Candidate Statement: Chelsea Schnabel AICP, CFM

I’d love to help bridge the gap between Oregon and Oregon’s South Coast. I am uniquely suited for this role because I have eight years of experience, collectively, working for the cities of Coos Bay and North Bend, and I understand the challenges and opportunities that exist with respect to planning on the South Coast. I am, also, looking to continue to learn and grow in the planning field through participation on OAPA’s Board of Directors, and believe I can take what I learn in this role and bring it back to my local community. I am interested in advocating at the State level for our smaller local government planners’ needs as well as educating local communities from the ground up about how planning impacts their everyday lives.

My career in planning is the evolution of a diverse set of professional experiences – it doesn’t fit the box and that’s okay! Early on in my career, I participated in OAPA’s Mentorship Program. I found this to be a great resource when new to Oregon’s Land Use Planning System. One of the biggest challenges in the planning field right now is learning how to responsibly and effectively undo past planning practices that haven’t served us well in an environment that’s already built out.