President’s Message
President’s Message
As we start 2021, I hope all of our GPA members are safe and healthy, and that you had a chance to relax and enjoy the holiday season. 2020 was not what any of us expected, but hopefully we will return to some type of normalcy later in 2021.
Scrambling to manage conferences and other events was one of the biggest challenges for GPA and APA leadership in 2020. As you may have seen, the 2021 APA National Planning Conference will be a virtual event. As much as I would like to see all of my fellow planners in person, we have decided that the 2021 GPA Spring Conference will also be a virtual event. Session proposals are being accepted through January 15th, so submit your session now. We are cautiously optimistic that the 2021 GPA Fall Conference will be in-person.
I’d like to thank our outgoing board members for their many years of service. They are Marilyn Hall, AICP, District 2 Director and Jim Summerbell, AICP, Past President. I’d also like to welcome our new board members, which include:
- President-Elect: Whitney Shephard, PE, LEED AP (moving from District 9 Director)
- District 2 Director: Marc Beechuk, AICP
- District 9 Director: Ebony Simpson, AICP
I know 2021 will be challenging. But I’m looking forward to getting back to normal (in some way) later this year, and maybe even seeing all of you at an in-person conference this fall.
Sincerely,
Daniel Studdard, AICP
President of the Georgia Chapter of APA