found them. We partner with public agencies, non-profits, and private entities on multidisciplinary projects in a variety of markets. Our clients lean on us to navigate them through tricky projects and achieve benefits for both the natural environment and local communities.
WRA is proud to be an employee-owned, certified small business with more than 100 team members working from four offices in California and a growing distributed workforce throughout the West.
For more information, visit our website.