2020 Elections: OAPA Board Recruitment
February 28, 2020
To be honest, that was the first question I had when I was asked to run for the Board. I remember exhaling and thinking about 1) how much time I absolutely do not have to do this, and 2) surely someone with more passion/determination/etc. would be interested? After much convincing, I threw my hat into the ring with little expectation of winning and by some slim opportunity I was elected as a Member-at-Large for my first two-year term; and now two years later as Vice President for my second term.
Since being on the Board, I have learned my questions were quite universal. No one thinks they have the time, passion, or determination…. That is, until they realize how important it is.
OAPA is our professional organization. It needs to reflect who we are AND who we need to be. For many years the Board’s focus has been on professional development for new and emerging planners especially those preparing for their AICP examinations, reviewing and providing comment on state legislative actions that affect the profession, providing input on the APA Policy Guides, and coordinating the annual State Conference and our presence at the National Planning Conference. That’s who we are, and these services are what we will continue to strive to improve and make available. We now find ourselves at an opportune time to focus on who we need to be – as a Board and as a profession. It is critical that planning continues to foster equity, diversity and inclusion within the profession in order to ensure a more inclusive representation of voices in the planning discourse. Recently, the Board created the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Group (DEIG) which is comprised of OAPA members and Committees and staff representatives to ensure that this important topic infuses the entire organization.
We need those who reflect who we are and who we need to be as an organization and as a profession. This is why OAPA needs you on the Board, and this is me asking every Planner, especially the underrepresented, reading this to consider running because no one has more time, passion, and determination than you. Board nominations will be open soon for the 2020 elections to be held later this summer. Please self-nominate or recruit someone you think reflects who OAPA should be.
Thank you and please feel free to contact me at JDTovey@ctuir.org if you have any questions.
J.D. Tovey, AICP
OAPA Vice-President – Election Committee ChairCTUIR Planning Director