The 2004 Annual Chapter Conference held at Starved Rock State Park on May 19 - 21 was another great success. Roughly 127 attendees learned about professional development and planning management during two full days of educational tracks. Highlights of the conference included an enlightening address from Tom Cowan, president of Community First and past Chapter award winner, a packed awards luncheon presenting 14 awards in a variety of categories to recipients from across the state, and a special presentation from Christopher Duerksen, AICP, Author of “Aesthetics, Community Character, and the Law”. The conference also featured an AICP Professional Development Workshop offered by Sanford Jaffe and Linda Stamato from the Center for Negotation & Conflict Resolution at Rutgers University, an event made possible by a grant from the AICP Continuing Education Chapter Grants Program.
The conference kicked off Wednesday afternoon with the President’s Cup Golf Outing at the Deer Park Country Club. Professional Development Officer Kevin Lindeman won the event for the second straight year by shooting an 80 on eighteen holes. Perhaps a new course is advisable for next year, as it seems Kevin knows this course too well! Thursday evening’s activities included the 5th annual Starved Rock Shuffle for jogging and hiking enthusiasts followed by a caravan of school buses to downtown Ottawa for progressive appetizers and drinks at local restaurants and the Ottawa Boat Club near the convergence of the Illinois and Fox Rivers. The buses later returned to Utica for the traditional visit to the downtown pubs. Despite unoptimistic forecasts, the weather was accommodating and it was a great opportunity to enjoy the scenery and each other’s company. Also offered Thursday was a family alternative that included dinner, videos, popcorn, and swimming. Friday’s special events included the annual chapter meeting luncheon and an afternoon Jobsmart gathering for job seekers.
The 2004 Annual Conference was sponsored by S.B. Friedman & Company and Clarion Associates. The Chapter extends it's sincerest gratitude to these organizations for their generous support!
Many thanks Cynthia Hoyle and Allison Laff, conference co-chairs, for their painstaking efforts to organize this wonderful conference. Thanks also to Michael Blue, Bob Ahlberg, Mark Koplin, Libby Tyler, Tony Weck, Kevin Lindeman, and all others on the conference committee whose individual and group efforts contributed to the conference's success. Finally the chapter thanks the many speakers and presenters who took the time to come and tell us about the latest news and issues that help us to improve our daily efforts and approaches in planning.
The Chapter also expresses its condolences to the Village of Utica who continues to heal and rebuild following the tornado devastation that occurred just a few weeks ago. The Illinois Chapter has offered its full support through the Pro Bono Planning Committee program. To date, 28 Illinois planners have volunteered to assist in planning and design work for rebuilding the downtown Utica streetscape. In addition to the pro bono program, a fundraiser was held during the conference in which attendees could purchase an attractive Utica t-shirt for $30. A total of $630 was raised to date by this effort.
Thank you for attending and supporting this year's conference! For those of you who were unable to attend, we hope to see you next year...