Get Recognized in Seattle!!

Call for Submissions for the Annual Donald E. Hunter Excellence in Economic Development Planning Award

We invite you to submit an application for the annual Excellence in Economic Development Planning Award from the American Planning Association’s Economic Development Division. The award is named to honor Don Hunter, a long-time planner and economic developer who contributed a great deal of his time and wisdom to the APA. This is a $1,000 award to a community that shows innovation and success with an economic development plan or project.

The formal presentation will be at the annual APA conference in Seattle, Washington, the evening of Monday, April 20, 2015, at the EDD Business Meeting. The Division will also help with preparing a press release for the winning community and for Planning magazine, and will announce the winner in the News & Views Division newsletter that is sent out to some 1,000 organizations throughout North America. This year’s deadline for submission is: Friday, March 6, 2015. Please submit to the Chair of the Awards Committee:

Robert M. Lewis, AICP

Development Strategies

10 S. Broadway, Suite 1500

St. Louis, Missouri 63102

(314) 421-2800          

Applications are encouraged to be submitted by email to: blewis@development-strategies.com. If submitting hard copies, please send four (4) copies of the narrative description and Attachment I for distribution to the awards committee.

Persons submitting nominations must be members in good standing of the American Planning Association. Organizations submitting nominations must employ at least one member in good standing of the American Planning Association. Plans and projects submitted for consideration need not be limited to the United States.

There is no formal application form or fee. Please follow these guidelines:

Narrative Description of the Plan or Project: Description (up to 250 words) of the plan or project showing that the project fits the following definitions:

• Economic Development: The creation of new employment and wealth-generating activities through the mobilization of human, financial, physical, and natural resources.

• Economic Development Planning: A series of deliberate activities leading to initiatives that enhance the jurisdiction’s economic opportunities and quality of life.

 

Attachment I (Required): Nominee's Fulfillment of Award Criteria For each of the following criteria, provide up to a 100-word description of the project. The entire attachment (all six criteria) should be no more than two pages or 500 words.

1. Originality: Unique concept or appreciable refinement of existing techniques or procedures.
2. Transferability: Potential application to other communities or projects.
3. Quality: Excellence of thought, analysis, writing, graphics, and professional character of the presentation.
4. Implementation & Results: Effectiveness of work proposals that have been carried out or show the promise of being carried out.
5. Comprehensiveness: Submittal demonstrates a thorough and in-depth approach.
6. Contribution to Community: Demonstrates application to community needs and desires.

Attachment II (Optional): Supporting Materials

Applicants may provide news clippings, brochures, slides, videos, etc. If items need to be returned, please clearly mark them as such. Supporting materials need not be sent in sets of four if too inconvenient or expensive.

Schedule for Award Selection(s)

Application deadline: Friday, March 6, 2015
Review by Awards Committee: March 9-20, 2015
Notifications to applicants: March 20-23, 2015

Presentation of award(s): April 20, 2015 (evening, in Seattle, Washington)

THANK YOU! WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR SUBMISSIONS!