The Health, Transportation, Recreation, and Economic Development benefits of Trails in the Upstate

Conference Room: Heritage D+E

Lessons learned from the development of trails for transportation, recreation, health, and economic development in the Upstate, South Carolina. Hear from four presenters on the success of their trail development in their community.

Speakers

Laura Ringo has served as the Executive Director of PAL: Play. Advocate. Live Well for the past 16 years. PAL improves health and wellness throughout Spartanburg County by creating an environment and culture that fosters physical activity and healthy eating through an equity lens.

Ty Houk is the Director of Greenways, Natural & Historic Resources for Greenville County Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. Ty has been working in the parks and recreation field for over 30 years, including 12 years with the South Carolina State Park Service. Since 2007, Ty has overseen the development and multi-jurisdictional expansion of the 28-mile Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail Network. Ty attended Furman University, is a graduate of the ULI South Carolina Center for Sustainable Leadership and a Clemson University Walker Fellow.

Christman Short is the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Easley, where she leads initiatives to enhance parks, trails, and community recreation programs. She holds a Master’s degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management from Clemson University, and serves as Chair of the Future Professional Branch for the South Carolina Recreation and Parks Association (SCRPA). Christman has been married for 6 years and is the proud mother of two children, ages 2 and 4.

Jonathon Morris started his career in Parks and Recreation in 2007 with the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Jonathon studied at Tri-County Tech and Holmes College. After leaving SCPRT to further his career in Public Service, he served in law enforcement as the Parks Officer for the City of Pickens. He now serves as the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Pickens.

Innovative Approaches to Missing Middle Housing

Conference Room: Heritage B

We hear the term “Missing Middle Housing” quite a bit these days.  Are you curious about how your colleagues are tailoring this concept to their unique needs? During this session, three practitioners will discuss their firsthand experience with planning and delivering unique projects.

Speakers

Fredalyn M. Frasier  (moderator) is the Planning Director for the City of Spartanburg.

Jeff Randolph founded TRG (The Randolph Group) in 1994, a residential and mixed-use residential development company with several successful affordable development initiatives in Greenville. TRG is nationally recognized for its award-winning communities in the Southeast. Jeff holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Master of City and Regional Planning from Clemson University.

Jason Burdette, AICP has served as Planning Director for the Town of Davidson, NC since 2014 and has been with the town since 2012. Mr. Burdette received a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech and a BA in International Affairs and Political Science from George Washington University.

Angela Threadgill serves as the Assistant City Manager – Community and Economic Development and Executive Director, Decatur Development Authorities for the City of Decatur, Georgia. She leads her department in the areas of planning and zoning, permitting, code enforcement, special events, tourism, parking management, and economic development, in addition to the City’s affordable and workforce housing implementation strategies.

The Story of St. Stephen: How Community Engagement Can Bring Change to Small Town Communities

Conference Room: Heritage C

The Town of St. Stephen, like many small towns, has experienced a diminished quality of life and community character due to a lack of economic investment. This session will discuss how optimism and commitment by a few key stakeholders can increase public participation and how this influences planning.

Speakers

Wyatt Stitely has been with the Berkeley Charleston Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG) for just under 3 years. He has a BS in Regional Planning with a concentration in Land Use & GIS. Since graduating in 2019, he has worked on nearly a dozen comprehensive plans in PA, MD, & now SC. He currently lives in Charleston and volunteers coaching soccer.

Ryan Wilcox is the Regional Economic Development Specialist for the BCDCOG and Managing Director of One Region, a partnership between the BCDCOG, Charleston Metro Chamber, and Charleston Regional Development Alliance, focused on economic resilience. Originally from Saratoga Springs, NY, he moved to Charleston in 1999 after earning a degree in Graphic Design from Radford University.

Enjoy some refreshments and check out our sponsors’ exhibits.

Hub City Hopper Walking Tour

Join local trail experts for a walk along the one-mile Hub City Hopper Rail Trail extension.  This extension is part of the larger 50-mile Daniel Morgan Trail System and the first to have a cycle-track in South Carolina.  People for Bikes listed the trail as one of the Best Bike Lanes of 2022. Maximum number of participants is 30.

