The Southwest Section represents members from the following counties:
Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland
The purpose of the Southwest Section shall be:
(1) to provide Section members with programs and services which can be delivered more effectively than at the Chapter level;
(2) to announce and hold programs of interest to Section members;
(3) to disseminate news of Section interest;
(4) to take positions on issues of relevance only to the Section;
(5) to generally advance the art and science of planning through the exchange of information and experience and encourage and guide the members in pursuit of their goals in planning.
Council Meetings/Section Events/News
Southwest Section Mentor-Telemachus Program
The Mentor-Telemachus Program will provide opportunities for students and SW Section members to close the distance between school and the profession through face-to-face and E-mentoring relationships. Section members can enrich the quality of the student experience by interacting, exchanging ideas, and sharing their experiences and knowledge with future planners. To learn more, read the program description here.
For Mentors: Mentors will need to fill out this form.
For Telemachus (students/mentees): Fill out this form.
For Universities/Student Organizations/Intern Coordinators: Download this form for a flyer that can be posted in student common areas and around campus.
Special thanks to: Dr. Whit Watts, professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP); Jeff Raykes, chief planner at Indiana County Office of Planning & Development (ICOPD) and member of the Chapter Education Committee, Bill Deguffroy, planner at ICOPD, and Amber Dawn Snavley, masters student at IUP, for developing the program; Kristin Baum, SPC for creating the interactive PDF forms; and Matt Gemberling, student at IUP and student planner at ICOPD, for being the first program administrator and his work on graphic design for advertisements.
Meetings 101: Planning Effective Meetings
Click here for more information. (PDF)
Effective meetings can animate a project; ineffective ones can scuttle it. Within any human enterprise, the ability to plan, design, and execute effective meetings is a robust, if narrowly held, skill.
The Meetings 101: Planning Effective Meetings workshop will provide an overview and demonstration of the knowledge, skills, and practices needed to design, direct, and facilitate effective meetings in any setting. The workshop's goal is to provide participants with the confidence and ability to plan and run meetings that guide people toward the realization of their projects, programs, and plans.
Workshop presentations and demonstrations will introduce important considerations for meeting planning, such as setting and structure, agenda preparation and outreach, and correspondence and meeting communications. Participants will return to their work or classroom with a greater understanding of meeting dynamics and the skills necessary to plan and facilitate productive meetings.
Meetings 101: Planning Effective Meetings workshop will be held on, Tuesday, April 12, 2011, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Hadley Union Building on the Campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. It is FREE of charge and open to both the IUP community and the general public.
For more information and registration (pre-registration is required) please go to http://www.iup.edu/geography.
The Workshop is being sponsored by Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association, Southwest Section; IUP Student Chapter of the American Planning Association.; IUP Center for Civic Engagement and Student Leadership; IUP Department of Geography and Regional Planning; Indiana County Office of Planning and Development
ActiveAllegheny - Allegheny County
ActiveAllegheny is the County's first comprehensive active transportation plan with sustainable travel choices for destinations. The plan is a blueprint for improved access and choices to connect people to communities, work sites, transit, schools, attractions and residences. The plan integrates non-vehicular modes of transportation, specifically walking and biking, into our transportation system to increase "livability". Benefits and rewards of active transportation range from: cost savings; low-cost exercise opportunities with healthier lifestyles; a more vibrant, safe community with neighbors-out-on-the-street and potential for revitalized local business districts; reductions in congestion, air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions and increases in neighborhood desirability and value.
Click here for more information. (PDF)
Find us on LinkedIn
The Section’s LinkedIn Group is up to 85 members strong! You can find us by searching for ‘APA-PA Southwest Section’ from the LinkedIn homepage. You can request to join the group and then join in discussions, share job postings, advertise planning events and calls for volunteers, and stay connected with and expand your professional network.
View the Newsletter archives
| Section Council |
Section Chair
Dr. Jim Segedy, FAICP
jimboseg@yahoo.com
Secretary
Amy L. Wiles, AICP
Lead Senior Planner
Mackin Engineering Company
RIDC Park West
117 Industry Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275
awiles@mackinengineering.com
412.788.0472
Treasurer
Andrew H. Hartwell, Planner II
County of Allegheny
Department of Economic Development
Planning Division
425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 800
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1876
Andrew.Hartwell@AlleghenyCounty.US
412.350.1360 |
Professional Planners
Scott Brilhart, AICP
Upper St. Clair Twp
1820 McLaughlin Run Rd
Upper St. Clair, PA 15241
Brilhart@twpusc.org
412.831.9000
Gus G. Drizos, ASLA, AICP
Senior Associate
KCI Technologies, Inc.
3424 William Penn Highway,
Suite 230
Pittsburgh, PA 15235
412.824.7046 ext. 201
gus.drizos@kci.com
Joseph C. Romano, AICP
Skelly and Loy, Inc.
3280 William Pitt Way
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
412.828.1412
jromano@skellyloy.com
Rachael Swaysland, AICP
Planner
Michael Baker Corporation
100 Airside Drive
Moon Township, PA 15108
412.269.6267
rswaysland@mbakercorp.com
Citizen Planners
Kevin G. Smay
Executive Director of Strategic Planning
Community College of Allegheny County
800 Allegheny Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
412.237.3094
ksmay@ccac.edu
Joy M. Ruff, AICP
Community Outreach Manager
Marcellus Shale Coalition
4000 Town Center Boulevard, Suite 310
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania 15317
724.745.0100
jruff@marcelluscoalition.org |
Click here to view the Section Bylaws
