Deadline Extended to Friday, August 14th at 5:00 PM

SUBMIT CHAPTER AWARDS NOMINATION

The Georgia Planning Association's (GPA) Chapter Awards is an excellent opportunity to receive recognition for excellent planning initiatives throughout the State. GPA will acknowledge the winners of this year's awards at the annual GPA Awards Luncheon, GPA Fall Conference, Friday, October 2, 2009. GPA will also publish a list of the winners and their projects in the final 2009 GPA quarterly newsletter. Exciting new categories include: Great Places of Georgia Award and a Grassroots Initiative Award. Time is running out. Please nominate your projects today!

REGISTER ONLINE!

Join your fellow planners, elected officials, and others at the annual GPA Fall Conference in Athens, Georgia. This year’s conference is sure to be an educational and fun event with numerous opportunities to learn from and interact with your colleagues.

Highlights of the conference include an opening plenary session, over 40 breakout sessions in 4 tracts and mobile workshops, opening reception with auction to benefit the GPA Memorial Foundation, awards lunch and the annual GPA Membership Meeting.

Two special tracks will be offered that include the Planning Officials track and the AICP Prep track. The AICP Prep was very successful and offers a limited number of spaces that provide several sessions that review the materials for the AICP exam. In addition, there will be ample opportunity to enjoy local activities and experience the community through mobile workshops and free time.

Several mobile workshops will be offered and include an opportunity to visit Watkinsville and discuss form-based code and development in a struggling economy. The challenges of LEED certified buildings and green buildings will be discussed at a tour of a local hotel embracing green technology. Local food planning is an overlooked aspect of a healthy community. Join us at a tour of a local community farm and explore the wide ranging impacts of how we produce, distribute, and consume food. Or tour new infill housing that successfully integrates affordable, green construction into the existing character of Athens.

More conference info on the GPA Website.

Ever thought to yourself, I think GPA should . I wonder if GPA could.I wish GPA would..?

Take Action. Make your ideas a reality. You can make an impact on Planning across the state of Georgia.

This year Georgia Planning Association has a great number of opportunities in which to express yourself. Throw your name in the hat and help lead GPA by becoming a candidate for office. The organization needs you!

Take the opportunity to learn more about your profession and the organization making great communities happen in Georgia. Let us know if you or someone you know would serve your organization today. Learn more on each board position here!

Board positions available include VP of Programs, VP of Chapter Services, Treasurer, Secretary and all District Directors.

Please email Jessica Gibson, GPA Executive Director and submit a statement of interest (by 5:00 pm, August 11, 2009).

To support the Georgia Planning Foundation Denise Abboud Scholarship Fund, we will be holding our 2nd Annual Auction. We had a great time and lots of folks are enjoying their amazing purchases.

How can you participate?

In two big ways – you can find something interesting or amazing to donate or you can start saving and come prepared to big on some of the fun and fabulous items we will have this year. (Do you know that if you saved just $2.00 a day from now until the conference, you would have $200 to spend.) 

We will be bringing our first group of scholarship winners to the conference this fall! Just think of the impact on the future of planning in Georgia when these folks take all the great information from the conference back home.

If you want to make a donation, email Marsha Anderson Bomar. If you want to donate money, we will do the shopping for you. If you want to donate an item, we will gladly come and pick it up. Be creative – do you own a time share you want to donate? Does your hair salon or favorite restaurant give gift certificates for good causes? Do you have a piece of art or an antique that would be a treasure in someone’s home or office? Planners are so visionary that I am sure you will come up with many, many more great ideas.

Stay tuned for additional details.

Volunteering is a great way to network with other planners and build up connections while helping the GPA. If you would like additional information please email Jessica Gibson, GPA Executive Director.

Center for Real Estate at UNC Charlotte is currently working on a national research project examining professional planners’ attitudes towards metropolitan planning organizations and public-private partnerships. For more information, please visit the GPA Webiste.

August 12 - 14 :: GAZA Summer Conference
August 19 :: Legal Concepts of Planning
August 23 - 25 :: National Scenic Byways Conference
September 2 - 3 :: ArcGIS Desktop I
September 15 - 18 :: APA Florida Annual Conference
September 16 :: Training for Planning Officials
September 22 - 24 :: Roads and Bridges Live
September 23 - 25 :: APA Tennessee Chapter Fall Conference
September 23 - 25 :: GEDA Annual Conference
September 30 - October 2 :: GPA Fall Conference

For more calendar dates, please visit the GPA Website.