Planner Spotlight − Tyler Lawrence, Grant County

Current Position: Senior Planner 

Total years in planning: 11 years

Hobbies: Hunting, Fishing, Woodworking

Hometown: I was born and raised in Western Washington, but I call Ephrata, Washington home now.

Favorite Places: The redwood forests in northern California are perhaps one of my favorite places.

Why did you choose a career in planning? I like and appreciate order and efficiency. I wanted to be a part of ensuring my community grows in an orderly and efficient manner.

Why did you decide to be a planner in Washington? I love my home state, I have traveled around but have never found a place I’d rather call home.

What projects/initiatives are you currently working on? I am currently reviewing and processing the site-specific Comprehensive Plan amendment applications received for Grant County’s 2019 amendment cycle.

What was your first planning-related job? My first job after college was at Grant County as an Assistant Planner.

What advice would you give a new planner? Always ask questions! The more information you can get from a potential applicant, the easier it will be to assist them and in turn, answer their questions.

What do you wish you had known when you started your career? I wish I would have known more about what planning in a rural environment is like. Most formal land use planning education is focused on the urban aspect of planning and I think unfortunately leaves a lot out. Planning is just as much about preserving prime agricultural lands as it is about revitalizing a failed urban center.

If you were not a planner what profession would you likely be in? I think I would probably be working in the construction industry. I worked my way through college with various construction jobs.

Do you have any favorite online sources related to planning that you’d like to share, and/or planners (historical or present) that have inspired your work? The geography department at Central Washington University is really what inspired me to be a planner and is responsible for me ultimately choosing to major in geography and join the planning profession.

Return to the March/April issue of the Washington Planner