Happy March Georgia Planners!
I hope to see you this Thursday, March 13 at the 2025 Spring Conference, The Power of Place, in Gainesville. The conference includes 16 Sessions, 3 Mobile Workshops, and a keynote conversation on Affordable Housing Strides, Accomplishments, and Challenges.
If you are considering becoming a GPA Sponsor for 2025, don’t delay. We’d like to recognize your support at the Conference.
Are you attending the National Planning Conference in Denver? GPA is collaborating with the Georgia Tech School of City and Regional Planning to host a reception in the evening on Saturday, March 29. Details are forthcoming.
At the national level, the APA Board has approved two policies: APA’s Rules of Conduct: Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination and Conflict of Interest. As the Georgia Chapter President, I was required to acknowledge both on behalf of our Chapter. APA encourages each Chapter to similarly endorse these policies. Let’s work together to create a welcoming and respectful Spring Conference environment.
Each year, the Georgia Chapter is required to submit to APA a comprehensive report on our Chapter’s programs and administration called Performance Criteria. In 2025, the Performance Criteria included: Chapter Mission, Bylaws, Chapter Development Plan, Budget, Certification Maintenance offerings, Leadership Development, Membership Recruitment, Outreach to Student and Emerging Professionals, Planning Board Outreach, Legislative and Policy Activities, and Awards/Initiatives Programs. When asked about top priorities for our Chapter in 2025, I emphasized efforts to:
- Continue engagement with the Student Planning Organizations at Georgia Tech and University of Georgia College of Environment and Design
- Engage membership to get actively involved in our organization
- Retain and recruit new members
I invite each of you to consider how you might step up to contribute to our Chapter. We are a better organization when more of us are actively engaged. As always, if you have any question, concern, issue, or initiative you’d like to discuss for GPA, please reach out.
Best regards,