ILAPA News BURST! President's Greeting

Past President's Greeting - Mark Koplin, AICP

	In early November, I attended the APA Fall Leadership Meetings in Ft. Worth, Texas, along with Karen Stonehouse, the incoming Illinois Chapter President. While a lot of APA business was discussed, there were four notable topics/issues that rose to the top in level of importance. First, APA's effort to grow membership is achieving results. The national organization's membership now exceeds 41,000 members, which outpaces the target of achieving 40,000 members by the 2007 National Conference in Philadelphia next spring. Much of the membership growth has been achieved through a sizeable increase in the New Professional category. This appears to be a direct result of getting more students involved in APA early in their career and by offering one year of free membership for students. Second, APA continues to strive to increase diversity in its membership and leadership. Diversity summits have been held at the National Conference to debate this topic and create ideas for increasing diversity. A new Indigenous Planners division has been created and a Latino's division in the formative stages. Third, the APA communication plan continues to evolve. APA's staff presented communications training at our recent Four State Conference in October. The focus on training planners to celebrate success stories, to support the cause of good planning, and to make planners the "good guys" particularly in the face of ballot initiatives across the country. Finally, the AICP Commission will be considering a new required continuing education process that will be known as "certification maintenance". All certified planners will need to maintain their certification through ongoing efforts to remain current in the profession. The proposal discussed in Ft. Worth will be further refined, but was presented as a 24-hour per year requirement to be achieved over two years, with not more than 50% of credits carrying over from year to year. At least 50% of the credits must be obtained via an APA provider, whether at a National APA Conference, a Regional APA Conference, or a Chapter or Section Conference or Sessions. There will likely be a requirement for an ethics course and also for a planning law course. AICP members should have received correspondence in early December and comments are due *Tuesday, January 9*. Full details can be read on the APA Website at: http://www.planning.org/certification/maintenance.htm. This requirement is intended to increase the stature of the profession and to substantiate the credibility of professional planners. It is a bold step for the planning profession and a step that was taken after many years of discussion. If you would like to make comments on the proposal, please e-mail the AICP Commission at: AICP-CM@planning.org. The comments will be read at the next AICP Commission meeting at the end of January. Another opportunity to comment on the proposal will be given in February. In addition to the above, other topics were also discussed, including how chapters can improve fundraising efforts to improve services to chapter members in developing leadership and participation at the chapter level. There was also a presentation on the efforts to date regarding "branding" for APA as an organization. The familiar block APA and AICP logos will be the basis for the "branding" effort to bring all related entities under the umbrella of the National organization. The logos, websites, and newsletters of chapters and divisions will need to be in conformity with the parent organization in order to strengthen the overall identity of the planning profession and to reinforce the APA brand at every level. As I transition from President to past President, I know I leave the chapter in good hands with the new leadership team in place. I wish you all much success and happiness in the new year.
	Mark Koplin, AICP Assistant Village Manager Development Services 1900 Hassell Rd. Hoffman Estates, IL 60195 Phone: 847.781.2646 Fax: 847.781.2628 pastpres@ilapa.org