Awards & Recognition - Recent Awards
At the 2008 VPA Annual Meeting we announced the following awards.
Outstanding Citizen Planner of the Year
Nancy Malcolm
Among Vermont’s many energetic and devoted volunteers, all deserving of recognition, Nancy Malcolm stands out. A resident of Middlebury, she has been involved in public service on behalf of the town for the last 35 years as a member of both the Middlebury Planning Commission and the Development Review Board. In addition to the normal workload of major Zoning and Subdivision Regulation rewrites and review of major development applications—her accomplishments as a local planner include organizing a Safe Routes to School Program, leading the development of a riverfront park, organizing the development of a playground, and leading an initiative to make key improvements to the local high school after the bond vote was defeated. Her most recent accomplishment has been to spearhead a community leaders summit to coordinate planning efforts for the redevelopment of the downtown riverfront area. Nancy is an inspiration to all of us, the kind of citizen planner that all communities would be lucky to have. Nancy has also received the Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association’s 2008 Outstanding Citizen Planner Award
Outstanding Citizen Board of the Year
Shelburne Natural Resources and Conversation Committee for its Open Space Conservation Plan.
This Plan is unique to Vermont in several ways. First of all is its format that combines an assessment of values, open space inventory, and GIS-database with a series of alternative funding/investment scenarios linked to distinct conservation priorities. But even without such funds, the Plan will be useful to the community. More importantly, the Plan was overseen by the Committee of volunteers, with only some portions completed with assistance of a planning consultant, Sean Murphy. The greatest appeal of the Plan may lie in its simplicity; it is clearly written and concise and makes extensive use of graphics to enhance the understanding of both casual and critical readers. Development of the Plan involved a thorough public participation process which included well-attended visioning sessions, a public opinion survey, and thorough discussion of concerns and issues. The continued dedication of the SNRCC has been invaluable to the community.
Outstanding Plan of the Year
2008 Rutland Regional Plan
The 2008 Rutland Regional Plan was chosen for this award because of its innovative approach and its transferability to other regions, both in-state and out of state. The Plan’s ease of use for residents and decision-makers is an important step forward in the field of regional planning. The Plan reflects changes that have taken place over the last decade, including the way people acquire and use information and the scope of planning to a more comprehensive approach that addresses not only the built and natural environment, but also the people, services and interconnections between all these elements. In addition to its user-friendly design, the Plan uses sidebars to provide interesting facts and asides to readers and includes a series of case studies illuminating examples of good planning in the Rutland region. Another key aspect of the Plan was the active citizen participation in its development; this is truly a “ground-up” document. The 2008 Rutland Regional Plan also received the Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association’s 2008 Outstanding Plan Award.
Runner up for Outstanding Plan of the Year
The West Brattleboro Master Plan
We want to recognize the West Brattleboro Association for spearheading the process for developing this well-crafted plan. The planning process was based on a combination of asset-based community development techniques, which focused on leveraging the community’s internal assets for sustainable community development. Instead of simply listing problems that needed to be fixed, the process focused on the positive aspects of the village and then developed a vision for the future. The process also involved buy-in from the whole community: the inventory of assets was done by school children, residents, business owners and their employees, as well as by community associations. A variety of techniques were employed, including surveys, photo essays, interviews, focus groups, etc.
This dynamic planning process was guided by Crane Associates, Inc. from Burlington. The West Brattleboro Master Plan has brought the community together, focused their energies, and has given them a sense of enthusiasm about the future of the village.
Outstanding Planning Project of the Year
Stowe Village Vibrancy Report
Stowe, a popular tourist destination, has seen much growth and development along the Mountain Road. Town officials and local citizens were concerned about the impact of this growth on the traditional village. Using funds receive from a Department of Housing and Community Affairs Municipal Planning Grant, they hired Crane Associates, Inc. of Burlington to complete an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the village, to determine the market demand of both residents and visitors, and to make recommendations on how to “market” the village. Again, extensive public participation (including a survey, interviews, group discussions and site visits) was instrumental to this project. The consultant applied the basic principals of product marketing to the village—an innovative concept that can be easily transferred to other small communities throughout the state and New England. The results were impressive. In general, the report showed that by catering less to the visitor and more to the locals, it improves the visitors’ experiences, as well as attracting more of a local market and improving the quality of life for Stowe’s residents.