Speakers

Ned Barrett was Trails Development Director at PAL: Play. Advocate. Live Well. until about a month ago, when he took a first step toward retirement. He has been at PAL for 14 years, working on community design related to active living, and trail development. He remains at PAL part-time in a community outreach position, focusing on collective impact and equity.

Kevin Bacon, AICP is the Director of Urban Design with Toole Design. Kevin is a registered architect & certified planner with extensive public and private sector experience in urban design. His background runs the full spectrum of small area plans, citywide planning initiatives, corridor studies, small public spaces and transformative infrastructure projects.

Ashley Gunderson, PE is a Project Engineer with Toole Design. She works on projects that include rapid implementation plans, corridor balancing for multimodal use, intersection redesign with a focus on vulnerable users, and roadside safety conditions and campus accessibility.

Working Together for the Public: How Concurrency and Public Facility Laws Can Help SC and Your Community

Conference Room: Heritage D+E

Our panel of attorneys, planners, and state and local government elected officials discuss how “adequate public facilities” or “concurrency” ordinances can benefit communities and developers statewide and why clarification of statutory authority is needed – and what they (and you) can do about it!

Speakers

Tyson Smith, JD, AICP (moderator/speaker) began his career as a city/county planner in the Florida Keys.  He graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and later earned graduate degrees from the University of Florida.  In 2005, Tyson co-founded White & Smith, serving local governments around the country at the intersection of planning and law.

Spencer Wetmore, JD is an attorney with Wetmore Law Firm and South Carolina State Representative. She has practiced land use law for over 15 years, working for local governments and in private practice.  She also represents Charleston County in the South Carolina State House where she serves on the Judiciary Committee.  She is a graduate of Princeton and Vanderbilt University Law School.

Ross Appel, JD is an attorney with McCullough Khan Appel. He represents clients throughout the state on zoning, infrastructure, and land development matters. He is also a mediator. Ross serves on the Charleston City Council, representing old West Ashley & James Island.  Ross graduated from University of Florida and University of South Carolina Law School.

Northside Neighborhood Transformation Plan [CM 1.0]

Conference Room: Heritage B

Ten years later – Results of the implementation of the Northside Neighborhood Transformation Plan in Spartanburg, South Carolina. One of twenty-seven Purpose-Built Communities in the country with a track record of successful community development.

Speakers

Michael Williamson, AICP is the CEO of the Northside Development Group (NDG). The Northside Development Group is a Community Development organization created to implement the Northside Transformation Plan. The Northside Neighborhood is also a Purpose-Built Communities member, based in Atlanta, GA. Michael has a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture and a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Development from Clemson University.

Tony L. Thomas is a 31-year resident of the Northside community in the City of Spartanburg, S.C. He is the Community Engagement Coordinator for The Northside Development Group and also served for 10 years as the president of The Northside Voyagers, a community-based advocacy group. Tony studied architecture at Tuskegee University, served as an Air Traffic Controller in the USAF, and has graduated from multiple citizen-leader programs.

Town of Fort Mill Trail Master Plan [CM 1.0]

Conference Room: Heritage C

The Town of Fort Mill with McAdams began the process to create a Trails Master Plan to help propose a comprehensive trail network based on input from residents, visitors, key area stakeholders, Town staff, and the Parks and Recreation Subcommittee.

Speaker

Penelope G. Karagounis has over 20 years of local government experience.  She began her career in Lancaster County, South Carolina as a Planner and then Planning Director.  The last 5.5 years she has been the Planning Director for the Town of Fort Mill.

Enjoy some refreshments and check out our sponsors’ exhibits.

Stroads: The Solution Starts Somewhere

Conference Room: Heritage D+E

Stroads (Main Street + Roadway) are a fixture in American cities. Often the most dangerous and inefficient infrastructure in the built environment, they are the result of unaligned policies and strategies from agencies that frequently have competing objectives. This session will explore the policies and practices shaping the future of stroads.

