Growing up with a father in the Army allowed Jesse Westad the rare experience of forming a global lens to view the world and its many cultures. These early experiences living in different countries would mold the personality he would later become while facilitating his love of travel. He would follow the family business along with all three of his sisters and spend 6 ½ years as an Army Paratrooper as well as an 18-month deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan during this time.

Upon his departure from the Army, Jesse would go on to graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science in Communication from Arizona State University and a minor in Sustainability. It was during this time that he learned about a fellow World War II paratrooper by the name of Ian McHarg. It was this personal story of soldiers helping soldiers that would push him to pursue a Master’s degree also from ASU in Landscape Architecture with a focus on therapeutic landscapes and restorative spaces.

It was McHarg’s blueprint of designing with nature that would aid Jesse into his signature style of utilizing natural systems to decrease infrastructure costs while in turn boosting local flora and fauna on a site. Mr. Westad provides knowledgeable, holistic design solutions in areas such as stormwater management, green infrastructure, living walls, and wildlife habitat through his firm WERK | urban design that facilitate sustainable healing environments for the veteran and their loved ones.