History of Massachusetts Planners
BAY STATE PLANNING
An Audio Visual History of Massachusetts Planners
A six-member working group from the Massachusetts Chapter has initiated an audio-visual history project that will be presented at the National Conference in Boston in April 2011. Funded in part by a grant from the APA Chapter Presidents Council, BAY STATE PLANNING will be based on a series of interviews with veteran Massachusetts planners whose experiences span several decades and whose work has shaped the evolution of the field.
Though still in development, Bay State Planning is moving forward. The working group is soliciting proposals for videographer services and plans to conduct interviews over the summer. By January of 2011 we will publish DVDs and web-videos. In addition, the full interviews will be available on digital media for long term storage in the chapter’s website. The final product will include a short video, a “how we did this” description of the project, and an archive of the video interviews that can be transcribed over time by chapter volunteers.
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS PROJECT?
Massachusetts planners formed an early professional network that eventually became the APA-MA chapter. In fact, we were one of the first AIP (American Institute of Planners) in the country. In addition, Massachusetts is home to several influential planning and design universities which have been at the cutting edge of planning initiatives that influence the entire country. Moreover, since Boston will host the APA National conference in 2011, this project will be a great “welcome” and introduction to our planning past for planners around the country.
Some of our planning pioneers are gone, but with existing technology and digital capacity, we have an opportunity to capture the memories and perspectives of these important people. By using chapter financial and volunteer resources on a project focusing on “where we came from” we hope to engage new planners and other professionals by the examination of past trends, actions and results (or lack of results) that came from long forgotten plans.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
There are many opportunities for Massachusetts planners to help with this exciting project:
- We need photographs, sounds, videos, old brochures, exemplary plan documents, lecture posters, and other historic memorabilia linked to Massachusetts planners/planning.
- Do you/your institution have a wonderful location for shooting interviews?
- Do you have videographer services that can be donated to the project or provided for a fee? Do you have other suggestions?
- Are you aware of similar projects we could review as examples?
- Do you have other ideas for us?
The working group is chaired by Chris Kluchman, chapter treasurer, and includes three past chapter presidents – Peter Lowitt, Carol Thomas, and Bob Mitchell - along with Robert Stevens, Quincy Department of Planning and Community Development, and Judi Barrett, chapter historian. For further information, contact Chris Kluchman, (781) 210-0982, ckluchman@eatonplanning.com, or Judi Barrett, (781) 285-6192, judith.barrett@cloverset.org.
History of Chapter Presidents
2007-current
Steve Sadwick AICP
Director of Community Development, Town of Tewksbury, MA (current)
2003-2007
Peter Lowitt FAICP
Land Use Administrator, Devens Enterprise Commission (current)
1999-2003
Thomas Broadrick AICP
Planning Director, Town of Duxbury MA (current)
1995-1999
Bob Mitchell FAICP
Planning Director, Amherst MA (then)
Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development (current)
1991-1995
Ralph Willmer FAICP
McGregor & Shea Associates, Boston, MA (then)
Senior Project Manager, VHB/Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (current)
1989-1991
Elizabeth Kidder
Asst. Director, Environmental Institute, UMass-Amherst (then)
Vice-president, a private company, Leyden MA (current)
1985-1989
James A. Clarke, AICP
Planning Director, City of Weymouth MA (current)
1983-1985
Mark Eldridge, AICP
Brookline Planning Department
Planning Director, Burlington VT (retired 2004?)
1981-1983
Kathleen Bartolini
EOCD, State of Massachusetts (then)
Director of Growth Management – Metro West (retired 2007)
1979-1981
Carol J. Thomas, FAICP
President, Thomas Planning Services (current)
1977-1979
Alexander V. Zaleski, AICP
SRPEDD, Taunton, MA (then)
Needham, MA (retired)
1975-1977
Sheldon Gilbert
U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development, Boston (then)
Environmental & Planning Officer, MHFA, Boston (current)
1973-1975
James A. Miller, AICP
Deputy Director, MAPC Boston (then)
President, James Miller, Planning & Development Consulting (current)
1971-1973
Melvin L. Feldman, AICP
Brown University, Providence RI (then)
Providence RI (retired)
1969-1971
Edward T. Kelly AICP
1967-1969
Glenn Kumekawa, FAICP
Planning Director, Warwick RI (then)
Wakefield, RI (retired)
1966-1967
Carol J. Thomas, FAICP
President, Thomas Planning Services (current)
1965-1966
Robert D. Brown, AICP
Executive Director, Capitol Region Planning Commission, Hartford CT (then)
Weston MA (retired)
1964-1965
Joseph L. Savick, Jr.
Planning Director, East Providence RI (then)
(Deceased)
1963-1964
Morton Braun, AICP
Planning Consultant
(Deceased)
1961-1962
Ernest Friday
1962-1963
Horace H. Brown FAICP
Chief of Community Development. CT Development Commission (then)
Manchester CT (retired)
1960-1961
Alan McLennan Sr., AICP
Planning Director, City of Cambridge (then)
(Deceased)
1959-1960
James S. Klar
1958-1959
Lachlan F. Blair, AICP
President, Blair Associates (then)
(Deceased)
1948-1958
No Records Found
1947-1948
Justin Herzog