Speakers

Tobe Holmes, AICP is a Senior Project Manager with WithersRavenel. He has nearly 20-years of experience in planning and place based economic development including over 10-years working in business improvement districts, giving him a unique perspective on P3’s and suburban redevelopment. An ’07 graduate of Clemson’s MCRP program, he now resides in Charlotte.

Scott Correll, AICP is a Senior Urban Designer and Planner with Kittelson & Associates. Scott spent 14 years in the public sector focused on active transportation and long-range planning. A 2007 graduate of Clemson’s MCRP program, he also holds a Master of Urban Design from UNC Charlotte. These skillsets combine through his work with Kittelson, where he manages projects across the US.

Are You Protecting Your Airport’s Airspace and Land Use Compatibility?

Conference Room: Heritage B

This discussion will include a review of the multiplex of airspace imaginary surfaces that surround all public airports.  We will also discuss an efficient ordinance structure that utilizes these surfaces and will build upon last year’s conference discussion of airport land use compatibility.

Speakers

Joseph Barkevich, AICP is a Senior Project Manager with WK Dickson. He has more than 24 years of experience in airport development planning and project management. Over that time, Joe has completed projects at airports ranging in size from small general aviation community airports up to large hub commercial service facilities.

Brianna Barrineau, AICP is an Aviation Planner with WK Dickson. She has six years of planning, GIS, and environmental experience – four within aviation planning. Bri is passionate about providing detailed data analysis to support the planning and growth of airports. Her experience ranges from small general aviation airports to large hub commercial facilities.

Gary Siegfried, PE is the Executive Director of the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission. Gary has over 36 years of experience as an engineer within the aviation sector.  He worked in private consulting the first portion of his career and since 2016 has guided airport protection and development from the State Aeronautics Commission’s perspective becoming the Executive Director in 2022.

Aging in Community: Strategic Plans for Age-Friendly Urban Spaces

Conference Room: Heritage C

When we design per ADA we can miss entire portions or generations of our community. As planners, we need to step to the side of ADA and take a broader look at inclusive planning and design. We have been designing homes to age in place but we must plan our cities to allow us to live and age in place.

Speaker

Gary Warner, ASLA, AICP is the Market Lead, Planning & Landscape Architecture for ESP Associates. Gary has more than 30 years of experience as a landscape architect and planner on projects across the country. He is recognized as an expert in the design of inclusive play and urban spaces for various age groups. A graduate of Virginia Tech, Gary is a registered landscape architect and an AICP planner.

Come mingle at Rockers!

Join your SC-APA pals for drinks and heavy hors d’oeuvres in the taproom at Rockers Brewing and Restaurant.

226-A W Main St, Spartanburg, SC 29306

Conference Room: Heritage D/E

Join SC-APA President Stephanie Tillerson and Spartanburg Mayor Jerome Rice to kick off our Thursday.

Land Use Law: The Role of County & City Attorneys

Conference Room: Heritage D/E

Hear from Spartanburg County and the City of Spartanburg attorneys as they explain the issues that come before them and how local ordinances work to enforce land use regulations.

Speakers

Todd Okolichany, AICP (moderator) recently joined Spartanburg County as the Planning and Development Director. Previously he served as the Deputy Executive Director for the Metro Nashville (City of Nashville and Davidson County, TN) Planning Department. Prior to that he was the Director of Planning and Urban Design for the City of Asheville, NC. Todd has Master of Science in planning from Pratt Institute.

John Harris, JD is the County Attorney for Spartanburg County, where he advises County Departments in all stages of the planning process from the submission of plats and plans of property through the long-range planning, transportation planning, and zoning. Mr. Harris also advises departments on legal issues related to Assessor’s, Building Codes and property maintenance matters, in addition to sitting with the Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals. John completed his undergraduate studies at Clemson and received his J.D. from Cumberland School of Law. When not practicing law, he enjoys waterskiing and camping with his family.

