APA Interact January 16, 2019

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APA NEWS
Happy New Year!
As 2019 begins, I am excited to begin my term as APA President. Late last year, I retired as Economic and Community Development Director in Azusa, California. The timing worked out well, as I now can devote my full attention to serving APA.

Having served on the APA Board of Directors for a number of years, I have seen the transformation that is possible when we work together to improve member benefits. I am excited about APA’s culture of collaborative innovation and look forward to continuing that work with our new CEO in the very near future.
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I also look forward to speaking on behalf of APA, attending and speaking at chapter and partner conferences, meeting with members and allies, and seeing firsthand planning issues and innovative approaches that are emerging across the country.

This is a time of rapid change in our country, and it is critical that planners are ready to act. As leaders of the planning profession we focus on creating communities of lasting value. APA must carry out its mission — Creating Great Communities for All — by educating, innovating, advocating, and inspiring to ensure that our communities and profession keep pace with changing conditions.

It will be an honor and a privilege to serve as APA President. As I promised when I ran for this position, I will focus on the future, so that together we become a stronger organization.

Kurt Christiansen, FAICP
APA President
New leaders take office

APA Directors and AICP Commissioners elected in 2018 took office on January 1. Among them is Harvard professor Ann Forsyth, who assumed the new directorship reserved for the editor of the Journal of the American Planning Association.
Welcome, new APA Ambassadors

Members who serve as APA Ambassadors bring unique backgrounds and cultural experiences to volunteer service. This year, they will reach out on behalf of planning in communities throughout the United States and as far away as Turkey and Tunisia. Ambassadors are newly linked via a community webpage that facilitates interaction and access to tools and tips. They are ready for an exciting year. We thank all Ambassadors for their commitment to APA and planning. Meet the 2019 APA Ambassadors.
Realize the value of AICP employees

Having AICP-certified planners in your organization demonstrates commitment to planning expertise, ongoing education, and professional ethics. Watch a new video, "The Value of AICP Employees," to learn how organizations in both the public and private sectors benefit from hiring AICP-certified planners and encouraging certification among their staff.
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RESOURCES
Dive into inclusive growth

Inclusive growth is among APA's policy priorities in 2019. Read and learn more about inclusive growth in a curated collection in APA's e-book library. It's free to members.
Get recorded NPC18 sessions

NPC18 session recordings were included with registration and are available now in APA Learn. If you registered for NPC18 in New Orleans, you have unlimited access to almost 200 courses through November 13, 2019. CM
OPPORTUNITIES
Call for grant proposals

The Land Economics Foundation of Lambda Alpha International invites proposals that advance the field of land economics from qualified individuals, publications, nonprofit organizations, and institutions. Grants can be applied to planning projects and typically range from $5,000 to $30,000.
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Work for APA

Several staff positions are open at APA:
  • New! Deputy Research Director (Chicago); apply by February 1.
  • New! Instructional Design Manager (Chicago)
  • Research Associate (Chicago or Washington)
Also available are two Washington-based fellowships focused on Great Places in America.
Act soon

Student Design Competition — enter by January 25.

Technology Division Smart Cities Awards — nominate by January 27.

Partner with the APA Foundation for a Funders' Network grant — contact foundation@planning.org and submit a proposal by January 31.

Take the planning skills for small communities survey by January 31.

Transportation Planning Division Student Paper Competition — enter by February 1.

National Preservation Awards —nominate by February 1.
STAFF NEWS
Good deeds bear fruit

Fourteen APA staff volunteers spent Tuesday morning at the Greater Chicago Food Depository inspecting, sorting, and packing 17,220 pounds of pears. GCFD distributes the equivalent of 159,000 meals daily to pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens throughout Cook County.
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Principal Planner
City of Alexandria-Department of Planning & Zoning
Alexandria, VA
Active Transportation Program Specialist (TPS4)
Washington State Department of Transportation
Olympia, WA
Comprehensive Plan
City of Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, KY
Central Area Master Plan
Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, KS
Corridor Study
Billings Montana MPO
Billings, MT
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FROM THE WEB
LAST CALL
January 16 – Sign the Public Schools Interest Group petition for division status

January 18 – Apply for the Economic Development Division’s Holzheimer Memorial Student Scholarship

Banner photo: Yukon Quest on the Chena River in Fairbanks, Alaska. Photo by Nancy Durham.

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Interact is a member e-newsletter of the American Planning Association and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners.
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