We invite you to our next Section Meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 12th at noon. The meeting will be held at the Upper Macungie Township Building, located at 8330 Schantz Rd, Breinigsville, PA 1803, or hybrid on Microsoft Teams for those who are unable to attend in person.
News Items
2024 APA State Conference
- The registration for the State Conference is now open! Click here to view the program, register for the event, and book a hotel from our hotel block. The discounted Early Bird rate ends on September 13th, so act fast!
- We’ve partnered with the Southeast Section to help coordinate carpooling to the 2024 APA State Conference in Erie for 2024. We are looking for people who are interested in driving and riding within the Southeast and LV-Berks sections. Please visit the following link to sign up or express interest in carpooling or serving as a driver. https://buff.ly/4fZ1TIt
New Website
- We’re happy to announce the launch of our new and improved website! This will be our home page for all things planning for the Lehigh Valley and Berks County. Here you can find information about the section, upcoming events and webinars, and local job opportunities in our section. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know.
Annual Event
- We are starting preparations for our Annual Event to celebrate our accomplishments and to socialize and network. Like last year, we are tentatively thinking of having it at Hops Fogelsville Hotel, potentially on Thursday, December 5th in the evening. If anyone has any other suggestions or sees any major conflicts, please let me know ASAP.
Vacancies on Section Council Committees
- We are looking for volunteers to help serve our section! We have several vacancies on both Section Council and in our Section Committees, and we invite anyone and everyone to consider applying for these positions. More information is below. If you think you might be interested, send me an email at [email protected] or fill out this form.
- Any AICP member who volunteers their time in any official capacity for the Section, as an officer or as a committee member, may be eligible for up to 8 CM credits. It’s a great bonus for helping to advance our field, and it also promotes Principles to Which We Aspire No. 5.
- Section Secretary – An officer role in the Section, focused on assisting with keeping a written record of the Section’s activities. This role helps to maintain an accurate list of the members of the Section; notify members and Section Council members of meetings; prepare and report minutes of Section Annual meetings, Section Council meetings, and of any and all special Section meetings; notify the Chapter President of the results of all Section voting, specifying the percentage of the membership who cast ballots, the number voting for each candidate or “aye” and “nay” votes on each issue; submit to the Chapter President a copy of any amendment proposed to these bylaws; and perform such other duties as required by these bylaws, as assigned by the Section Council, or as are customary to the office.
- Section Council Member, Citizen Planner (2) – A leadership role in the Section, serving as a voting member for all official business for the Section. This role is specifically for planners who serve as a volunteer, either on a local planning commission or as a citizen advocate, who do not earn the majority of their income through planning. Additionally, this role helps to manage the affairs of the Section; put into effect actions voted on by the membership; consider, approve, and adopt an annual Section budget; and perform such other functions as are delegated herein or by the members of the Section, or by the Chapter Board of Directors.
- Education Committee Member – Focused on providing outreach about planning to educational institutions at various levels. This role helps coordinate potential activities, such as: promoting planning as a career to local university students in related fields; promoting the Chapter scholarship program for students interested in planning; promoting mentorship programs to help students learn about the variety and day to day responsibilities in planning jobs; providing information to high school students or attending career fairs to advocate for planning; promoting internships and entry level positions to college students and recent graduates; coordinating with the Chapter Student Engagement Committee on events and initiatives.
- Events and Outreach Committee Member – Focused on developing and recommending educational and social events for planners. This role helps coordinate potential activities, such as: recommending CM events for the Section Council; working out details for events, such as speakers, venues, hospitality, etc.; planning for the annual event/Christmas party; assisting the Conference Planning Committee when hosting the state conference; planning for outreach events to promote planning to the public, such as booths, tables, etc.; providing content for Section social media, website, and newsletters.
- Nominating Committee Member – Focused on promoting and managing the election process of officers for the Section.