In this, my first President’s Corner article, I wanted to express my gratitude to the membership for placing me in this leadership position. I look forward to working with the Executive Committee and the membership of the NJAPA to advance the cause our profession and the organization. As we say goodbye to 2007, I thought I would reflect and on the past year’s accomplishments, and look forward to the initiatives we have planned for 2008.

It was certainly a year of conferences. The APA Conference in Philadelphia was very successful, including a number of mobile workshops highlighting New Jersey. While I do not have an official tally, the conference seemed to be teaming with NJ planners sharing experiences and ideas with counterparts from around the nation. The conference also afforded NJ the opportunity to show off Camden and our party-planning skills at the aquarium. Despite the weather, attendance exceeded our expectations and the party proved to be a good time for all.

Speaking of membership participation, this year’s NJAPA conference had a record-breaking 460 attendees. That is up from 350 last year! I have received tremendously positive feedback about the program, particularly our keynote speaker, Newark Director of Community Development, Toni Griffin. The NJAPA conference is a wonderful tradition that the Executive Committee is committed to making bigger and better each year.

The NJAPA also amended its by-laws this year to include two new committees. Given the great need in this state to provide diverse and affordable housing, a Housing Committee was established to advocate law and policy that support this effort. The NJAPA also established a Sustainable Design Committee that already has an active group of volunteers. They are participating in the Statewide Sustainable Communities Working Group, which includes the NJSSI, MLUC, NJLM Mayor’s Committee for a Green Future and DEP. The Sustainable Design Committee is also taking the lead on a pro-bono planning assistance program initiative with the assistance of a grant we received from APA earlier this year.

The coming year will be largely dedicated professional development. The annual conference and a very successful tour and redevelopment seminar in Asbury Park were just the first of many programs the NJAPA will offer to assist our members in meeting their AICP Certification Maintenance (CM) requirements. The Professional Development Committee is working on NJAPA sponsored events, as well as, looking for opportunities to partner with nonprofits, government agencies and other professional organizations that offer educational seminars. Our goal is to provide at least the minimum number of credit hours per year at little or no cost through NJAPA events, and to provide supplemental opportunities through partnerships. Stay tuned for more information on this important effort in future newsletters and e-mail bulletins.

In addition to our APA duties, the NJAPA serves NJ Professional Planners. Over the years, we have received many complaints about the responsiveness of the Board of Professional Planners staff, as well as the overall advocacy of the Board for the advancement of the planning profession. The Attorney General’s Office recently announced is intention to overhaul many of the State’s licensing boards. The NJAPA is taking advantage of this opportunity to enhance our interaction with the Board of Professional Planners.

Finally, the NJAPA plans to up-date our two educational publications - The Redevelopment Handbook and The Complete Guide to Planning in New Jersey. The Redevelopment Committee has been tracking recent court decisions, as well as legislative activities related to redevelopment. To better reflect the reality of redevelopment planning in NJ, the Committee will be leading the initiative to provide an up-date to The Redevelopment Handbook. The NJAPA is also looking to up-date The Complete Guide to Planning in New Jersey, as many legislative and regulatory changes have occurred since the last edition. We are looking for volunteers to assist in this effort - if you are interested, please do let me know.

As you can see, the NJAPA has been very busy, and will continue to be so in the coming year. As I come into this Presidency after a year as President- elect, I am very impressed with the dedication of the Executive Committee and would like to convey my deepest gratitude for their effort and support. I would also like to thank Carlos Rodrigues for his leadership of the organization over the past three years. I plan to keep Carlos’ momentum going, and look forward to working with the Executive Committee and the membership over the next three years to enhance the prominence of this professional organization as a source of information and activism in the state.

The President’s Corner reflects the President’s opinion and not necessarily that of the NJAPA Executive Committee or NJAPA membership. The President can be contacted at pres@njapa.org.