Volunteer Opportunities
Are you interested in helping your fellow planners? Meeting new colleagues and making new professional connections? Learning more about planning in the National Capital Area? The National Capital Area Chapter of the American Planning Association is seeking volunteers to serve on several committees and working groups that help the Chapter provide professional development, networking, and educational opportunities to you, our members.
2023 Conference Working Group
The National Capital Area Chapter is hard at work preparing for its annual conference, October 5, 2023 at the University of Maryland, College Park. We need volunteers to assist in all manner of conference preparation, including, but not limited to, coordinating volunteers and on-site marketing materials.
Interested parties must be willing and able to take on short-duration, time-sensitive discrete tasks, participate in ad hoc virtual meetings to discuss these tasks, and be responsive to time-sensitive e-mails. Contact Vice President-Elect for Professional Development Xavier Williams at xwilliams1@gmail.com if you are interested!
Strategic Plan Working Group
State and metro chapters of APA must have a multi-year Strategic Plan that lays out a vision, goals, and objectives for the chapter over the upcoming four or five years. Coming out of the pandemic, the National Capital Area Chapter has an opportunity to re-invent ourselves to serve our membership and advance the field of planning in the National Capital Region. We are looking for three Chapter members to join us in helping update our Mission Statement and develop a new 2024-2028 Strategic Plan for the Chapter.
Interested parties must be willing and able to commit to at least one weeknight meeting in September, October, November, and December of 2023 and one half-day meeting in the fall. Contact Chapter President Scott Rowe at chapterpresident@ncac-apa.org if you are interested!
Events Committee
The Chapter Events Committee plans and hosts social and networking events for planners in the National Capital Area. These events are not only an excuse for planners to get out and enjoy an evening but also a great opportunity to meet fellow planners;, discuss common interests and challenges; learn more about what different planners do in our region; and connect contractors with clients, employers with potential employees, and those entering the field with seasoned mentors. We are looking for three Chapter members to join our Events Committee as committee members. Interested parties must be willing and able to commit to at least one weeknight meeting in September, October, November, and December of 2023.
The Events Committee is also looking for volunteers who can assist in planning meet-ups, happy hours, and other social/networking events. Interested parties must be willing and able to take on short-duration, time-sensitive discrete tasks, participate in ad hoc virtual meetings to discuss these tasks, and be responsive to time-sensitive e-mails in the context of event planning.
Contact Events Committee Co-Chairs Elizabeth Halpin (lizziehalpin@gmail.com) and Jill Schreifer (jill@theschreifergroup.com) if you are interested in participating, either as a member of the Committee or as a volunteer.
Finance Committee
The Chapter Finance Committee advises the Chapter Board in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities, including but not limited to preparing the budget, filing taxes, implementing an investment policy, and overseeing audits. We are seeking one Chapter member to serve on the Finance Committee for the remainder of 2023. Interested parties must be willing to participate in ad hoc virtual meetings as scheduled, one or more of which may extend several hours to help develop the 2024 Chapter Budget. Interested parties should contact Chapter Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair Tony LaColla at ajlacolla@gmail.com for more information.
Sponsorship Task Force
The National Capital Area Chapter is seeking corporate and other sponsors to help us deliver member services, events, and opportunities. The Board is establishing a Task Force to develop solicitation materials and to facilitate and manage sponsor relationships. We are seeking a Chairperson to manage this effort and four Chapter members to participate in this effort. Interested parties must be willing and able to participate in monthly and ad hoc virtual meetings as needed to execute this effort. Experience soliciting, facilitating, and/or managing sponsorships in a nonprofit environment is highly desired. Please contact Chapter President Scott Rowe at chapterpresident@ncac-apa.org if you are interested.
Staffing Committee
The National Capital Area Chapter is a completely volunteer-driven organization; day-to-day operations are managed by a team of dedicated volunteers who serve on the Chapter Board and its committees. The National Capital Area Chapter is one of the largest chapters in the United States without dedicated or contract staffing, which may limit the services, events, and opportunities the Chapter can offer its members. The Board established a Staffing Committee to evaluate options for engaging professional support in executing the day-to-day operations of the Chapter and supporting the Board and membership. The Working Group will report its findings to the Board in the fall of 2023 for consideration in the development of the 2024 Chapter Budget and Work Program. We are seeking three Chapter members to join this Committee. Interested parties must be willing and able to commit to at least one weeknight meeting in September, October, and November of 2023 to develop and record the Committee’s findings and recommendations. Please contact Chapter President Scott Rowe at chapterpresident@ncac-apa.org if you are interested.
Nominating Committee
The Chapter Board currently has a vacancy in the President-Elect position. We are seeking three Chapter members to serve on the Nominating Committee, which will review nominations and identify a slate of candidates for this vacant position. The election will be held virtually in November. Interested parties must be willing to committee to at least three virtual meetings between September and October of 2023. Please contact Chapter President Scott Rowe at chapterpresident@ncac-apa.org if you are interested.
Community Engagement Committee
The Community Engagement Committee identifies and facilitates opportunities for Chapter members to work with the public, community groups, nonprofits, PreK-12 and post-secondary educational institutions, and other partners to provide planning education, technical assistance, and community awareness of planning topics and issues. We are seeking three Chapter members to serve on the Community Engagement Committee. Interested parties must be willing and able to commit to at least three hybrid or virtual meetings during the remainder of 2023 and to participate in community engagement activities as determined by the Committee. Please contact Vice President of Diversity & Outreach Sam Braden at sbradeniv@gmail.com for more information.
Student Engagement Committee
The purpose of NCAC Student Engagement Committee is to give students a voice in Chapter functions and to help student members build relationships with each other and with practicing planners, utilizing their APA membership to its fullest extent. Members of this Committee will work on Chapter programming and policy issues. The Committee will work to promote, and connect members with, exciting academic work being undertaken at area colleges and universities. We are seeking one Chapter member to serve on the Student Engagement Committee. Interested parties must be a student enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate planning program, a current member of NCAC, and willing and able to commit to at least three hybrid or virtual meetings during the remainder of 2023, and to participate in planning and hosting events for students. Please contact Immediate Past President Jeremy Hurlbutt at jeremy.hurlbutt@gmail.com for more information.