Bob Coler, JD is the City Attorney for the City of Spartanburg. He received his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law and has previous worked as a prosecutor for the Spartanburg County Solicitor’s Office and as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Greenville. Bob was excited to return to Spartanburg in December 2018.  As Spartanburg’s City Attorney, Bob interacts with City Council and each of the City’s various department heads on a daily basis to address the legal needs of the City. Bob enjoys spending his free time with his wife, Jo, and their three teenage children.

Enjoy some refreshments and check out our sponsors’ exhibits.

South Carolina Brownfields Revitalization: Leveraging State & Federal Grant and Mapping Opportunities for you Locality’s Planning

Conference Room: Heritage A

Revitalizing a brownfield is a daunting task. The session will focus on SC’s statewide effort for assessment & cleanup of sites, as well as mapping tips and tricks for building a resource to navigate the state’s distressed areas designation for accessing abandoned building and textile tax credits.

Speakers

Tyler Lewis is a Commercial Lending Officer & Brownfields Program Manager with Catawba Regional Council of Governments. He joined Catawba Regional in 2017 and provides underwriting and management support for its economic development lending programs and administers the organization’s EPA and state funded brownfields grants. Tyler holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Winthrop University.

Marty Little, AICP has served as a Senior Planner and primary GIS administrator at Catawba Regional Council of Governments since 2022. Marty received undergraduate degrees from Appalachian State University in Geography and Community & Regional Planning and boasts experience in long range planning, project management, and zoning.

Showcasing Excellence: How Hilton Head Island’s Design Review Board Shapes Development to Preserve Island Character

Conference Room: Heritage B

Explore Hilton Head Island’s Design Review Board (DRB) role in preserving the island’s unique character. This session highlights successful developments reviewed by the DRB, showcasing how they enhance the island’s aesthetic and offering insights for similar community efforts.

Speaker

Melissa Paul-Leto is a Principal Planner of Design for the Town of Hilton Head Island. Melissa has more than 9 years of planning experience with a B.F.A. in Interior Architecture, a M.F.A. in 3-D Design, and a M.P.A. in Urban studies and Planning.

Roar of the Tyger (River): Master Planning with Nonprofits

Conference Room: Heritage C

The creation of a Master Plan is not always step one and nonprofits can be the leaders in recognizing the need and the collaboration required for successful planning. Challenges and opportunities are in connection with this blueway project to honor the rich history and stewardship of the Tyger.

Speakers

Katherine Amidon, AICP is a Senior Environmental Planner with Bolton & Menk. Her work focuses on land use, engagement, and connecting communities to nature. She is the Vice Chair for the Saluda River Basin Council and on the board for Friends of the Reedy River. She believes in being a forever sponge, soaking in new knowledge every day.

Erika Hollis has been with Upstate Forever since 2008 and currently serves as the Clean Water Director. She works on water-related initiatives including advocating for policies that protect water resources, partnering with landowners to install projects to reduce water pollution, and serves as an advisor on South Carolina’s State Water Plan.

Enjoy some refreshments and check out our sponsors’ exhibits.

Glendale Shoals: An Upstate Partnership to Conserve Land

Conference Room: Heritage A

Learn about a multi-million-dollar plan to turn nearly 1,000 acres of undeveloped property into a new recreational hub. This is the largest conservation acquisition in the history of Spartanburg County with the goal to create a natural area with greenspace with trails.

Speakers

Jon Woodsby, CPRE, CPSI, CYSA is the Parks and Recreation Director for Spartanburg County. He has been in the Parks and Recreation field for 21 years and holds a degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management from Clemson University.  Jon holds multiple related certifications and serves on several Park & Recreation advisory boards. He also enjoys hunting, running, Clemson athletics, and attending his son’s sporting events.

Sam Parrott is the Executive Director of Spartanburg Area Conservancy (SPACE). He previously worked for the Three Rivers Land Trust (NC), most recently as their Director of Stewardship. Sam is a Spartanburg native, graduating from both the Spartanburg Day School and Wofford College, where he majored in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Business.

Ned Barrett was Trails Development Director at PAL: Play. Advocate. Live Well. until about a month ago, when he took a first step toward retirement. He has been at PAL for 14 years, working on community design related to active living, and trail development. He remains at PAL part-time in a community outreach position, focusing on collective impact and equity.

