Only Planners in the Building - The Official APA Illinois Chapter Podcast

The new season of the APA-IL Chapter’s Podcast “Only Planners in the Building” has begun! With the new year, many of us welcome new members to our commissions and boards. So we’re kicking things off with Part Two of our spin-off theme “Only Plan Commissioners in the Building.” Join host Andy Cross, AICP as he sits down with RC McBride, the Chairman of the Plan Commission in the Town of Normal, Illinois. Commissioner McBride talks about the value of leadership and communication on the commission, tips on preparing for meetings, and how planning staff can help equip citizen planners to do their best serving on local commissions. Lots of great takeaways for professional urban planners and members of your community's commissions or boards!

Show notes:

• Plan Commissioner Orientation information "parking lot" on the APA-IL Forum.
• More information regarding APA-IL's Plan Commissioner Training
• Be sure to share the episode with your board or commission! We all have the same questions and are looking for answers and best practices. Let's work together to make a better Illinois!

Only Planners in the Building does what planners do best and makes friends with ELGL's Gov Love podcast to bring you this LIVE special.

Join Andy Cross, AICP, and GovLove Host Dan Bolin, as they sit down with Abigail Rose and Marisa Schulz from All Together studio to discuss their award-winning plan, Adventures in Stockton!

To learn more about the APA-IL Awards program and read more about the Adventures in Stockton, please visit ilapa.org/awards

Our host Andy Cross, AICP sits down with Michael Blue, FAICP, Mercy Davison, AICP, Gabby Mattingly, AICP, and Phil Green, AICP to talk, well, AICP! With the Fall 2023 window coming up for the exam, this episode will give you an overview of the exam process, some expert tips on what to expect when you're expecting to certify, and insight into how the exam has changed over generations.

Looking for some support on what to do next? Join the APA-IL Forum!

1. Visit ilapa.proboards.com

2. Create a ProBoards account.

3. Requests to join the forum will typically be processed within 24-28 hours.

You can also contact Andy directly in his capacity as the APA-IL Professional Development Officer at [email protected].

Happy listening!

We took things in a different direction for this episode.  Instead of meeting with an Illinois planner, our stalwart host, Andy Cross, AICP, sat down with Susan Rose, Chair of the Elmhurst Plan Commission to talk about why she volunteer her time and service to her community, what she's learned over the years, and what we, as planners, can do to help commissioners do their jobs better.Dr. Susan Rose is the Chairperson of the Zoning & Planning Commission in the City of Elmhurst, Illinois.  She has a background in education as a Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and shares wonderful thoughts and insights that will be helpful for planners, as well as board members and commissioners, all around the state.  Interested in Plan Commission training for your community? Check out https://www.ilapa.org/planning-officials or email the APA-IL's Planning Officials Development Officer, Tom Farace, AICP at [email protected]

Cristen Hardin, Project Manager with PGAV Planners sits down with Andy Cross, AICP to discuss her journey into planning via accounting.

Kim Porter, AICP, Community Planner with the FAA, chats with Andy Cross, AICP about her storied and varied planning career, her brief flirtation with the FBI, the value of the AICP accreditation, and all of the people that have influenced her journey.

Show notes:

Your host Andy Cross, AICP chats all things planning and sushi with Jon Oliphant, Planning & Development Director for Washington, Illinois.

Your intrepid host Andy Cross, AICP sits down with Courtney Kashima, AICP of Muse Community + Design, and Sara Egan, Awards Chair and Planner & Landscape Architect with Design Workshop. Also, we enter the Deep Freeze with APA-IL Executive Director Paula Freeze. 

APA Illinois' own Professional Development Officer joins our host, Andy Cross, AICP for a chat. Also, we recap the 2022 State Conference, and Executive Director Paula Freeze joins us for some seasonal updates! Bone apple tea!