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Stay up to date with the latest events and news from the Puget Sound Section through our periodic email newsletter! SUBSCRIBE TODAY to our email newsletter distribution list!

Program and Events News

Overview

• August. State Conference Scholarship Application opening (final date will be announced). PSS is offering a scholarship program to support attendance at the Conference, October 7-9, 2026, in Vancouver, Washington. The program aims to support the pipeline of emerging planners, including students and early career professionals. More information below.
• Until September 24, 2026, APA election ballots are open. More information below.
• Tuesday. August 19, 4:30-8:00 PM. Join with planners from across the Puget Sound region at Big Time Brewery and Ale House in Seattle's University District. Please register on Eventbrite ahead of time. You can also register at the event.
• Tuesday, September 15, Noon. Webinar. Ethics and Planning. Steve Butler FAICP and Karen Wolf FAICP. See more information below. Register Ethics and Planning webinar with this link.
• Tuesday, September 29, Noon. Webinar. Law and Planning. Tim Trohimovich, Futurewise. Register at Law and Planning webinar. More information below.
• Friday, December 4, 2026, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM. APA WA Puget Sound Section Holiday Party (Pub 70, Pier 70).

NETWORKING EVENT TUESDAY, AUGUST 19

APA WA Puget Sound Networking Event on August 19! Join with planners from across the Puget Sound region, at Big Time Brewery and Ale House in Seattle's University District. Two drinks for $7! Great company, and if you're interested, Big Time's Trivia Night starts at 7 pm. Day/Date/Time: Wednesday, August 19, 4:30-8:00 pm. Location: Big Time Brewery and Ale House, 4133 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105

Register: Please register on Eventbrite ahead of time. You can also register at the event. Questions? Contact [email protected]

APA ELECTION, UNTIL SEPTEMBER 4

Cast your vote to shape the future of APA leadership! Ballots will be emailed to members on August 5, and voting will be open until September 4. For Puget Sound Section Members, you'll be voting for candidates running for Section President, Treasurer, and Secretary positions. You'll also be voting on the State Chapter President position. Their bios are on the ballot sent to you by APA. Full details about the APA 2026 election, including the timeline, can be found at planning.org/elections. 

STATE CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS - APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

State Conference Scholarship Applications Are Now Soon! The Puget Sound Section (PSS) of APA Washington is excited to continue a pilot scholarship program to support attendance at the 2026 Conference, October 7-9, in Vancouver, Washington. The program aims to support the pipeline of emerging planners, including students and early career professionals.

FOR STUDENTS, the scholarship is $225, three to UW-Seattle, and three to UW-Tacoma programs. For registration prior to 9'/30, this will cover the entire fee. Student registration requires APA membership, which is free for students.

STUDENT ELIGIBILITY: students must be enrolled in the following programs in the PSS area (Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties).

• UW Seattle - MUP or BA in CEP.
• UW Tacoma - BA in Urban Studies or Sustainable Development, BS in Urban Design, or MA in Community Planning.

FOR EMERGING PLANNERS, the scholarship is $275, six to eligible emerging planners. This covers above 50% of the registration fee for APA members, prior to 9/21.

EMERGING PLANNER ELIGIBILITY: Applicants are eligible if they are:

Within the first five years of their planning career and/or earned a planning degree within the five years preceding the conference (on or after October 2021). Applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• are employed by an organization that does not provide financial support for continuing education or professional development;
• are experiencing financial hardship, such as  job loss or unemployment; or
• are serving in a volunteer capacity for a community or organization that does not provide financial support for continuing education or professional development.

How to Apply

• Scholarships will be awarded on a first come first serve basis for complete applications. Please go to the Puget Sound Section web page to apply.
• Please go to this form to apply  [here: https://forms.gle/BPd2NcZN1pi7YQSYA]
• Scholarship recipients will be informed by the email address you provide on the form. PSS will provide scholarship recipients with a code to use on their conference registration form.
• The scholarship application is NOT a conference registration, which is a separate process. For state conference registration, see here.

