Karen B. Smith Chapter Achievement Award

The Georgia Chapter was recognized with the Karen B. Smith Chapter Achievement Award for Outstanding Service to Members for its Mentor Program. The Karen B. Smith Chapter Award recognizes chapters that demonstrate excellence in leadership, innovation, and impact. Karen B. Smith was a dedicated planning consultant based in Aspen, Colorado, and served as treasurer of the AICP Commission until her untimely passing in an automobile accident on July 24, 1984. A passionate advocate for the planning profession, Karen led Planning Management Services in Aspen and was deeply involved in APA’s Colorado Chapter, serving as Chapter President from 1979 to 1981. In 1981, she was elected Chair of the Chapter Presidents Council, and in 1983, she joined the APA Board of Directors.

The Georgia Chapter Mentor Program is an annual initiative connecting planners across all career stages – emerging professionals, mid-career practitioners, and senior mentors – through structured mentoring and networking. Launched in 2014 as one of the first mentor programs established by an APA chapter, the program has celebrated over 10 years of success, engaging 115+ participants statewide and supported by 10 volunteer committee members. Its mission is to foster leadership development, professional growth, and retention within the planning profession in Georgia while strengthening ties to the American Planning Association.

Highlights of the Mentor Program include:

• 115+ planners have participated since inception (2014). 
• 75+ panelists have shared expertise on leadership and career development. 
• 10 years of CPI 260 leadership assessments completed, consistently rated as “extremely valuable” by participants. 
• Annual cohorts average 12 – 18 participants, representing diverse sectors and regions. Responses to surveys conducted at the end of each program overwhelmingly indicate the program helps participants shape their careers and understand the planning profession more deeply.