An incredible group of students just FLiPped over planning!
June 2019 – On June 4 – June 7, the Planning Commission held our fourth annual Future Leaders in Planning (FLiP) student leadership development program. Designed as an opportunity to introduce Hillsborough County high school students to urban planning as a potential career, FLiP 2019 was a four-day, intensive program. A big hit with the students, mentors, and parents alike, FLiP offered a broad exposure to planning from both public and private sector perspectives across many fields. The students flourished while networking with professionals, collaborating in teams, and honing their presentation and public speaking skills.
Day 1 highlights | Walking tour of the University of South Florida’s Tampa Campus highlighting USF’s award-winning Master Plan with Campus Planning/Facilities Management Assistant Director Barbara Donerly, RA, AICP, LEED AP and Shaung Hao, Landscape Architect, ISA Certified Arborist | Lunch at the beautiful On Top of the Palms in the Marshall Student Center | A demonstration of an off-grid technology for net-zero water recycling with Dr. Daniel Yeh | Walk Wise Tampa Bay presentation with CUTR’s Brentin Mosher | Saga City interactive planning exercise with CUTR’s Kristine Williams, AICP | Educational Pathways to Urban Planning with Evangeline “Van” Linkous, PhD, AICP |
Day 2 highlights | Planning Commission perspectives with Executive Director Melissa Zornitta, AICP | Intro to transportation planning with MPO Executive Director Beth Alden, AICP | Amazing breakfast buffet at Fred’s Market in Plant City | Introduction to planning for rapidly growing Plant City with Mark Hudson, AICP and Mara Latorre | Tour of Plant City Railroad Viewing Platform & Tower and Robert W Willaford Railroad Museum with museum director Benny Lubrano | Environmental Protection Commission tour featuring specialists from the air, water, wetlands, and waste divisions and a visit to the air, chemistry, and benthic labs |
Day 3 highlights | Boat tour of Port Tampa Bay with John Thorington, VP of Government Affairs & Board Coordination | Tour Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park with Brad Suder, Superintendent Planning Design Natural Resources Division at City of Tampa | Lunch & private sector engineering consultant tour of FLiP’s newest sponsor, Kisinger Campo & Associates, featuring Hannah Sowinski, Nicole Selly, Steve Toth and Thomas Shaw | Tampa International Airport Master Plan Tour featuring a behind the scenes look at the baggage system | Planning for MacDill Airforce Base presentation with base planner and Planning Commissioner Tony Rodriguez, AICP |
Day 4 highlights | APA Florida presentation by Sun Coast section Chair Melissa Dickens, AICP | Then, Now, & Tomorrow walking tour of Ybor City with a final stop in Cuba with Dr. Wally Reyes and YCDC’s Brenda Thrower | Lunch at Tampa Bay Brewing Company courtesy of ULI Tampa Bay | ULI Tampa Bay presentation of Building Healthy Communities followed by an exciting hands-on team planning activity |
Friends and family gathered to observe some incredible closing presentations from the team planning activity. View FLiP 2019 pictures in our Facebook photo album. A huge thanks to our partners – Hillsborough County Public Schools, ULI Tampa Bay, Kisinger Campo & Associates, Sun Coast Section – APA Florida – and all of our contributors! Thank you for giving us a lift, literally, to HART, TECOline Streetcar, USF Bull Runner, and the School District. Finally, a shout out to our amazing students! Our future is in great hands…
We are looking forward to FLiP 2020!