| Members' 25-Year Reminiscences Joanne Garnett, AICP Past President, APA (1999–2001)
I voted for the merger of ASPO and AIP and haven't regretted that vote ever. When the offer came to be a charter member of APA, I took it. Change IS possible, and APA has reflected a great deal of change in the past 25 years. At the same time, it has retained a feeling of being a close-knit community of people sharing many of the same goals and values. Back in the mid-1980s, I recall Is Stollman calling me in Billings when I contacted his office for advice. (Imagine my surprise when the executive director of APA/AICP took time out from his busy schedule to get in touch with me!) Fast forward to today, and APA/AICP is still communicating directly to me, thanks to e-mail! New services, updated products, helpful staff, and can-do attitudes by the APA Board have kept APA more vibrant than ever. Let's celebrate the 25 years that have passed and also recognize that APA is hitting its stride for another 25 years of great success and much achievement on behalf of planning and planners everywhere. I'm so glad I've been part of it since the beginning! Now, if only I looked as young now as I did back then........... | |
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Wow, 25 years! Where was I back then? I was a fresh-faced planner, holding
a master's degree in planning from the University of Oregon and working in
my first full time job as a planner with the Billings-Yellowstone (Montana) City-County
Planning Department. I even recall my first yearly salary, $13,600 — it
seemed like so much money! Very quickly, I learned that planning theory didn't
always equal practice, and the world of politics had not been discussed
nearly enough in graduate school. That's OK, for I survived by observing, listening,
maintaining a sense of humor, and getting in touch with fellow planners whenever
necessary to get another perspective.