Don graduated with honours from the University of Toronto BLA program in 1980. He became a full member of the OALA in 1984 and was licensed with CLARB in 1992. Don has also been a professional member of the Ontario Chapter of the International Society of Arborists for over 25 years.
Don taught Professional Practice in the new MLA program at Univ. of Toronto from 2000-2004. During the same period he represented the Ontario Chapter in Region 1 at (CLARB). Over the following 10 years of service to CLARB, Don was a LARE exam committee member on both the graphic and technical sections and was a regular exam grader.
Don served on the OALA Examining Board for four years and Chaired OALA fund raising initiatives from 1998-2009 in support of student endowments to the Univ. of Toronto and Univ. of Guelph. He received the David Erb Award for exemplary volunteer service to the OALA in 2000.
As a Board member of Craigleith Ski Club in Collingwood Ont., from 1999-2003 he played a major role on the Lodge Expansion Committee, the Orchard Residential Plan and Craigleith Village Committees, all of which lead to major development successes for the Club.
In 2006 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Brampton Downtown Development Corporation (BDDC) and was tasked with combining BIA responsibilities with a development mandate in cooperation with the City of Brampton. In 2009 Don was elected Chairman of the Board of the BDDC for a three year term and was re-elected to the Board in 2012, holding the secretary position and chairing the Development Committee while continuing to sit on the Executive Committee.
Over his 30 years as principle of Don Naylor & Associates Ltd. Landscape Architects and Environmental Planners based in Brampton, Ont. he has endured a diverse and rewarding career with hundreds of constructed works to his credit. His contribution to community design and environmental stewardship has been recognized with numerous awards throughout his career. Current community design assignments including Bronte Creek in Oakville, Ont. to and the Village of Southfields In Caledon, Ont. are signature examples of his talent and tireless commitment to the landscape architecture profession.