Since being laid off in October 2010 I have been traveling the country chasing my photographic passion. I hope to have captured many great images of this country and its people by the time I finish my travels this winter!I have also been actively looking for planning related jobs or other potential opportunities as I travel. I like to work with people in creating success for their projects whether or not I'm in the public sector or the private sector. I have over 25 years of experience working with people, helping them reach their goals. These projects have ranged from constructing single-family homes to large scale multi-use developments. I have also managed teams that have worked with communities developing their vision for growth and writing successful implementing regulations.

I had been assigned to both the Review and Inspection Center (RIC) and Applicant Services Center (ASC) where I had been reviewing and writing discretionary land use permits and decisions (e.g. Administrative Conditional Use permits, conduct environmental (SEPA) reviews, process shoreline substantial development permits, short subdivisions, etc.). This body of work was previously assigned to the RIC where I was assigned to the Public Projects Review Team. This team reviewed projects submitted by public agencies (e.g. Seattle Housing Authority, METRO, SPU, Parks and Recreation, etc.). I also screened land use applications for completeness and worked the Land Use Coaching Counter in the ASC.Land Use Planners assigned to the ASC review building permits, lot boundary adjustments, unit lot and short subdivisions, shoreline substantial developments, variances and other applicable applications for consistency with the Seattle Land Use Code's zoning development standards.Other duties also included screening construction intake appointments coordinating with a permit technician and a ordinance/structural review engineer ensuring satisfactory application submittals. I also provided customer service at the Land Use Coaching Counter assisting various clients in determining a property's development potential, any permit requirements and permit review processes. I also provided assistance in navigating the city's website and identified the various research tools available to determine land use code requirements and a property's development potential without having to visit the ASC. Prior to January 2005 I was working in the Code Compliance Program as a Code Compliance Analyst working with our Housing and Zoning Inspectors and the City Attorney's Office to ensure customers' satisfactory repsonse when they received Notice of Violations and had to be sued to gain compliance.Layoffs due to permit revenue/funding short falls forced the layoff of over 20 staff planners.

I managed environmental/land use planning and analysis projects for the company’s private sector clients (i.e. developers, architects). Projects included residential subdivisions, commercial, public and private schools from project feasibility through gaining land use entitlements. Responsibilities included managing in-house staff and sub-consultants, coordination with state and local agencies, developed scope of work and budgets and managed contract requirements

Served as lead environmental planner on State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) State Route 2 Corridor Safety Study project. Conducted the land use inventory and analysis (analyzing existing conditions against the county’s land use plan), coordinated and edited additional environmental studies conducted by in-house staff and sub-consultants. Finalized the Shoreline and Floodplain Expertise Reports for the I-405 Corridor Study and prepared the Shoreline and Floodplain sections for the corresponding Draft EIS. Also coordinated with WSDOT staff and managed in-house staff in preparation for several WSDOT sponsored Alternative Aquatic Mitigation Partnering Workshops. I also conducted initial research into streamlining permit processes for aquatic related mitigation projects (i.e. Mitigation Review Board).

As the Department Director, I managed planning department staff, evaluated staff performance, scheduled Hearing Examiner agendas, prepared Planning Commission agendas, managed consultant contracts and performance, served as main department contact with the Mayor and City Council, prepared the annual department budget, analyzed state legislation impact on city and department work programs, analyzed fiscal impacts for compliance, and managed current and long-range planning projects.Prior to becoming the Director in November 1998, I served as the city's Senior Planner reviewing the more complex development applications and guiding the annual comprehensive plan updates through the development, review and adoption stages.

I operated my own firm, providing land use planning consultant services to the new City of Lakewood. These services included providing long-range planning analysis and recommendations that assisted the city’s application to amend Pierce County's Comprehensive Plan identifying an Urban Growth Area specific to Lakewood. I provided local experience to Lakewood’s Department of Community Development team, researching and analyzing land use issues, enforced shoreline regulations, and reviewed land use applications for consistency with SEPA and their Interim Comprehensive Plan policies and Development Regulations. Presentations before the Growth Management Coordinating Committee (GMCC) and the City's Hearing Examiner were also a part of my responsibilities.

Responsibilities included preparing project budgets and managing the project team to reach successful goals of clients. Primary responsibilities included analyzing site feasibility, site design, assigning tasks and managing the project team to prepare complete application packets, and gaining land use entitlements. I provided consultant services as a Project Manager to the City of Algona, Washington. I assisted the citizens in developing their adopted Comprehensive Land Use Plan to meet Growth Management Act requirements. My program included; conducting citizen-visioning workshops with the City’s Planning Commission and representing the City at various meetings with other local agencies. My duties included preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and processing plan adoption through public hearings with Algona’s Planning Commission and City Council.

As a Planner I in the Code Administration Section, I administered and enforced the various County Zoning and Development Regulations (i.e. Subdivision, Environmental, Zoning, Shoreline Management, etc.). As an associate planner I transferred to the Long Range Planning Section. I managed several projects which included preparation of Community Plans, Environmental Impact Statements, conducted citizen participation and visioning workshops, prepared interim zoning documents, and amendments to various development regulations. I was assigned to amend the County’s Shoreline Master Program designating shoreline environments for McNeil Island. I also prepared staff reports, ordinances, and findings of fact for presentation to the County Planning Commission and County Council. I was assigned to the Growth Management Planning Team in 1990 to help prepare interim critical areas regulations and preliminary reports for consistency with the State Growth Management Act of 1990.

I worked on various Coastal Zone Management Grants. Work products included; authored the Shoreline Trails Study, mapping the built environment of the city's shoreline districts utilizing their Geographic Information System (GEOBASE), I developed a computerized program that would track shoreline enforcement actions and approved shoreline permits with the ability for GEOBASE map products. I also participated in enforcement of the City's shoreline development regulations.

During the academic school year, I developed a prototype Neighborhood Data Book utilizing the existing Census Data and combining this information with map products produced with the City's GEOBASE system.