Reconnecting Communities in Sumter, SC: “Connect 378”

Conference Room: Heritage B

US 378 currently acts as a barrier to connectivity in Sumter, SC. The deaths of multiple pedestrians (including children) while trying to cross this dangerous roadway has prompted immediate action. The goal is to receive capital construction funds from the Reconnecting Communities Pilot.

Speakers

Kyle Kelly, AICP is a Senior Planner helping lead Sumter City, County, and SUATS MPO. He leads transportation efforts on a variety of interesting/innovative projects. Kyle is highly knowledgeable in transportation planning and is a valuable resource for the South Carolina planning community.

Brian Conner, AICP is a Transportation Planning Project Manager with AECOM. He primarily works on corridor/feasibility studies, bike/ped projects, site acquisition efforts, and land use plans. He enjoys working on a variety of planning efforts all across South Carolina.

What in the World is a Mobility Hub? (interactive session using Mentimeter)

Conference Room: Heritage C

What in the World is a Mobility Hub? How can it be a catalyst site for development and provide healthy mobility choices for a given community? Explore the decision process and design details for a Mobility Hub. Walk through the site selection process, community collaboration and design details for creating a new Mobility Hub and community asset looking beyond a simple park and ride. Better mobility choice and a catalyst for redevelopment.

Speaker

Mike Rutkowski, AICP, PE leads Stantec’s Complete Streets Program.  He is a Board Member of the National Complete Streets Coalition and an advocate of healthy active living.  Mike is also an active Complete Streets Trainer and webinar host for Smart Growth America.

What I Wish I had Known: Lessons from Forty Years in Planning

 Keynote Speaker

Sue Schwartz, FAICP, President-Elect of the American Planning Association, has over forty years of experience as a city planner. Currently she is the Planning Director for the City of Greensboro, North Carolina. She has worked there since 1987, starting as a redevelopment planner working with disinvested neighborhoods and corridors. In 2011, she was promoted to Planning Director.

Many of Ms. Schwartz’s projects have been recognized for their innovation and groundbreaking approaches. This includes Southside, the redevelopment of a turn-of-the-20th-Century downtown neighborhood that combined historic preservation with new construction. Believed to be the first infill Traditional Neighborhood Development, Southside received the U.S. EPA Smart Growth Achievement Award, an APA Outstanding Planning Award for Implementation, and recognition from by the Sierra Club as one of America’s Twelve Best Developments.

Ms. Schwartz has been an active member of the American Planning Association, serving as North Carolina Chapter president, AICP Commissioner, and AICP President from 2005-2007. Her contributions to the profession include the creation of the College of Fellows of AICP and the Certification Maintenance Program. For her contributions she has been twice awarded the AICP President’s Award and inducted to the College of Fellows in 2003.

Sue has a BA in Geography and Urban Studies from the University of Pittsburgh and an MA in Geography from UNC Charlotte.

City of Spartanburg: Implementing the Urban Code, Then & Now

Conference Room: Heritage D/E

The City of Spartanburg is experiencing a resurgence, particularly in its downtown. An important element shaping the transformation of the  city core is its Master Plan and Downtown City Code. This session will highlight the implementation of the Downtown District Code and lessons learned.

Speakers

Craig Lewis, FAICP, LEED, CNU-A is the Global Services Director & US West Practice Group Manager for Placemaking at Arcadis, the world’s leading company delivering sustainable design and consultancy solutions. As the Managing Principal Craig led the team that prepared the City of Spartanburg’s Urban Code, adopted in 2007.

Chris Story has served as Spartanburg’s City Manager since 2018 after serving as Assistant City Manager for nine (9) years. A strong proponent of the urban code, he was involved in the early years of shaping the Downtown Code for Spartanburg. Chris is a graduate of Wofford College with a B.A. in Economics.

Meghan Teague, AIA is the owner of Teague Studio based in Spartanburg SC and has worked extensively with the City’s Downtown Code. Her studio focuses on residential and small commercial projects. Meghan holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Architecture from Clemson University.

