San Diego Section of the American Planning Association Board Candidate Statements and Biographies 2010 Elections of Section Director and Treasurer CANDIDATES FOR SECTION DIRECTOR-ELECT: Dan Wery, AICP, LEED-AP I have been involved with the San Diego Section of APA for three years, serving as Programs Chair and Co-Chair since 2007. In that role, my principal focus has been to offer programs that meet the needs and interests of our members and the larger planning community. Examples of the programs I have organized include: Sustainable Development Practices Smart Growth and Public Health New Tools for Energy and Resource-Efficient Community Development Implementing Smart Growth in the San Diego Region: SANDAG Smart Growth Tool Kit Planning & Economics San Diego Leadership in LEED - Neighborhood Development MOVE San Diego s Fast Transit Program We ve attempted to offer relevant and timely programs, minimize costs to members, expand attendance and participation, and offer AICP CM credits for all our events. It has been my privilege to work with a group of exceptionally talented, professional and committed volunteers on the Board during the last three years. I ve learned a great deal about the practices, operations and administration of our local organization and about APA in general. As Section Director, I will use this knowledge and understanding to maintain and enhance the things that are important to us as an organization: service to our members and community; quality of our workshops, professional development and AICP support; and financial stability. I am committed to the continued success of SDAPA, and look forward to the many exciting challenges and opportunities for us in the coming years. Thank you for your consideration to serve as your Director for 2011 and 2012.
Biography Daniel Wery has over 22 years of public and private sector planning experience with emphasis in general plans, zoning ordinances, subdivision codes, policy planning, public participation, transportation planning, and environmental impact document review and preparation. Prior to joining RBF Consulting, Mr. Wery was Vice President of Planning for a multi-disciplinary firm in New York where he worked with all levels of municipal and private clients and served as principal planner and planning project manager for nine municipalities in the New York metropolitan area. He also provided planning, environmental and entitlement processing and project management for a variety of private sector clients. Mr. Wery continues to provide planning services and project management to both public and private sectors in the San Diego region. B.A. Urban Studies, Columbia University (1987) AICP (1992) LEED-AP (2009) SDAPA Board of Directors (2007-Present) ULI Smart Growth Awards Committee (2006-Present) Innovation in Green Community Planning Award, SDAPA (2009) Thomas G. Acuna, AICP Dear Colleagues, I m honored to be a candidate for Director of SDCAPA. In the past I have served as the Event Chair and enjoyed working with many of you. If elected, a top priority will be to catch-up with your thoughts. With the help of the SDCAPA leadership team, we ll fashion events and programs that closely match your professional desires. More importantly, to make your APA participation enjoyable and rewarding. I have a successful track record of managing programs and bringing teams together. Over the past ten years I ve been supervising SDG&E s land use planning staff and natural resource group. We ve faced community concerns similar to those that you face, understand the importance of teamwork, and know the value networking. In addition, I d like to bring programs that help you influence the decisions made on greenhouse gases, renewable energy development, and self sustaining communities. My career experience has been utility real estate management, natural resource programs, route selection entitlement, and environmental compliance. Some highlights include coauthor of SDG&E Natural Communities Conservation Plan. I also serve as the Renewable Industry Council member to the Bureau of Land Management Desert Advisory Council. My bachelor degree is in business administration.
Biography Tom Acuna is the Land Planning Supervisor for San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E). For the past thirty years he has been involved in utility real estate management, natural resource programs, siting and route selection, and environmental compliance. Some highlights include co-author of SDG&E Natural Communities Conservation Plan, serves as Council member to the Bureau of Land Management Desert Advisory Council, and is an AICP member of the American Planning Association. Mr. Acuna s current position focuses on supporting environmental justification along with obtaining regulatory approvals from the CPUC for new transmission lines and substations. Wendy L. Tinsley Becker, MCP, AICP Wendy L. Tinsley Becker, MCP, AICP, brings a solid professional and academic background in urban planning, with a particular emphasis on issues relating to architectural and urban design, historic preservation, and sustainability. Wendy is the founding Principal of Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC (Urbana). Established in 2005, Urbana is a boutique urban and preservation planning consulting firm with offices in San Diego and Oakland. As Urbana s founder and managing Principal, Wendy directly supervises and completes projects alongside Urbana staff members. She conducts detailed land use analyses for both public and private clients, develops policy recommendations for urban form, preservation, and adaptive reuse of buildings and structures; prepares built environment surveys; and has developed municipal preservation planning programs to incorporate preservation into the comprehensive urban planning process. Wendy authors ordinances, leads educational and participatory programs, and facilitates project coordination between municipal planners, contractors, architects, developers, citizens and other stakeholders. Wendy particularly enjoys the participatory aspects of the planning process and intends to incorporate that perspective into her work with