About FAICP
FAICP Class of 2024
The College of Fellows
Election to the AICP College of Fellows (FAICP) is one of the highest honors that the American Institute of Certified Planners, the professional institute of the American Planning Association, bestows upon a member.
Fellows of AICP are honored in recognition of their planning achievements as an individual, elevating the Fellow before the public and the profession as a model planner who has made significant contributions to planning and society. Fellowship is granted to planners who have been members of AICP and have achieved excellence in professional practice, teaching and mentoring, research, public and community service, and leadership. Those chosen become members of the College of Fellows.
The College of Fellows is concerned with mentoring and future advancement of the profession of planning. As outstanding professionals in the field of planning, Fellows of AICP will address student organizations, state APA conferences, and professional development programs.
To nominate a fellow to the next upcoming class, please contact the APA Nevada Chapter PDO, Marco N. Velotta, AICP.
The following distinguished AICP members of the Chapter have made lasting contributions to the practice and profession of planning and have been inducted as members of the AICP College of Fellows:
Our FAICP Members
Cynthia J. Albright, FAICP CUD, GISP
Cynthia Albright’s accomplishments integrate new technology and spatial software to improve project outcomes. In Lake Tahoe, Nevada, analyzing location based data from cell phones corrected the annual visitor counts; in Reno; drone technology captures student and parent travel patterns to minimize impacts from a new roadway alignment; in Winnipeg Manitoba, location-based data revealed how the city’s transit system runs counter to the population movements and requires sweeping modifications to increase ridership; and on the web, a TEDx University of Nevada, Reno, talk entitled “The Pearls of Urban Design” shares the importance of streetscape, intensity of uses, and informal gathering places to bring people together.
Stephanie Garcia-Vause, FAICP
Stephanie Garcia-Vause has made a definable and positive change to the City of Henderson, Nevada, and the entire Las Vegas region. Her sustained leadership and drive resulted in the first federally recognized regional plan and the first open space and trails plan in Southern Nevada. She led groundbreaking public outreach, obtaining more than 70,000 inputs resulting in an APA National Planning Award. She advanced innovative planning concepts such as the Desert Edge Standards, ensuring a thoughtful transition between development and protected open space. In addition, her commitment to implementing plans resulted in Henderson’s historic main street receiving an APA Great Places designation.
Michael "Mike" Harper, FAICP
Of Mike Harper’s many hours devoted to volunteerism, two projects stand out. He chaired the Nevada State committee that initiated the State’s legacy of funding environmental improvements in Lake Tahoe. And, Mike chaired the AICP Exam Committee that completed the successful transition of the certifying exam from paper to computer.
Paulette "Polly" Carolin, FAICP
Polly Carolin has been a champion for the homeless, the poor, and refugees throughout her 20 years of APA leadership. She is most proud of creating partnerships that have resulted in more than 300 refugees from Bosnia, Vietnam, and Iraq finding good homes and jobs with living wages.