Enjoy some refreshments and check out our sponsors’ exhibits. Note this one is only 10 minutes!

Old Mill Pond Trail Project

Conference Room: Heritage D/E

Twelve years in the making, the Lexington Old Mill Trail is a case of overcoming physical, natural and political challenges by utilizing public/private partnerships and community engagement. The result is a 1.15-mile trail that connects residential and commercial areas to a re-imagined historic landmark.

Speaker

Randy Edwards, PE is the Transportation Director for the Town of Lexington. Randy has over 25 years of experience in the engineering and construction industry with twenty years being of public service. He has successfully served in various capacities including Civil Design Engineer, Project Manager, County Engineer, and Department Director.

The Piedmont Project: A Bottom-Up, Place-Based Approach to Community Planning

Conference Room: Heritage A

While planners have technical expertise, it’s the local residents who have the insights and knowledge about their community. Learn how the Piedmont Area Plan effectively combines these strengths to develop collaborative, grassroots strategies for growth that empower the unincorporated community.

Speaker

Austin Lovelace, AICP is a Long Range Planner with Greenville County. As the lead on the Piedmont Area Plan, he integrates local knowledge into planning while collaborating across county lines. He emphasizes bottom-up, collaborative, place-based strategies to create resilient communities.

Vision Zero: Mission or Myth?

Conference Room: Heritage B

Despite widespread adoption of the Vision Zero approach to preventing traffic deaths and serious injury, few communities in the U.S. have actually achieved it. Yet Hoboken, NJ has now had 7 consecutive years without a traffic fatality. What can SC communities learn from their surprising success?

Speaker

Ryan Sharp, AICP is a Principal at Alta Planning + Design. He worked at the City of Hoboken, NJ for over fourteen years, most recently serving as Transportation and Parking Director. During his tenure there, he led complex multi-year efforts to implement the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan.

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport Masterplan: WingSpan – A 20-Year Vision for the Future

Conference Room: Heritage C

In 2020, GSP launched their 20-year Comprehensive Plan. Learn how the plan guides the airport’s decisions for future infrastructure development as well as strengthens its commitment to being a community-focused business, vital transportation hub, and economic driver for the Upstate.

Speakers

Jeff Clifton is the Director of Design & Construction for GSP International Airport. An engineer by trade, Jeff has over 40 years of experience in construction management and engineering. Jeff has managed large scale developments throughout the US and is currently managing GSP’s 20-year master plan. Jeff is a graduate of Clemson University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering.

Deven Judd, AAE, IAP joined the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport District in October 2022.  As VP/Chief Commercial Offier, he is responsible for developing and executing the District’s revenue generation strategies, as well as overseeing the commercial business, parking, concessions, and land development programs at GSP. Deven has over 25 years of experience in airport management. Deven is a graduate of Hampton University (B.S. Aviation Management), University of North Florida (MBA), and Concordia University, John Molson School of Business (Airport Executive Leadership Diploma).

Enjoy some refreshments and check out our sponsors’ exhibits. Note this one is only 10 minutes!

Master Plan Implementation + Merry Making = Amazing Community Impact, The City of Conway’s Riverfront and Downtown Master Plan

Conference Room: Heritage A

Since adopting its 2022 Master Plan, the City of Conway has seen amazing economic and community impacts and increases in downtown visitors who support the local economy. Master Plan implementation is good business. Hear a few tricks to getting it done and a lot of community and placemaking treats.

Speakers

Irene Dumas Tyson, AICP, Associate AIA is the Director of Planning for BOUDREAUX. Since 1995, Irene has strived to revitalize small towns across the State. She has broad experience in town and campus planning, community engagement, visioning, and preservation. She is actively involved in her community and ULI and was recognized as the 2022 Distinguished Planner by SCAPA.

Jessica Hucks, AICP is the Planning & Development Director for the City of Conway, where she has worked since 2015. Prior to 2015, she worked in Planning & Zoning for Horry County Government. Jessica is a Conway native and graduate of Coastal Carolina University, with nearly two decades of experience in Planning & Zoning.

