Leadership

Don Vita

Don VitaPresident

Don Vita is the founder of VITA Planning and Landscape Architecture. He has been practicing landscape architecture and land planning for over 30 years. His experience includes large-scale town and resort planning and design throughout the Pacific Rim, Hawai’i, India and Australia; new community development in the western U.S.; urban design, city planning and waterfront assignments in New York, Hong Kong, China and the Philippines; and landscape design for private estates throughout the U. S., Singapore and Hawaii.

John Stratton

John StrattonPrincipal - Construction

John Stratton has over 25 years of experience in the field of Landscape Architecture and Construction Management. His experience working for both Landscape Architecture firms and Land Development companies on large Master Plan Communities gives him a unique perspective to carry landscape design from concept through construction. He is well-known in the international Golf and Hawaiian markets, has a BSLA from Cal Poly Pomona and is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and is a CLARB registered Landscape Architect.

Bob Thompson

Bob ThompsonPrincipal - Design

Bob comes to VITA after 5 years and the in house landscape architect for Discovery Land Company during which time he was responsible for the design and development of Bakers Bay Golf and Ocean Club as a well as responsible to work with the partners on due diligence for May projects that came in for consideration intake USA,  Latin America, Europe and Asia. Before that Bob was the founding parter of e group inc, a landscape architecture and planning studio with offices in Phoenix, Cabo San Lucas, Manila and Shenzhen. For 25+ years Bob was the managing partner responsible for all large scale design and management projects thru out Latin America, parts of China, and the Philippines . Clients included hoteliers, master community developers, governmental agencies and private estates owners. Bob graduated from Arizona State University with a degrees in planning and landscape architecture and has been registered since 1987 in Arizona, California, Montana, Nevada and New Mexico. He is a member of ASLA and retains a national CLARB registration.

Don Raichle

Don RaichlePrincipal

Don Raichle brings over 30 years of experience in high-end Community Development, Planning and Urban Design to VITA. From the Northern California wine region to coastal Mexico, Europe to the Middle East and Asia, Don has helped bring dozens of large- scale projects to fruition in the Residential, Hospitality, Recreation and Entertainment markets. He is a registered Landscape Architect and has a BS in Landscape Architecture from the University of Washington.

Nick Ohler

Nick OhlerAssociate Principal

Nick Ohler has over 15 years of experience bringing projects from master planning through construction throughout the world. His professional work of master planning and landscape architecture includes large-scale master planned communities, luxury resorts, golf course projects and private estates throughout the mainland U.S., Hawaii, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Uruguay and China. He grew up skiing and camping in the mountains of Maine and has carried that love for the outdoors through his professional design experience, understanding the importance of incorporating unique historical, cultural and environmental characteristics into each project. He has an BS in Landscape Architecture from Cornell University. He is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and is a registered Landscape Architect in California.

Jerod Costner

Jerod CostnerAssociate Principal

Jerod brings over 14 years of planning experience in resort design, golf course planning, and waterfront development. He has designed many projects ranging from destination resorts, private islands, large-scale residential planning, and urban design projects across a broad range of climates. His experience in resort master planning and programming allows him to easily grasp the needs of the developer, the desires of the resort operator, and balance these against the opportunities and constraints of the project site. His experience in site assessment and feasibility planning has assisted many developers in evaluating a site’s potential and proper placement within the market. As a landscape architect who has worked on numerous international projects, Jerod’s experience has provided him with a broad range of expertise allowing him to work across Asia, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and the Americas. He is accomplished at creating memorable and dynamic spaces that focus on great guest experience and finely crafted built work.

Nick Vita

Nick VitaChief Operating Officer

Nick wears multiple hats for the firm including overseeing business development, finance, operations and staffing. With a diverse professional background, Nick brings a well-rounded business sense to VITA’s strong design expertise. He has a BS in Finance from Fordham University, has worked in New York, California and Hawaii, and has studied design and planning as it relates to function within local culture in his professional and personal international travels.

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