Shubart, former manager of the Campaign for Sensible Growth, lauded as "an example for citizen planners and professionals alike."
The Illinois
Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) recently honored a longtime
advocate for metropolitan Chicago and former manager of the Campaign for
Sensible Growth Ellen Shubart with its 2007 Distinguished Service Award.
“While
not a planner by training, Ellen’s professional and volunteer activities
have provided great support to her community and advanced the cause of planning
in
the
Village
of Glencoe, the Chicago Metropolitan Area, and the
State
of
Illinois,”
stated the APA-Illinois Chapter in its recent 2007 Annual Report.
After a 20-year career in journalism, Shubart joined the
Campaign in 2000. That year, she successfully launched the Campaign’s quarterly
newsletter, Growing Sensibly, which quickly became a primary source of
information for Chicago-area planning advocates and professionals. During her
tenure with the Campaign, from 2000 to 2006, Shubart also wrote or edited many
of the Campaign’s most popular publications, including the Building
Sustainable Communities fact sheets, and the Sensible Tools for Healthy
Communities and Planning 1-2-3
workbooks.
Shubart also
forged relationships with local elected officials, developers, civic and
nonprofit leaders, and state lawmakers to help advance sensible planning in
metropolitan
Chicago
and
Illinois
. During her
tenure,
Illinois
’ Local Planning Technical Assistance
Act was approved and the Local Planning Fund established to coordinate
development decisions across communities and leverage state investment for
transit, infrastructure, and economic development.
In her own
community, Glencoe, Shubart has been a voice for sensible planning as a member
of the Plan Commission from 1994 to 2003, chairperson of the Village Historic
Preservation Commission, president of the Glencoe Historical Society, and member
of the Affordable Housing Task Force. Since 2003, Shubart has served as Village
Trustee.
MPC
congratulates our friend and former colleague Ellen Shubart for this honor.
Echoing the words of the APA-Illinois Chapter, “[Ellen’s] efforts stand as an
example for citizen planners and professionals alike.”