Planning, Building and Administering Transformational Public Art Programs

Conference Room: Heritage B

This session will detail planning, funding, launching, promoting, and administrating new public art programs to increase local artist, public, and community engagement. This content is based on Skot Garrick’s experience as the single staff member assigned as project director for Columbia’s multi-faceted public art program, Columbia Streams Art.

Speaker

Skot Garrick currently serves as Strategic Initiative Administrator for the City of Columbia. In that role, he is assigned a variety of public-facing and community engagement projects, as well as policy planning assignments, from the Mayor’s Office, City Council, and other City of Columbia departments. Before stepping into his current role as Strategic Initiative Administrator, Skot formerly served as Director of Communications for the Office of the Mayor.

Riparian Buffers and Growth Management in Greenville County

Conference Room: Heritage C

Greenville County passed an ordinance this year to update septic development design standards and establish required riparian buffers. We will explain how this was crafted, the aim to protect water quality and further the county’s Comprehensive Plan, adoption and implementation, and outcomes so far.

Speakers

Rashida Jeffers-Campbell, AICP is the Planning Director for Greenville County. She is from Beaufort, SC and holds a BA in Urban Planning & Administration from College of Charleston and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Clemson. Rashida has 18 years of experience in community planning and is a graduate of the Greenville Chamber’s Leadership Greenville Class 40.

Meagan Staton, AICP is the Subdivision Administrator for Greenville County. Meagan is a Greenville County native and studied Historic Preservation and Community Planning as an undergraduate at College of Charleston and a graduate of University of Maryland. Prior to joining the County in 2019, she worked for Prince George’s County, MD supporting a Zoning Ordinance Rewrite.

Join us in the Marriott’s Azalea Room for an evening of festivities!

Enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and dinner while honoring planning award winners, meeting new SC-APA board members, and scoring a sweet deal in the Clemson MCRP auction.

2024 Ethics Cases of the Year

Conference Room: Heritage D/E

Walk through some of 2024’s interesting and challenging ethics cases to receive that elusive ethics mandatory credit.

Speaker

Wayne Shuler, AICP is the Planning and Zoning Director of the City of West Columbia. Prior to going to work for the city in 2015, Wayne was on the staff of Central Midlands Council of Governments for 19 years. Wayne has a B.A. in Political Science and a master’s in public administration, both from the University of South Carolina. He is a member of the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners. He is a past President of the SC Chapter of the American Planning Association and a former APASC representative on the SC Planning Education Advisory Committee. Wayne is a life-long resident of Columbia, and he and his wife live in the Irmo area.

Enjoy some refreshments and check out our sponsors’ exhibits.

Morgan Square – The Heart of Downtown Spartanburg

Conference Room: Heritage D/E

When the pandemic altered the use of streets and public spaces, the City of Spartanburg was at the forefront fighting for an improved Morgan Square and Main Street through community engagement and City Council support. Our speakers will dissect the historic transformation of this Downtown gem.

Speakers

Brenda Diaz-Flores, CNU-A is an Associate Urban Designer and Project Manager at MKSK in Greenville. She is a Landscape Architecture graduate from Clemson University. Notable projects include downtown strategic plans, riverfront park master plans, and rails-to-trails projects.

Darren Meyer, PLA, AICP is a Principal at MKSK, leading the firm’s work in the Southeast US. With 25+ years of professional practice across public and private sector projects, he guides large, multi-disciplinary teams in addressing complex urban challenges. Darren’s work has been recognized with national awards.

Christopher George is the City of Spartanburg’s Communications Manager. He is a Spartanburg native and has been with the City’s Communications and Marketing Department since 2013. As the team leader for the past six years, he manages the City’s communications strategy, marketing, and downtown engagement, and serves as the official City spokesperson.

What’s The Plan?: Traveling Across SC with the Green Book

Conference Room: Heritage A

In this presentation, we will take a historic look at traveling across South Carolina from the viewpoint of Black South Carolinians who were not welcome in many public places. Black travelers used the Green Book, published by Victor Green, to safely vacation in an era of increased automobile travel.

