40th Annual Maryland Planning Commissioners Association Conference
October 24-26, 2023
Kent Island Resport, Maryland
Queen Anne's County
The conference theme was 40 Years of Change, 40 Years of Opportunity on the Horizon
The Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA) and its Executive Committee would like to thank everyone who contributed to and attended the 40th Annual Conference on October 24-26, 2023.
We were especially delighted to gather in person at the beautiful, historic Kent Island Resort. Special thanks to our Queen Anne’s County hosts, distinguished panelists, speakers, and tour guides for an outstanding training and networking experience.
The MPCA looks forward to our 2024 annual conference which will be held for the first time in collaboration with APA Maryland. Be sure to watch for announcements about exciting developments on this website and in the digital pages of the MPCA Corner in Planning's e-newsletter, Planning Practice Monthly, in the weeks ahead (to subscribe, click here.)
For questions or to get involved, please contact Joe Griffiths, Local Assistance and Training Manager, at
joseph.griffiths@maryland.gov.
Session Presentations and Recordings
Click on the icons below to open the presentation from the conference.
Planning Commissioners Training Course
Chuck Boyd, AICP, Director, Planning Coordination, Maryland Department of Planning
Adam Snyer, AICP, Principal Counsel, Maryland Department of Planning
Joe Griffiths, AICP, Manager, Local Assistance and Training, Maryland Department of Planning
October 24: Day 1
Opening Meetings Act
April Ishak, City Attorney, Havre de Grace
Frank M. Johnson, Deputy City Attorney, City of Gaithersburg
Conference Welcome
Chris Corchiarino, Queen Anne's County Commissioner
October 25: Day 2
Plenary Session - 40 years of Change, 40 Years of Opportunity
Deborah Carpenter, Planning Director for Frederick County
Seth Harry, Professional Planner & Architect
Tay Harris, Calvert County Planner
Edward Erfurt, Director of Community Action at Strong Towns
Prophets and Profits: Reusing and Redeveloping Houses of Worship
Rick Reinhard, Principal, Niagara Consulting Group
Dr. J. Howard Kucher, Associate Professor, Graduate School of the University of MD, Baltimore
Reverend Sam Marullo, Ph.D., Deacon, United Methodist Church
Planning for PFAS: Addressing Emerging Contaminants at the County, City and Community Planning Levels
Simon Fong, PE & Project Manager
Joshua Mullis, Deputy Project Manager, PFAS Initial Site Analysis Investigation
Keynote Address
Rebecca L. Flora, AICP, LEED ND / BD+C, Secretary, Maryland Department of Planning
The Maryland Zoning Checkup
Ken Confalone, Chairman, Town of Charlestown Planning Commission
Joe Rogers and David Dahlstrohm, AICP of the Maryland Department of Planning
Inclusion of Native American Perspectives and People in Maryland Planning - 40 Years of Change, 40 Years of Opportunity
Peter Brooks, Former Commissioner of Indian Affairs in Maryland
Peter G. Landeros, Director, Eastern Woodlands Territory Support Band of the American Indian
Movement & Yacqui tribal member
Establishing an Action Plan: The Key to Unlocking Government Funding
Wes Guckert, PTP, President & CEO, The Traffic Group
Forestry Guidance to Local Governments
Jason Dubow, Manager, Resource Conservation & Management, MD Department of Planning
Dr. Ann Hariston-Strang, Acting Forester for MD Department of Natural Resources Forest Service
Dan Rider, Program Manager, Maryland Forest Service
Tom Bradshaw, Maryland Forest Service
Charles Rice, Director, Charles County Planning & Zoning
Dinner Address
Sharon Dobson, Queen Anne's County Planning Commission Chair
October 26: Day 3
Comparative Ethics for the Planning Profession
Sharon Suarez, MPA, AICP, Community Planner
Joe Griffiths, AICP, Manager, Local Assistance and Training, Maryland Department of Planning
Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays
Erik Fisher, Chairman, Critical Area Commission
Jennifer Dindinger, Chairperson, Town of Easton Planning Commission
Megan Reiser, Planner IV, Prince George's County Planning Department
Tom Leigh, Vice Chairman, Queen Anne's County Planning Commission
Achieving Equity in the EV Charging Reliability Act
Brooke Smallwood, Energy Industry Expert
Leave No One Behind in an Aging Maryland: Creating a Multisector Plan
Jeanna Crawley, MSW, Deputy Secretary, Maryland Department of Aging
North Prong Park - A Brownfield History & the Sequel
Sylvia Mosser, AICP, Planner, Resource & Conservation Management, MD Department of Planning
Rick Baldwin, Director, Infrastructure and Development, City of Salisbury
Tracey Green Taylor, Planner, Lower Easter Shore Regional Office, MD Department of Planning
Joe Nowak, West Virginia Lead, EPA Region 3 Brownfields Program
Katie See, AICP, Project Lead, WVU TAB EPA Region 3
