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Dear Maryland Planning Colleague:
Your Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA) is holding its 36th annual conference this fall. The MPCA conference committee invites you to join us in Aberdeen on Wednesday and Thursday, November 6-7. The theme for this year is Meeting the Trends, Embracing the Future, and the agenda will be filled with sessions on timely topics that Maryland's citizen planning boards currently and will continue to face. The MPCA decided on this theme following two regional workshops this year (Hagerstown, Annapolis), at which participants expressed interest in learning more about strategies to address emerging trends in the areas of housing, redevelopment, and public engagement. The MPCA believes these are exciting areas for growth and enhanced education.
The MPCA is your statewide educational organization for citizen planners, made up of municipal, county and regional planning commissioners and boards of zoning appeals members. The MPCA Board and its members strive to improve the quality of life for all Marylanders through planning, environmental protection, historic preservation, and growth management. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Baltimore, the MPCA is dedicated to the continuing education and professionalism of Maryland’s citizen planners. All members of a planning commission/board and/or board of appeals in Maryland counties and municipalities (incorporated cities, towns and villages) that exercise planning authority are automatically members of the MPCA.
The MPCA is still finalizing the 2019 conference agenda, however session topics will include:
- Open Meetings Act Training
- State Mandated Planning Commissioner Education Course
- Planning Commissioner Ethics and Ex Parte Communication
- Nuts and Bolts of Being a Planning Commissioner
- Housing Trends
- Working with the Public
City of Aberdeen staff and other experts will also update attendees on local planning efforts and topics, including a tour on Wednesday, details to be determined.
The MPCA is partnering with the APA MD chapter to develop a few sessions that will be eligible to earn AICP CM Credits.
Please visit the conference website to learn more and to register.
planning.maryland.gov/Pages/YourPart/MPCA/mpcaconf.aspx
The conference will include ample opportunities for networking and the sharing of best practices and lessons learned.
The MPCA is also seeking conference sponsors. All sponsors will have direct access to conference offerings and to networking opportunities. The modest requested amounts will go a very long way in helping the small, volunteer based organization continue to expand its educational and assistance offerings to Maryland’s citizen planners year round. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities in the link above.
We hope to see you and your fellow board or commission members in Aberdeen this November!
If you have any questions, please contact Joe Griffiths at 410-767-4553 or at joseph.griffiths@maryland.gov.
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