04/01/2026

APA Board & AICP Commission Winter Update

by Sara Copeland, FAICP, APA Region IV Director

Greetings, APA Illinois members. I'm Sara Copeland, FAICP, your APA Region IV Director. I serve on the APA Board of Directors for a 4 year term. Region IV representation includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin (click here for a map).

Below you’ll find a summary of work done by the APA Board and AICP Commission at our winter meetings in February.

APA’s Component Collaboration Advisory Committee – I’ve been the chair of this advisory committee for the past year and I’ve been pleased by the progress we’ve made to improve the collaboration between APA and its components and improve the support provided to component leaders. Phase 1 of this project focused on communications, reporting, promoting existing resources, and improving technology. We hope to provide APA leaders an update in Detroit at NPC26.

Next, Component Collaboration will start shifting gears into Phase 2, in which we’ll tackle what we’ve termed “governance” issues – role clarity between national and components, performance expectations and reporting, and collaboration between components (such as between a chapter and a division). These are some meaty topics!

APA Board Winter Meeting Summary 

During the 2026 Winter APA Board of Directors Leadership Retreat that took place in Clearwater, FL from February 18 – 21, the following significant actions were taken: 

• New Board members participated in a half-day orientation designed to familiarize them with Board roles, responsibilities, and current APA priorities. We have 7 new members on the Board, not including our new President-Elect Lauren Driscoll. The new Board members include Aaron Ray, the Chapter President's Council Chair, and Michael Brown, AICP who is filling an At-Large Director vacancy and also is from Region IV, in Chicago!.
• Board members prioritized future development topics based on insights from a 2025 Board self-assessment and culture survey. 
• The Board received reports on the progress of strategic initiatives and critical projects from APA's current Scope of Work. The Scope of Work’s Strategic Initiatives include Prioritize Equity, Upskilling, Voice of Planning, and Digital Relevance, all topics that have been a focus for several years, and our Critical Projects are more topical and include Navigating Uncertainty, Housing Supply Accelerator, Component Collaboration, Strengthen Membership, and Leadership Development.
  • The Component Collaboration project has delivered a first set of resources to component leaders to enhance clarity around existing policies and processes, and a new Leadership Hub centralizing all leader resources will launch this spring. APA’s new data systems launched successfully in December (this is the work that required everyone to re-register their member account), and a period of stabilization is now underway.
• Leaders presented APA’s strategy for Navigating Uncertainty, building on committee recommendations that had been approved by APA's Board of Directors in December. This project reflects a multi-faceted approach to monitor and mitigate risk in a shifting policy landscape, deploy a communications strategy, surge member support, and advance advocacy and education efforts.
  
  As part of this initiative:
  • A policy briefing was provided to inform the Board about emerging legislative and policy issues relevant to APA and planning. 
  • Legal counsel presented the Board with a report on the current state of not-for-profit organizations impacted by actions of the federal Administration. The Board discussed considerations for exercising the fiduciary duty of care while supporting APA members.
    
    A session on this topic will be held at NPC this year - also with another Region IV member, Elizabeth Ginsberg, AICP! 

• The APA Board considered a request from the Divisions Council Executive Committee related to a public statement issued by a Division. While the specific request was denied, the Board expressed its support for continued dialogue with the Divisions Council on this matter. 
• The APA Board and Commission participated in a joint Foresight strategic planning workshop to prioritize disruptive trends from the 2026 Trend Report for Planners that were likely to impact the profession and APA. The two groups also participated in an interactive workshop aimed at cultivating a sense of Community at APA.
• The APA Board and AICP Commission engaged in networking activities, including a reception with  local leaders from the Florida Chapter and Clearwater area, and a walking tour in the city of Dunedin led by local planning leader Whit Blanton, FAICP, Executive Director of Forward Pinellas.

AICP Commission Winter Meeting Summary 

During the 2026 Winter AICP Commission Leadership Retreat that took place in Clearwater, FL from February 20 – 22, the following significant actions were taken: 

• All AICP Commission members participated in an orientation session designed to familiarize them with Commission roles and responsibilities. 
• The AICP Commission received reports on the progress of strategic projects, including a project focused on the value proposition for AICP certification that demonstrates a return on investment for certification among AICP members. The group also received an update from the AICP Federal Policy Impacts Task Force.  
• The AICP Commission approved specific AICP success indicators to inform their strategic work and oversight of the AICP program, including a format for annual reporting of the approved metrics. 
• The AICP Commission received updates on core AICP programs including exam development and preparation, ethics and the fellows selection activities. A total of 108 nominations were reviewed over a 6-month period, of which 51% were approved. As a follow-up to this cycle, there will be a webinar and the opportunity for follow-up conversations with Fellow mentors for nominees not selected. 

Looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks in Detroit! 

Sara

Sara Copeland, FAICP (she/hers)
APA Region IV Representative
Development Management Division Manager
City of Kansas City, Mo.
Phone: (816) 513-8824
sara.copeland@kcmo.org