For questions, contact [email protected]

Upcoming Events

Ethics Webinar

Tuesday, September 15, Noon

Join Puget Sound Section with Steve Butler and Karen Wolf  for an Ethics and Planning Webinar on Tuesday, Noon, September 15.

"AICP Ethics Cases of the Year"  - Register Ethics and Planning webinar with this link.

Speakers:

• Steve Butler, FAICP, Director, Municipal Research and Services Center (MSRC)
• Karen Wolf, FAICP, Immediate Past-President, American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), Affiliate Instructor, University of Washington.

AICP Credit: 1.0, Ethics (pending confirmation)

Speaker Bios:

Steve Butler is the Planning & Policy Director at Municipal Research and Services Center (MSRC), which he joined in February 2015. He has been involved in most aspects of community planning for over 40 years, both in the public and private sectors. He has served as president of statewide planning associations in both Washington and Maine and was elected to the American Institute of Certified Planners College of Fellows in 2008. He was a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners' (AICP) Ethics Committee from 2011-2020 and also served on the AICP Code Update Task Force. He is currently on the APA-WA's Board of Directors, and a member/chair of the UW School of Urban Design and Planning's Professionals Council. Butler received a B.A. from St. Lawrence University (Canton, New York) and a M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Karen Wolf  is the Immediate Past-President of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Commission and currently serves as a member of the AICP Ethics Committee.  She retired from King County, Washington where she served as a trusted advisor to elected leaders for more than 30 years. She has demonstrated her commitment to planning through mentoring, volunteering, and teaching new planners and graduate students. Within APA, she has served in several leadership roles, including as chair of the AICP Ethics and Exam Committees and as a member of the CM Equity Credit Task Force. She was elected to the AICP College of Fellows in 2016.  Additionally, Wolf is an affiliate instructor at the University of Washington and serves on the UW Professional Council for Urban Design and Planning. Wolf has a master's degree in urban planning and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Washington.

Law Webinar

Tuesday, September 29, Noon

"Update: Washington State Legislature and Planning, 2025 and 2026 Sessions" - Register at Law and Planning webinar.

Speaker: Tim Trohimovich, Director of Planning & Law, Futurewise

AICP Credit: 1.0, Law (pending confirmation)

Speaker Bio: Tim Trohimovich, currently the Director of Planning & Law, joined Futurewise in 2001. He focuses on policy, education, technical assistance, and land use and environmental law. He has over 30 years of planning experience. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), the Washington and Oregon Bar Associations, and the Bar Association of the United States Supreme Court. He co-wrote a chapter for Planning the Pacific Northwest published in 2015 by the American Planning Association. As part of his job, Tim reviews bills and prepares bill analysis, provides comments to legislators and interest groups, drafts amendments, makes recommendations on bills to support or bills Futurewise should request be vetoed. He also periodically testifies before the legislature. He also litigates the meaning of legislation before the Growth Management Hearings Board and the state appellate courts.

• Friday, December 4, 2026 | 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM | APA WA Puget Sound Section Holiday Party (Pub 70, Pier 70, Seattle Waterfront, 2801 Alaskan Way) More info to follow.

Revent Events

• Thursday, May 7, 2026 | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM | APA WA Puget Sound Section Professional Development Event (Seattle Public Library- Central Library, Level 4 Room 1) Registration is Free - Register: APA WA Puget Sound Section Professional Development Event

• Tuesday, May 19, 2026 | Noon | Emerging Trends in Inclusive Public Participation. Webinar.

Webinars and Recordings

The Puget Sound Section organizes and hosts periodic webinars covering a variety of topics. This is an opportunity to hear about planning efforts going on around the region and earn CM Credits while you're at it! You can access our recent webinar recordings and materials AT THIS LINK. Recent webinar topics included:

• Brownfields Funding Support
• Middle Housing Implementation
• Ethics Cases of the Year
• Recent Planning Law Decisions in Washington
• Additional Priorities in Formation

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