After the Tacoma Conference
It went by in a flash, but the 2025 APA WA conference is now behind us. From the feedback I heard, most attendees thought it was a great conference and there were some real highlights! So we can know more about what chapter members want to see in a conference – what is working/not working – please be sure to respond to the conference survey so we can refine our next conference offerings!
Highlights of the 2025 Tacoma Conference:
- 604 attendees! Whoohoo!
- 44 sessions, plus 2 mobile workshops
- Welcoming greetings from Puyallup Tribal Council Chairman Bill Sterud; Tacoma Deputy Mayor Kiara Daniels; and Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello
- Two inspiring and thought-provoking keynote presentations by Jonathan Pachecho Bell and Annis Sengupta, PhD
- Multiple fun social opportunities: the Pub Crawl, the Fun Run, and the Conference Reception which included the Student Scholarship Auction
- 7 informative and clever Plan Slam! sessions
- AICP Certification Maintenance credit offered – these should be available to be logged within the week. We will let you know when they are posted.
What made this conference a success?
- Certainly, the presenters and speakers who brought their “A games” in well-prepared, thoughtful presentations, as well as the attendees who had excellent probing questions.
- The Sponsors, Exhibitors, and In-kind donors who supported the conference and provided valuable information about approaches to planning work: AHBL; BERK; BHC; Cascadia Consulting Group; City of Tacoma; DOWL; FACET; Fehr and Peers; Framework; ICC innovation, General Code; Maul Foster and Alongi; Michael Baker International; Mithun; Montrose Environmental Group; Port of Tacoma; Puget Sound Energy; RRM Design Group; SCJ Alliance; Transpo Group; Walker Macy; Washington State Department of Commerce; West Seattle Bike Dad; Western Graphics, Tacoma; Western Washington University; and WSP USA.
- And the many, MANY volunteers and staff who made this event happen! (These folks will be called out in the next newsletter.)
Start planning to attend the 2026 Conference in Vancouver, October 7 – 9. Want to be involved in planning that conference? Let us know by completing this form and selecting Conference Committee.
By: Nancy Eklund, AICP | Long Range Planning Manager | City of Tukwila
Student Scholarship Fundraising Efforts Were a Big Success at 2025 Fall Conference
At the Chapter’s annual conference in Tacoma, the Scholarship Committee held a silent auction and also asked members to donate directly to the Chapter’s scholarship fund. Due to those efforts, the Chapter raised about $6,000 from the silent auction and another $1,000 from direct donations from our members.
The Scholarship Committee’s small yet mighty Auction Subcommittee worked hard to organize Thursday’s scholarship fundraising event. The Auction Subcommittee members are:
- Kristen Holdsworth, Scholarship Committee Co-Chair
- Bridget Ray
- Nancy Eklund
- Ray Gastil
- Steve Butler, Scholarship Committee Co-Chair
I want to give my deepest thanks to those committed and hardworking committee members, without whom the silent auction would not have happened. I also want to express my gratitude to everyone who donated items for the silent auction!
The fall scholarship fundraising target was to raise $9,000, so there is still the opportunity for members to donate by using the APA WA Scholarship Fund link on the Chapter’s webpage. Thank you for everyone’s generosity to a great cause – student scholarships!
You can also purchase APA WA merchandise here until October 31, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the scholarship fund.
By Steve Butler, FAICP, Scholarship Committee Co-Chair
APA WA President’s Awards Announced | By Chad Eiken, AICP, President
At this year’s conference in Tacoma, I was pleased to be able to present President’s awards to an outstanding group of five planners and planning advocates, as follows:
- Rep. Davina Duerr (D, 1st District) received APA WA’s Legislator of the Year Award. This award recognizes legislators who have advocated for good planning in the State of Washington which will result in “Creating Great Communities for All.”
- Former Mayor Becky Erickson, City of Poulsbo received APA WA’s Planning Achievement Award. The Planning Achievement Award recognizes appointed or elected officials who have contributed to the awareness of planning issues and made a significant difference in the practice of planning at a local, state or federal level.
- Mark Newman, AICP, CDD Director for the City of Sultan, received the Myer Wolfe Award. The Myer Wolfe Award recognizes professional achievement and advancement of the planning profession and is named for Myer Richard Wolfe who was an American urban designer and founding member of the Department of Urban Planning at the University of Washington (in 1961), among many other professional accomplishments.
- Ian Lefcourte, AICP, Principal Planner for the City of Redmond, received the Barbara Grace Award. The Barbara Grace Award recognizes a mid-level planner who has distinguished her or himself with dedication to public service and professional accomplishment. These are the front-line, unsung planners in our agencies and firms who help “Create Great Communities for All” and represent the future leadership of our profession. The award is in memory of Barbara Grace who was a planner with the City of Bothell and an advocate for historic preservation.
- Charles “Chip” Vincent, retired CED Director for the City of Renton, received the Eric Shields Award. The Eric Shields Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the planning profession, community, and organization by virtue of their leadership. The award is in memory of Eric Shields, AICP, longtime Planning Director for the City of Kirkland who modeled servant leadership throughout his career.
A heartfelt congratulations go to each of these individuals for their leadership, dedication, and support of planners and the planning profession – you are planning heroes!
Photos From APA WA 2025
APA WA 2025 Board
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