the San Diego APA Chapter. Wendy has been an Instructor within the University of California, San Diego Urban Planning & Development (UPD) post-baccalaureate professional certificate program since Fall 2006. She teaches courses on City Planning, Planning History, Historic Preservation Planning, and Architectural History. She also serves as a UCSD UPD program advisory group member. In 2007 she developed an online preservation-planning course through UCSD Extension to further preservation education opportunities for planners in the San Diego region. Wendy planned and moderated the August 2008 professional development seminar entitled Planning for Preservation: An Overview of Local Municipal Programs. The seminar was well-attended and provided 4-AICP CM credits for San Diego area planning professionals. Wendy is currently working with UCSD Extension to offer additional professional development opportunities including (a) a workshop on sustainability principles and adaptive reuse of older buildings, and (b) a
seminar on national, state, and local tax credit programs available for developers and sponsors of building rehabilitation projects. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with an emphasis on urban history, and a Master of City Planning (MCP) degree from San Diego State University. Her MCP thesis was an historical analysis of the residential subdivision development patterns of San Diego from 1769 through 1955 within the regulatory context of national and statelevel enabling legislation. She is currently preparing a book on the subject. Additionally Wendy has authored invited contributions for the Encyclopedia of the City (Routledge 2005) and authored the United States Research Bibliography for the book The International Faces of Urban Sprawl (University of Waterloo 2006). Wendy maintains memberships in the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), the American Institute of Architects (Allied AIA), the Society of Architectural Historians, the Society for American City & Regional Planning History, the California Preservation Foundation, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She is registered as Historian #612 by the California Council for the Promotion of History. Wendy meets The Secretary of the Interior s Professional Qualification Standards for Historic Preservation Professionals in the disciplines of History and Architectural History, as well as the expanded draft Professional Qualification Standards in the disciplines of Historic Preservation and Land Use/Community Planning. She is currently a Director/Board Member of the San Diego Architectural Foundation, where as Education Program Chair, she is supervising the preparation of a Built Environment Education Manual for use in San Diego area schools. In 2007-2008 Wendy served as a California representative for the APA s national Urban Design & Preservation Division. From 2004-2006 she served as the San Francisco and East Bay Chair for the APA Northern Section s Regional Advisory Council. In 2004-2005 Wendy helped to establish the Jack London District Association (JLDA), a non-profit community advocacy organization for the Jack London District, an emerging neighborhood located along the historic industrial waterfront of Oakland anchored by a ten-block district of intact historically and architecturally significant warehouse properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During her tenure as founding President from 2005-2006, Wendy regularly facilitated monthly JLDA board meetings, community-visioning workshops, and monthly community construction meetings; and advocated for, and corresponded and negotiated with City Staff, Council representatives, and project sponsors on behalf of the residents and business owners in the Jack London District. Today JLDA is an active neighborhood advocacy organization in the San Francisco Bay Area. For the San Diego APA Wendy is interested raising the visibility of the APA and the local chapter. Her goals include: Strengthening the local chapter s profile as an advocacy and educational organization that aims to create and support sound planning, good design, and meaningful methods of member and non-member participation.
Offering professional development opportunities recognized by national APA divisions. Establishing solid relationships and collaborations between the San Diego APA and major allied discipline professional, educational, and advocacy organizations that are represented in the San Diego region such as the American Institute of Architects and the American Society of Landscape Architects. Furthering urban planning and natural and built environment education opportunities through local K-12 schools, and local University planning and design programs at SDSU, UCSD, the NewSchool, and Woodbury. Outside of the office Wendy enjoys spending time with her husband Chris, improving her archery skills (recurve bow), practicing yoga, and hanging out with her two English Mastiffs, Sir Galahad and Lord Henry. CANDIDATES FOR TREASURER: Richard Dial, AICP I am a Senior Transportation Planner with HDR Engineering Inc. here in San Diego. I appreciate the opportunity to serve our local section as your treasurer, and will do my best to ensure that our financial accounts are carefully maintained, with transparency and consistent reporting of income and expenses. I have previously served on the Orange Section in the Professional Development position. I look forward to working with the San Diego Section and its members. Educational Background: Bachelor s Degree: Interdisciplinary Studies (Environmental Science emphasis), California State University Dominguez Hills Masters Degree: Urban and Regional Planning, University of California Irvine Professional Experience: 15 years experience in Transportation Planning and Transportation Demand Management, for a mix of public and private firms including Hughes Aircraft Company, Coronado TMA, Callaway Golf, IBI Group, and HDR Engineering. If you d like any additional information, please let me know. Thank you very much! Richard Dial, AICP Senior Transportation Planner
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