APA Board Retreat
APA Board member Rodger H. Lentz, AICP (Chief Planning and Development Office for the City of Wilson, North Carolina) recently attended a summer retreat for the APA Staff, Board of Directors, and AICP Commission. Attendees collaborated to identify the following goals:
- We want APA to be more nimble and responsive to emerging issues and member needs
- Empowerment of various component groups of APA such as Chapters and Divisions by recognizing that the volunteer leaders and members around the country can and should play an active role and be looked to as partners in furthering our common mission
- Become a more open organization and have a willingness to try and implement new ideas more rapidly and openly share information in a timely manner
- Build new and improve existing partnerships with allied organizations, advocacy organizations and academic and research practitioners
- Place greater emphasis on the Planning Foundation, rethink its mission and role for planning and ensure that everything the Planning Foundation does is open and transparent
The next step for APA leaders is to update the APA Development Plan to incorporate action steps for reaching these goals. President-Elect Carol Rhea, FAICP, will be chairing the Development Plan committee. Mr. Lentz is a member of that committee, and has requested that planners contact him at rlentz@wilsonnc.org with ideas on how we can improve APA.
The APA Policy & Advocacy Conference will take place from September 28-30, 2014 in Washington, DC, ending with the Planners’ Day on Capitol Hill on September 30th. The new APA Executive Director, Jim Drinan, will have a chance to meet many of the chapter presidents and division chairs for the first time during the leadership meetings at the conference.
Upcoming Deadlines & Events