Runner up for Outstanding Planning Project of the Year
Town of Manchester Update of the 1986 Survey of Historic Sites and Structures
The State of Vermont created many town-wide historic surveys in the mid-80’s but has not had the resources to update them. With the rate and nature of change that has occurred in Manchester’s downtown over the past 20 years, the Town thought it was important to revisit the survey. The project was designed to be directly comparable to the original survey. A key aspect of the project is the clarity and quality of information and reproduction. The update offers a visual catalog of current conditions, along with brief, concise detail to explain changes over time.
The project involved a unique approach to public participation by involving high school students in the early stages of research and fieldwork. The project has already proven its effectiveness on many levels as an historical reference, teaching tool, and model for other communities.
Outstanding Professional Planner of the Year
Juli Beth Hinds
Known for sharing her honest opinion on many issues whether solicited or not, perhaps the only thing that Juli Beth is reticent to talk about frankly is herself. It is now time for us to tell her what we think. During her eleven years as a planner in Vermont, first for the Mad River Valley Planning District, then for the City of South Burlington and now for VHB, Juli Beth has distinguished herself as a leader for both lay persons as well as the planning community. Through her innate leadership skills, she has educated people throughout Vermont on planning issues that range from stormwater, new urbanism, and public art work displays, to affordable housing and land conservation opportunities. JB is comfortable with developers and environmentalists alike and delights in getting these diverse groups to mix and find solutions. She freely volunteers her time to support colleagues in their planning pursuits, to serve on national advisory committees, to teach courses, and to help rewrite enabling state statute. A figure skater, a classically trained singer, and a Jeopardy! Contestant, the only thing that JB does not do is sleep. Giving testimony to the contributions Juli Beth has made to her community and to Vermont are the many letters written from around the state in support of her receiving this award.
Runner up for Outstanding Professional Planner of the Year
Faith Ingulsrud
Faith has been a constant source of good ideas and dedication to community planning in Vermont for 20 years. Faith advocated for compact, pedestrian-friendly towns and villages before terms like “sustainable development” or “growth center” became part of the planning lexicon. While a planner for Hinesburg, the town was one of two recipients of a pilot grant for growth centers in the mid-90’s. The town remains 15 years later as one of the best examples of village center planning that we have in Vermont. At DHCA she has been devoted to coordinating the Vermont Land Use Education and Training Collaborative. More than anyone, Faith has transformed the education and training landscape for local officials in the last five years. Her unique experience of working at both the local and state levels has enabled her to see the larger view of how planning and permitting could be better coordinated. Faith maintains a steady optimism for her work, fed by a uniquely international frame of reference that sparks innovative thinking. She blends concern for natural systems with her knowledge of manmade infrastructure systems and her understanding of evolving changes to our human culture.
Faith is a sterling example of the best that the planning profession can bring to building healthy communities across Vermont. She does more, with fewer resources, to advance good community planning principles than anyone around, and she does it with enormous humor, wit and intelligence.
Runner up for Outstanding Professional Planner of the Year
Deb Sachs
This certificate is in honor of her incredible energy, dedication, expertise and leadership that she has demonstrated over the years. Deb has worked at all levels of planning from local to regional to non-profit—and has had a state-wide and beyond influence. As Director of the Alliance for Climate Action, she has been on the forefront of dealing with climate change, at both the local and state levels. She has been an active participant and leader in VPA over the years, representing VPA on several state-wide committees, such as the Governor’s Commission on Climate Change and the Outdoor Lighting Committee. She is also active on a number of VPA sub-committees. Public outreach and education is fundamental to her accomplishments, employing many tools and techniques, such as community forums, charettes, broad media marketing, working with youth, etc. She was a key player in the development of the VPA website. Deb is a known problem solver and creative thinker, and what most people may find daunting, she sees as a challenge that can be met. She manages to pull off educational events with a flair and effectiveness unlike anyone else. She almost single-handedly developed and accomplished the VPA 2008 spring workshop, which was a huge success. Deb has been an invaluable member of the EC and we are going to miss her ideas. The good news is that she is still on several VPA sub-committees, so we will still benefit from her energy and creativeness.