About this Event
This one-day event will feature engaging sessions on topics like housing, ethics, public health, and more—designed to inspire, educate, and connect planners and community leaders across Oklahoma.
- Location: Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center (Main Building), 1700 W Independence Street, Shawnee, OK
- Date: Thursday, May 22nd, 2025
- Time: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Happy Hour to follow!)
For details on the schedule, sessions, speakers, and CM credits, please see the agenda above or visit the APA website: APA-OK Spring 2025 Mini-Conference
Agenda
🕑: 09:00 AM
Balancing Interests: The Shawnee Twin Lakes Master Plan - 1 CM Credit
Host: Seth Barkhimer, PE, City Engineer, City of Shawnee
Info: This session will discuss how community stakeholders worked to balance multiple and diverging interests in order to create a master plan for the Twin Lakes area, which serves as Shawnee’s primary water source and a recreational amenity. The panel will discuss how issues such as infrastructure, parks and recreation, and public safety were intertwined to the maximize potential benefits to the community. This session will entail how stakeholders worked to develop consensus on the Twin Lakes area should develop, how services should be provided, and how other communities can develop similar plans for areas of special emphasis.
🕑: 10:00 AM
Legal Perspectives in Community Development - 1 Law CM Credit
Host: Nathalie Cornet, Eller & Detrich, P.C.
Info: This session will discuss the various legal issues facing municipalities and property owners alike throughout the development process. The session will focus on the role planners can play in navigating the politics of development, how they can help implement changes, and foster trust in the development process.
🕑: 11:00 AM
Public Health and the Built Environment - 1 CM Credit
Host: John Bobb-Semple, Executive Director, Pottawatomie GO
Info: This session will focus on how public health can impact community development at the community and neighborhood level. Discussion will include how community members and groups can influence policy changes relating to various aspects of community growth (sidewalks, parks, etc.) using a public safety and health approach.
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:15 PM
Lunch (Provided for Conference Attendees)
🕑: 01:15 PM
Preapproved Housing Plans in Oklahoma - 1 CM Credit
Host: Kyle Clifton, Planning Director, City of Claremore
Info: This session will discuss how communities in Oklahoma can and have developed plans for housing in their communities as another method to address housing affordability and availability in their jurisdictions. The session will demonstrate how three communities have utilized preapproved housing plans as a way to increase residential development and how such a program can be implemented in a community.
🕑: 02:30 PM
Ethics for Planners - 1 Ethics CM Credit
Host: Charles Warnken, AICP, University of Oklahoma
Info: This session will focus on ethical dilemmas and decisions that planners face in their everyday work and how those actions should be taken in light of the AICP Code of Ethics.
🕑: 03:30 PM
A Public Officials Perspective on Planning - 1 CM Credit
Host: Amanda Johnson, Planning Commissioner, City of Shawnee
Info: This session will discuss on planners can present information and communicate better with Public/Appointed Officials and the public as a whole while sharing what is happening in your community, emphasize important information, and not leave people wondering what is actually happening in their community. Appointed officials will share their perspectives on how project or department updates, staff reports, and presentations can be better tailored to clarify, inform, and help stakeholders process information.
🕑: 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Happy Hour!
Info: Unwind and connect with fellow conference attendees at our Happy Hour & Networking event! Use your provided drink tickets to enjoy a selection of beverages while mingling with peers, speakers, and industry leaders. This relaxed gathering is the perfect way to wrap up the day—exchange ideas, forge new connections, and enjoy great conversations in a casual setting. Cheers!
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center, 1700 West Independence Street, Shawnee, United States
USD 30.00