Speakers

Ayanna Goines is an African American History Consultant SC Department of Archives & History in the State Historic Preservation Office. In this role she provides technical assistance to groups and individuals as it regards African American history. She is also liaison to the SC African American Heritage Commission.

Considering the Capital Penny Sales Tax on Public Infrastructure

Conference Room: Heritage B

Hear about the multiple projects in Spartanburg County to come out of the penny sales tax on roads, bridges, and government buildings. Numerous countywide stormwater and intersection improvement projects and hundreds of neighborhood street repaving projects are on the list to be upgraded.

Speakers

Travis Brown is the Director of Public Works at Spartanburg County.

Creating Gateway Corridors

Conference Room: Heritage C

As “gateways” to downtown, Spartanburg County is interested in improving the appearance and development of corridors that offer a positive first impression and experience that complements Downtown Spartanburg.

Speakers

Kevin Bacon, AICP is the Director of Urban Design with Toole Design. Kevin is a registered architect & certified planner with extensive public and private sector experience in urban design. His background runs the full spectrum of small area plans, citywide planning initiatives, corridor studies, small public spaces and transformative infrastructure projects.

Enjoy some refreshments and check out our sponsors’ exhibits.

Three Rivers Bike Share Expansion Feasibility Study

Conference Room: Heritage D/E

Sponsored by the Central Midlands Council of Governments (CMCOG), the Three Rivers Bike Share Expansion Feasibility Study is a multi-jurisdictional plan that presents a financial analysis for the expansion of the Blue Bike SC program within the City of Columbia and new expansion for service in the combined area of the City of Cayce, the City of West Columbia, and the Town of Springdale (West Metro). It considers the cost of expanding service into the West Metro and making Blue Bike SC a regional system, but also considers ways that the program can enhance ridership, increase its presence in these communities, be more cost-effective, increase revenues, and leverage the skills of its various partners.

Speaker

Lakesha Dunbar is the Spartanburg Office Director for Toole Design. Her work has been mainly with local governments and extends to regional, state, and private collaborations focusing on multimodal transportation. Lakesha brings a unique perspective to the field with a civil engineering education and twenty years of transportation planning experience.

The Applied History Approach to City Planning Practice

Conference Room: Heritage A

History matters. By exploring a city’s past master plans and studies, decision makers can make more informed decisions about the future. Through deep learning and natural language processing of 7,000 pages of Greenville’s past plans, this research provides a new era in understanding the city’s past.

Speaker

Russell Stall, AICP is a “planner-politician.” He is an At-Large Member of Greenville (S.C.) City Council and is a Ph.D. Candidate and Lecturer in Clemson’s Planning, Design, and the Built Environment Program. He is past-Founder of Greenville Forward and organizer of TEDxGreenville.

Greenville’s Transition to a By-Right Development Code

Conference Room: Heritage B

The City of Greenville overhauled its zoning and development regulations in 2023. One major change was the move to a by-right code, with fewer public meetings and hearings for new development. Learn how Greenville navigated this transition and works to keep the public informed of new projects today.

Speaker

Michael Frixen, AICP is a Principal Development Planner with the City of Greenville with over ten years of applied experience.  He oversees the Long-Range Planning Division in the City of Greenville’s Planning Department. Michael’s interests include planning law, sustainability, and annoying his family with his obnoxious guitar-playing.

Housing Projection Model (HPM) using ArcGIS

Conference Room: Heritage C

Crafted with precision and foresight, Housing Projection Model is suitable for use by local governments to predict the potential residential units that can be built based on the adopted zoning ordinance, land development regulations, and comprehensive plan.

Speakers

Rajiv Myana, AICP, LEED is a Principal Planner with Horry County. He is an ardent planner/preservationist whose passion lies at the intersection of people, public space, and architecture. Mr. Myana is an internationally trained urban planner.

Su Jeong Jo is an associate planner with a focus on community design informed by analytical urban spatial data. Her background in Architecture and Regional Planning, enriched by graduate studies at Cornell, has solidified her ability to blend social imperatives effectively with urban environments.